REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
Nothing says anti-Catholic virtue as much as road rage, or so it seems in Poland. The Polish Catholic Church has organized a national day of prayer for the nation’s drivers.
On Sunday, with the blessing—yeah, the pun was intended there—of the national police force, people are invited to pray for the attitudes of drivers throughout Poland. If that isn’t enough, the church will also host a two-day retreat for drivers to reflect on their attitudes.
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According to The Telegraph, Father Marian Midura, the organizer of the prayer day, says many Polish folk behave like pagans when driving. “Even though we hang rosaries, carry images of saints and have the early Christian sign of the fish on our cards, we do not respect other drivers,” he says.
And while they’re at it, the day of prayer will also include priests encouraging drivers not to drink and drive.
The death rate on Polish roads is actually the highest in the developed world. A survey in 2009 found there were 12 deaths on Polish roads for every 100,000 citizens, much higher than the rate of 3.9 deaths for every 100,000 in the United Kingdom, despite a greater number of cars and roadways there.
Keeping the Polish public driving safe has become a staple of the Polish Catholic Church. The church has made driving safe an ethical issue, even sending priests out with the police to add a bit of moral weight to speeding tickets. There was no word on if confessions were done on the spot.
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