The Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) is a Christian church founded and based in the United States by Polish-Americans who were Roman Catholic. However, the PNCC is today not in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and differs with it theologically in several important respects. While the PNCC continues to affirm its Polish heritage, many parishes now refer to themselves as "National Catholic" Churches. St. ... A Polish American is an American citizen of Polish descent. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Full communion is completeness of that relationship between Christian individuals and groups which is known as communion. ... “Catholic Church” redirects here. ... Theology is literally rational discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, rational discourse). By extension, it also refers to the study of other religious topics. ...

As of November 2006, the PNCC has 126 parishes in the United States and Canada, with membership of 60,000, according to its report to the National Council of Churches.[1] The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (usually identified as National Council of Churches, or NCC) is an association of 35 Christian faith groups in the United States with 100,000 local congregations and more than 45,000,000 adherents. ...

Beliefs

The doctrine of the PNCC is largely consistent with Roman Catholic doctrine, with some notable exceptions. The PNCC rejects a number of Roman Catholic dogmas insisting that they are theological novelties, including the infallibility of the Pope, the Immaculate Conception of Mary the Mother of God, and the Augustinian version of the doctrine of original sin. The PNCC has more or less abolished the practice of private confession for adults; though they may request it from a priest, the norm is for adults to receive general absolution during Mass. Although, the PNCC has seven sacraments, Baptism and Confirmation have been combined; the seventh sacrament is the Word of God being preached to, and heard by, the people. This development was alluded to in the recent joint statement (May 2006) of the Roman Catholic - PNCC Commission, but was considered a difference in emphasis rather than an obstacle to reunion. Authority in faith, morals and discipline rests with the Prime Bishop and clergy, whilst economic, financial and social matters are handled by the laity. In terms of morality, the PNCC is considered to be conservative in some areas (e.g. forbidding homosexual behaviour and abortion) and liberal in others (e.g. permitting artificial contraception and remarriage after divorce). This article is on dogma in religion. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... In Catholic theology, papal infallibility is the dogma that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error[1] when he solemnly declares or promulgates to the Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals as being contained in divine revelation, or at... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope (from Latin... Mary, mother of Jesus as the Immaculate Conception. ... “Our Lady” redirects here. ... “Original Sin” redirects here. ...

The chief legislative body is the General Synod; each parish is entitled to send one delegate for each 50 active members.

The PNCC accepts the Old and New Testaments, the first four Ecumenical councils of the undivided church, and the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. The church believes faith is necessary for salvation, and that from faith flow good works. The church hopes and prays for the salvation of all people through Jesus Christ. Sin is a "misunderstanding of the being and purpose of God on the part of the individual, the nation, and even all humanity." (Mead 1995, p. 221) Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh to refer to its canon, which corresponds to the Protestant Old Testament. ... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... See also General Council (disambiguation). ... The Apostles Creed (in Latin, Symbolum (Credo) Apostolicum), is an early statement of Christian belief, possibly from the first or second century, but more likely post-Nicene Creed in the early 4th Century AD. The theological specifics of the creed appear to be a refutation of Gnosticism, an early heresy. ... Icon depicting the Holy Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea holding the Nicene Creed. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

History

During the late 1800s many new Polish immigrants to the U.S. became dismayed with the Catholic Church hierarchy in the U.S. The American Church had no Polish bishops and few Polish priests, and would not allow the Polish language to be taught in parish schools. Even though the mainly Irish and German bishops helped establish hundreds of parishes for Poles, it was often the case that parish priests were unable to speak the language of the people. There were also disputes over who owned church property, particularly in Buffalo and Scranton, with the parishioners demanding greater control. Many Polish-Americans came to believe that these conditions were a manifestation of "political and social exploitation of the Polish people." (Mead 1995, pp. 220-222)

