Cooperation of the religious departments of the Easter Bloc countries (meetings)

Dominik Zamiatała

Abstract

From the early 1960s to the end of the existence of the Eastern Bloc, the socialist countries began cooperation on a religious policy. As a result, officials from the countries of the Eastern Bloc who dealt with religious matters held meetings to discuss the issues mentioned above. The meetings provided a great opportunity for the exchange of information, experience and coordination, and for the harmonization of the main trends in the activity of these countries; as well as assistance in creating religious organizational structures aimed at implementing a religious policy which would be in line with the communist doctrine. In addition, they met to discuss the course of action towards the Vatican, and to designate the representatives of Churches, religious associations and organizations from the Eastern Bloc for international religious organizations such as the Berlin Conference of European Catholics, the Christian Peace Conference and the World Council of Churches. These meetings were also an occasion for discussing major problems of a religious policy, with particular emphasis on the analysis of political goals and the tactics of the most important Churches and religious organizations. Officials dealing with religious matters informed the other members of the conference about major problems in the relations between the church and state in their countries. These meetings contributed to deepening cooperation between socialist countries on a religious policy. These consultations were held due to the necessity of mutual cooperation on the issues relating to the Church and politics, especially from the 1960s onwards, when the Vatican changed its policy towards the Eastern Bloc and when other Churches became more active.