♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] eric campbell: in the days before coronavirus stopped the world, poland hosted europe's biggest far-right rally. it was a call for a new crusade for god, honor, and fatherland. the rally leader, robert bakiewicz, is on a quest to build a pure catholic state. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: i've come here to see how religion is being weaponized in a fight for power. it's a country where nationalists equate catholicism

with white polish identity, where church and state have grown unsettlingly close to reshape society, and where the father of polish democracy, lech walesa, says democracy is now in peril. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] ♪♪♪ [shouting] [singing] eric: it's sunday morning, and the tolsdorf family are

praying in their small home before they head to their big church. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: piotr tolsdorf and his wife, malgosia, have eight kids in a two-bedroom apartment. like many devout couples, they're planning to have more. luckily for them, their pro-catholic government encourages big families. every month it pays them nearly $200 per child. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: the tolsdorfs also support their government's view of what makes a real family. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: poland is embracing its catholic roots. for a lifetime it was ruled by communists, then liberal democrats. now, the government is putting conservative church doctrine into law whether it's on gay rights, abortion, or ivf. it's even trying to criminalize sex education.

[speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [singing] ♪♪♪ eric: in 2015 the populist law and justice party came to power on the promise of restoring traditional catholic values. the church now sits on the right hand of government. ella podlesna: officially, there is, of course, separation of church and state but it is sort of fiction in poland.

they're just like twin brothers, i would say. one cannot live without another. eric: ella podlesna is a 51-year-old psychotherapist who is seen as an enemy of church and state. [speaking foreign language] eric: in 2016, she helped organize mass protests that stopped a proposed ban on all abortions. now she's facing a two-year jail term for painting rainbows on madonnas to condemn the church's treatment of gays. ella: there was a sort of proverb in my family, which was: "be useful." and "make the best use of yourself." and i just try to follow that. [speaking foreign language]

eric: last year, she was attacked in a gay pride rally that church leaders called a blasphemy. ella: we were physically attacked. only by chance nothing serious happened, because when people are taught by the church that lgbt people are connected with pedophilia, it is to cover their own problems with pedophilia they have within the church, which comes up to the surface very often now. [chanting] eric: this was the first ever pride march in the conservative city of bialystok and priests joined the crowd trying to stop it. ella: the attackers think that they have got the blessing from the church. ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ eric: the medieval capital of krakow is a stark example of how much power the church can wield. it was home to a young priest who became poland's first pope, john paul ii. its world heritage centre has made it one of europe's most romantic destinations. eric: but lately, it's become renowned for something else. with the blessing of the catholic church, the regional government has declared this to be an lgbt-free zone. what's more, the archbishop of krakow has likened what he calls lgbt ideology to communism, saying poland once faced a red plague, now it's facing a rainbow plague.

so what does that mean? eric: the archbishop has agreed to meet me in his palace, the seat of church leaders since the 14th century. marek jedraszewski was a close friend of john paul ii and at 70 is one of the most influential figures in poland. eric: hello, sir. eric: he makes no apology for likening gay activists to the soviets who occupied post-war poland. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] ♪♪♪

eric: outside the palace walls, poland looks a thoroughly modern european country. it's a full member of the eu and bound by its rules legalizing same-sex relations. but a third of the country has now been declared lgbt-free. that's a largely symbolic gesture, but the eu has condemned it for encouraging homophobia. the church says poland should follow god over brussels. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] eric: you can see that special role in schools. almost every child in public school has to attend catholic education classes, starting from kindergarten. ella: the program of religious lessons cannot be verified and checked by anybody except the bishop. eric: last year, the liberal mayor of warsaw tried to introduce sex education into curriculums. he suggested discussing same-sex issues, as recommended by the world health organization, but the parliament is now pushing for three-year-jail terms for teaching children about sex. [accordion playing] [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: the church has remained silent over what critics call attacks on democracy. the law and justice party has been stripping the independence of public institutions, including courts and state media. [speaking foreign language] eric: ella podlesna's latest legal problems stem from this rowdy protest against state television, which she says has become a government mouthpiece. the news network portrayed her as a dangerous radical. [speaking foreign language]

eric: hounded her from her job at a public hospital and had her charged with hooliganism. eric: hello, ella. ella: hello. eric: back in court again? ella: yes. eric: how many times are you in court these days? ella: i don't know how it happens, but every wednesday. it happens every week. eric: she's not expecting a fair trial. the government has been increasing its power to hire and fire judges. [gasping] [speaking foreign language] eric: but today, there's some good news. the judge hearing the charge is, in her opinion, one of the few independent judges left. eric: what's happened? ella: the same law-- the same judge. eric: you've got the slightly friendlier judge you had before? ella: the honest judge, yes, who respects the constitution.

