poland has a long tradition of religious freedom. the right to worship freely was a basic right given to all inhabitants of the commonwealth throughout the 15th and early 16th century. complete freedom of religion was officially recognized in poland in 1573 during the warsaw confederation. poland kept religious freedom laws during an era when religious persecution was an everyday occurrence in the rest of europe. the commonwealth was a place where the most radical religious sects, trying to escape persecution in other countries of the christian world, sought refuge. in 1561 bonifacio d’oria, a religious exile living in poland, wrote of his adopted country's virtues to a colleague back in italy: "you could live here in accordance with your ideas and preferences, in great, even the greatest freedoms, including writing and publishing. no one is a censor here."