Implementation by the Catholic Church of the Constitutional Principle of Cooperation with the Polish State in Favour of the Institution of Religious Marriage with Civil Effects

The competence to co-operate between the state authorities and the Catholic Church results both from the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2 April 1997, as well as from the Concordat and ordinary laws. The Polish state in many areas of social life (e.g. in the field of education, protection of monuments or charitable activity) is supported in achieving its goals by churches and other religious organisations. The cooperation may be spontaneous and rely on the convergence of activities of both entities, but it may also be contractual, i.e. agreed upon by their competent representatives. The aim of this paper is not only to present the legal regulations relevant to the cooperation between the state and the Catholic Church, but above all to show the practical side of the principle of cooperation in the area of actions taken by the Catholic Church for the benefit of marriage, especially that the Polish legislation, allowing for the possibility of concluding religious marriages on the territory of the Republic of Poland with civil effects, has extended the possibility of cooperation with religious organisations.