A leader of this struggle was Fr. Franciszek Hodur (1866-1953), a Polish immigrant to the United States and a Roman Catholic priest. Born near Krakow, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1893 and was ordained that year; in 1897, he became pastor of St. Stanislaus Cathedral in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Continued discontent led to an open rupture with the Catholic Church in 1897, when an independent Polish body was formed, headquartered in Scranton, with approximately 20,000 members initially. Hodur was consecrated a bishop in 1907 in Utrecht, Holland, by three Old Catholic bishops. He is considered by the PNCC to be its founder and first bishop. [2]. There was another schism which resulted in the formation of the small Lithuanian National Catholic Church in 1914; it later merged with the PNCC ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... This article needs cleanup. ... This article is about the sacrament. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      A pastor is an... The City of Scranton is the county seat of Lackawanna CountyGR6 in Northeastern Pennsylvania, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 76,415 (2003 estimate: 74,320). ... Utrecht refers to various cities and areas: Utrecht (province), of the Netherlands Utrecht (city), Netherlands, and capital of the province of the same name Utrecht (municipality), includes the city of Utrecht and two neighbouring villages (Vleuten / de Meern) Utrecht (agglomeration), in the Netherlands, includes the city of Utrecht Diocese of... Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands with a population of 6. ... The Old Catholic Church is not so much a religious denomination, as a community, part of whose member churches split from the Roman Catholic church in 1870. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      This article is about a title...

Following the PNCC's first synod in 1904, the vernacular (first Polish, then English) gradually replaced Latin as the language of the liturgy. All orders of its clergy (including bishops) have been allowed to marry since 1921. However, if a person is unmarried at the time of ordination, he must remain so for a period of 2 years afterwards. For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ... Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. ...

The PNCC was a member of the Old Catholic Union of Utrecht from 1907-2003, and for much of that period was the only member church of the Union based outside Europe (although it was not so when the Philippine Independent Church, also known as the Aglipayan Church, briefly joined the Union of Utrecht). The Union of Utrecht is a federation of Old Catholic Churches, not in communion with Rome, that seceded from the Roman Catholic Church over the issue of Papal infallibility. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Philippine Independent Church, officially the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) in Spanish, is a Christian denomination belonging to the Roman Catholic tradition. ...

Missionary work was begun in Poland in 1919, and at the beginning of World War II there were more than 50 parishes in that country, along with a theological seminary in Krakow. During post-war Communist rule of Poland the church there suffered severe persecution, but it survived and is now an autocephalous body in communion with the PNCC. (Mead 1995, p. 222) Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ...

Relations with other denominations

The PNCC is a longstanding member of the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (usually identified as National Council of Churches, or NCC) is an association of 35 Christian faith groups in the United States with 100,000 local congregations and more than 45,000,000 adherents. ... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is an international Christian ecumenical organization. ...

From 1907 until 2003 the PNCC was a member of the Old Catholic Union of Utrecht, and for much of that time was the only member church of the Union based outside Europe. However, in the 1970s this relationship grew strained, as there was a gradual shift towards liberalism in the rest of Utrecht Union churches, as opposed to a trend towards conservatism in the PNCC.[3] The PNCC in the United States and Canada entered into a state of "impaired communion" with the Utrecht Union in 1997, since the PNCC did not accept the validity of ordaining women to the priesthood, which most other Utrecht Union churches had been doing for the past several years. The PNCC continued to refuse full communion with those churches that ordained women; thus, in 2003 the International Old Catholic Bishops' Conference expelled the PNCC from the Utrecht Union, determining that "full communion, as determined in the statute of the IBC, could not be restored and that therefore, as a consequence, the separation of our Churches follows." (The following year the Old Catholic Church in Slovakia seceded from the Union over similar issues.) However, in 2004 the cathedral of the PNCC's Canadian diocese (St. John's Cathedral, Toronto) was reconciled with the Union and is once again in full communion with the Anglican Diocese of Toronto. The Old Catholic Church is not so much a religious denomination, as a community, part of whose member churches split from the Roman Catholic church in 1870. ... The Union of Utrecht is a federation of Old Catholic Churches, not in communion with Rome, that seceded from the Roman Catholic Church over the issue of Papal infallibility. ... In general religious use, ordination is the process by which one is consecrated (set apart for the undivided administration of various religious rites). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... St. ... The Diocese of Toronto is an administrative division of the Anglican Church of Canada. ...

