COVID-19 PANDEMIC AS AN IMPULSE FOR COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN POLAND: THE EXAMPLE OF THE DIOCESE OF RZESZÓW

Abstract

The epidemic of the SARS-CoV-2 virus announced in Poland was connected with huge restrictions and limitations for individual citizens, society as a whole, and many industries. The restrictions also affected the faithful and members of religious communities, who were unable to directly participate in religious services due to the limits for participants. The situation also posed a challenge for Catholic priests, who had to take measures to reach the faithful with religious services in cases of limitations placed on direct contact. The paper analyses the communication activities undertaken by priests of the Diocese of Rzeszow, implemented as a consequence of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research work assumes that the pandemic provided the impetus for greater use of tools from the field of new technologies in relation to the faithful.

Keywords

• catholic church
• diocese of rzeszow
• communication in the church
• covid-19
• new media