Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Cracow, expressed preoccupation for marriage crisis in the pastoral letter for Lent. On recalling that "every divorce and every separation are a tragedy of wounded love", the cardinal suggested to ask oneself the question: "to what extent are the young swearing love in front of the altar mature, from the human and Christian point of view?". Moreover, in the message, the cardinal emphasized that lots of young people live together before marriage, and cohabitation is actually approved by parents and by the young themselves. "It is necessary to clearly state that the Christians cannot prepare themselves to the sacrament of marriage in a way which we might call pagan, and which upsets the natural order of things", admonished Card. Dziwisz. According to the studies of the Polish Central Office of Public Opinion Survey, in spite of modern society changes, the period of Lent preserves its importance for the majority of the Polish. At that time, over 80% of Polish tries not to take part in party evenings; over 60% decides to start following the conversion path, through privations and renunciations; and one half of them promise to better themselves.
