Modele stosunków państwo – Kościół w Unii Europejskiej

Abstract

Contrary to the view – quite common until recently – about inevitable process of secularization, religions still play important role in political life of today’s Europe and contemporary world. There are three different models of relations between the State and Church (or religious communities) in the European Union Member States. In the “sharp separation model” (such as that in France) the entire public space is described as secular and Churches, are regarded as private entities, although the State guarantees religious freedom to all. In the “autonomy and cooperation model” (for example Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania) on the one hand mutual autonomy of Church institutions and the State is emphasised, while on the other hand the State, both in the Constitution and in political practice treats Churches and religious communities as institutions of public and social life utility. In that model the State supports, either directly or indirectly, activities of the largest Churches and religious communities. The model of “national Church” (the United Kingdom, Greece, Denmark) features strict relationship between the institution of State and the Church which has played crucial role in the history and largely influenced the way the identity of a given society evolved. In political practice such formal relationships are becoming less and less binding over the recent
years. The attitude of the European Union which regards all these models and equally rightful, refusing to prioritise any of them over the others seem very fair and right.