eric: there was a time when liberals and the church stood shoulder to shoulder to fight for constitutional democracy. the port city of gdansk was the scene of an epic political struggle that marked the beginning of the end of the soviet empire. ♪♪♪ eric: in 1980, a young shipyard electrician lech walesa, formed an independent trade union called solidarity. eric: the soviet-controlled government declared martial law but the catholic church and pope john paul ii stood behind him. solidarity toppled communism, a new democracy was born,

and a young dissident became president. happy days now long gone. eric: whatever unity there was in the cold war has been smashed by a culture war, a fight over the kind of country the new poland will become-- liberal and open or conservative, nationalistic, and intensely catholic. so why have things become so divided? well, today we're gonna meet the man who started poland's transformation: lech walesa. eric: at 76, he's still a regular in the shipyard, working out of an office in its museum. [speaking foreign language] eric: but he's a staunch critic of the ruling law and justice party, always wearing a t-shirt emblazoned

with the word "constitution." [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: walesa is a devout catholic, but he's highly critical of the church's close ties to the government. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] ♪♪♪

eric: but inside solidarity, his objections are ignored. [speaking foreign language] eric: karol guzikiewicz is solidarity's deputy leader in gdansk shipyard. he's also a regional councilor for the law and justice party. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] ♪♪♪ eric: he took me on a tour of the shipyard, which now only manufactures parts, not whole ships. [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] eric: he started working here in 1980, the year solidarity was formed, when he was just 15. [speaking foreign language] eric: these days, many workers see walesa as a traitor, selling out poland to the west when he became president. [speaking foreign language] eric: karol guzikiewicz is happy with poland's embrace of conservative catholic values. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: the law and justice government was re-elected in october with almost 44% of the vote, the highest for any party since the return of democracy. but does that mean people automatically support a

conservative catholic agenda? ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ [speaking foreign language] eric: marcin nikrant lives in a small town outside gdansk called lesniewo. it's a stronghold of the law and justice party. but marcin, who is openly gay, has been elected mayor three times. marcin nikrant: they're really interested in what i can do for them, if i'm helpful or not. they don't care--really don't care about my private life. they don't care who i am sleeping with. eric: so you're always available when people need you? marcin: yes, they can call me. they can write me an email. they can also come here to my home. eric: so you're a bit like a priest. marcin: well, maybe. you can say that, but i'm very far away of thinking and saying

this kind of things, yeah. eric: the church is very strong in talking about a rainbow plague and things like that. is that making life less safe? is it encouraging people to use hate speech? [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] ♪♪♪ eric: while the church has made life harder for gays, it still wants to claim them as catholics. eric: so marcin, you're tually ithe process of leaving the church now. what's all that about? marcin: that's right-- eric: marcin nikrant is now struggling through a legal process to be removed from the parish register.

marcin: now, i have to apply. i want to leave the polish catholic church, i have to bring two people who will confirm that i'm sure. eric: two witnesses? marcin: yeah, two witnesses, yeah, that i'm sure i want to leave the catholic church. eric: and then the priest has to sign your release? marcin: yeah, he decides if that's right, if i am sure. he decides if i can leave the catholic church. eric: so there's actually a bureaucratic process you have to go to, to be allowed to leave catholicism? marcin: yes, that's right. that's funny and sad at the same time, in my opinion. [church bells ringing] [singing] [singing] eric: the church has maintained its grip on power despite a sex scandal that seriously damaged its moral credibility.

[speaking foreign language] eric: last year, a crowdfunded documentary called "tell no one" used hidden cameras to reveal a widespread history of priests abusing children. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: released on youtube, it was viewed nearly 20 million times in the first week. one of its most shocking revelations was how the church had relocated pedophile priests. [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] eric: why should anyone take seriously what the church says about morality when it failed so fundamentally its own moral obligations? [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: catholicism doesn't just dominate mainstream politics, it's become a rallying call for violent extremists.

eric: in the capital, warsaw, an ultranationalist group is training on the vistula river. it's two days before a mass rally they've organized to mark polish independence day. this is a staged media event to show how they'll defend themselves from leftists. [speaking foreign language] [cannon blast] eric: many of these self-styled bodyguards belong to national radical camp, a revival of a 1930s fascist movement. but their leader, robert bakiewicz, insists they're not fascists, just catholic patriots. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] eric: so wt would you like to see--what catholic doctrines would you like to see put into law in poland? [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: on independence day, he and his followers gather in church ahead of their mass rally and march. the theme of this year's gathering is defending the catholic church. the symbol is a fist clutching a rosary.

robert bakiewicz will be wielding a crucifix. his chosen slogan-- [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: in recent years, the far right has hijacked independence day celebrations, with the acquiescence of government. the previous year's gathering was addressed by the president. ♪♪♪ eric: the centre of warsaw soon fills will 60,000 people, many of them ordinary families.

eric: far right groups have converged from across europe. many sport the celtic cross, the adopted symbol for white supremacists. [speaking foreign language] male: we're from holland. eric: from holland? what are you doing in poland today? male: we are here for the nationalism and the march and connect with people and meet people who think like us and want the same for their countries. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language]

eric: among the crowd are several politicians, including a prominent law and justice mp: dominik tarczynski. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: as the march proceeds, the chanting grows more militant and threatening. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreiglanguage] eric: the mp dominik tarczynski promised us an interview, but like other government figures we approached after the rally, he proved unavailable. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] eric: some devout catholics like piotr tolsdorf told us they found the rally and its violent messages disturbing. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] eric: many hope conservative catholic values will lead their country to the light. others fear they risk opening the gates to something darker. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ cc by aberdeen captioning 1-800-688-6621 abercap.com