For some years the PNCC had inter-communion with the Episcopal Church in the United States, but in 1978 the PNCC terminated this relationship in response to the latter's decision to ordain women to the priesthood. The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the nations capital is the national cathedral of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. ...

Although the PNCC has entered into tentative negotiations with Orthodox Churches in North America, no union has resulted due to the PNCC's substantial adherence to the Roman Catholic view of the sacraments and other issues. A sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates divine grace. ...

Dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church led in 1996 to an arrangement of "limited inter-communion" between the two churches.[4] Subsequent dialogue has been affected by the PNCC reception of some former Roman Catholic clergy, and this was acknowledged in a 2006 joint statement between the two groups. Other obstacles to full communion cited in the 2006 statement include different views of the role of the Pope, and the level of involvement of the laity in church governance.[5]

A group of Catholics in Norway who split from the Lutheran state Church of Norway, who go by the name Nordic Catholic Church, are under the auspices of the Polish National Catholic Church, and according to some articles will have a bishop consecrated by the PNCC soon. Country church in Sogn, Norway The Church of Norway (Den norske kirke) also known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, to which 86% of Norwegians belong. ...

External links

• Official Website of the Polish National Catholic Church of the United States and Canada
• Official Website of the Polish Catholic Church (Poland)
• Official Website of the Nordic Catholic Church
• Official Website of the Old Catholic Union of Utrecht

Diocesan/Cathedral Links:

• St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Cathedral, Scranton PA
• Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese
• Holy Mother of the Rosary PNCC Cathedral, Lancaster NY
• Canadian Diocese
• Western Diocese

Some National Catholic Church Parish Links:

• All Saints PNCC - Carnegie, PA
• All Saints PNCC - Johnson City, NY
• All Saints PNCC - Sterling Heights, MI
• Blessed Trinity PNCC - Fall River, MA
• Blessed Virgin Mary of Częstochowa PNCC - Latham, NY
• Church of the Good Shepherd PNCC - Plymouth, PA
• Holy Cross PNCC - Enfield, CT
• Holy Cross PNCC - Hamtramck, MI
• Holy Cross PNCC - West Paterson, NJ
• Holy Cross PNCC - Wilkes Barre, PA
• Holy Family PNCC - McKeesport, PA
• Holy Mother of Sorrows PNCC - Dupont, PA
• Holy Mother of the Rosary PNCC, Chicopee MA
• Holy Name of Jesus PNCC - South Deerfield, MA
• Holy Saviour PNCC - Union City, CT
• Holy Trinity PNCC - Hamilton, ON
• Holy Trinity PNCC - Lackawann, NY
• Holy Trinity PNCC - McKees Rocks, PA
• Saint Michael the Archangel PNCC - Niagara Falls, NY
• Our Lord's Ascension PNCC - Bethlehem, PA
• Providence of God PNCC - Scranton, PA
• Resurrection of the Lord PNCC - Edwardsville, PA
• Sacred Heart of Jesus/Holy Cross PNCC- New York Mills, NY
• St. John the Baptist PNCC - Frackville, PA
• St. Joseph's PNCC - Davie, FL
• St. Joseph's of Stratford PNCC - Stratford, CT
• St. Joseph's PNCC - Westfield, MA
• St. Mary PNCC - South Bend, IN
• St. Valentin's PNCC - Philadelphia, PA
• Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary PNCC - San Antonio, TX
• Transfiguration of Our Lord PNCC - Mt. Pleasant, PA

References

• Note 1: Encyclopedia of American Religions, J. Gordon Melton, editor. 6th Ed., 1999. pp 93-94.
• Mead, Frank S. (1995), "Polish National Catholic Church of America", Handbook of Denominations in the United States (10th Edition), Abingdon Press, ISBN 0-687-01478-6.