Dies irae? Preacher's interpretation of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The topic of the article is the image of the pandemic in sermons broadcast by TVP and TVP Polonia from March 15 to May 30, 2020. It was the time of the first wave of the pandemic and the first restrictions. Then the number of participants in masses in churches was limited and the number of mass broadcasts on television was increased. However, it was a period of new pandemic experiences and the first fears caused by the plague. Therefore, questions were asked about how often preachers talked about the pandemic, what they said, and what potential effects this message could have on the faith and beliefs of the faithful. The analysis covered 98 sermons delivered during the period in question, using the research method of content analysis. An original model of the act of preaching communication was also used.