(2 Nov 1995) Eng/Polish/Nat
The race for Poland's presidency has become a fight in which the Catholic Church is playing a dominant role.
Some church leaders have even told their congregations that they must vote for a Catholic in next Sunday's elections.
The incumbent president, Lech Walesa, is a devout Catholic; his main rival is former communist minister Aleksander Kwasniewski.
Every week, thousands of pilgrims make their way to the village of Lichen in central Poland, many of them forced to stand outside its packed church.
Here, the Virgin Mary is said to have made two appearances and reports of the sick being healed have caused its fame to spread.
Now it's set to become even more famous thanks to the vision of one man - Father Eugeniusz Makulski.
He's building the largest new church in Europe this century on the site - funded entirely by donations.
Father Makulski wields great power locally and has no qualms about telling his flock they must vote for a Catholic in next Sunday's presidential elections.
SOUNDBITE: (In Polish)
"How can we give power to a non-believer? In the past we've had terrible problems. How can we elect a communist or an enemy of the church? So it's quite obvious a Catholic should elect a Catholic. I didn't name the candidate but it's obvious a Catholic country should have a Catholic president"
SUPER CAPTION: Father Eugeniusz Makulski - Lichen priest
Current Polish president and former Solidarity union leader Lech Walesa fits the bill.
During his five years in power, he's been widely seen as a devout Catholic.
His chief rival is former communist minister Aleksander Kwasniewski of the Democratic Left Alliance, which combines leftist groups with roots in the communist regime.
Many Catholics are worried about the prospect that a former communist, especially one who refuses to apologise for the past regime's policies, could reach supreme office.
They fear Kwasniewski's campaign will divide the country.
SOUNDBITE: (In Polish)
"The campaign of the whole post-communist bloc, both this one and the former parliamentary campaign, is addressed to an anti-Catholic, anti-religious electorate."
SUPER CAPTION: Bishop Tadeusz Pieronek - Catholic Church spokesman
The candidate widely seen as the church's favourite is central bank governor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.
A fervent Catholic, she says the church has a role to remind people of the past.
SOUNDBITE:
"It's the moral obligation of the church to show the values because the people are so crooked they forgot about the Communist system unfortunately"
SUPER CAPTION: Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz - Presidential candidate
Kwasniewski insists he'll be able to work with the church.
He's currently leading a commission trying to get an agreement between the Vatican and the state through parliament.
SOUNDBITE:
"I think we have all possibilities to create normal relation, very positive relation, between the church and the state and I think if we want to overcome some controversions, some problems, it is necessary to have very clever and very clear articles in new constitution."
SUPER CAPTION: Aleksander Kwasniewski - Presidential candidate
The vast majority of Poland's 27 (m) million voters are Catholic and those at mass next Sunday are likely to hear pre-election sermons.
After being marginalised for so long - with no legal status and not allowed to build grand new buildings - it's clear the church's influence will remain strong.
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