Polish Catholic Church - History

History

The Polish Catholic Church, known within Poland as the Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) until 1951, has its origins in the final decade of 19th century. During this time, Polish immigrants in the United States, referred to as Polonia, participated in the protests of laymen in Roman Catholic parishes against the domination of clergymen from German and Irish origins. The parishers demanded insight into the financial matters of parishes, usage of vernacular in liturgy, and the appropriate care and treatment of clergymen from their own ethnic group. After the unsuccessful presentation of their requests to the Vatican in 1898, the Polish National Catholic Church was formally founded in Scranton, Pennsylvania out of a number of independent Polish parishes. After the consecration of Reverend Franciszek Hodur as Bishop in 1907, the newly organized church community became a member of The Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches.

After realizing the necessity of establishing and maintaining contact with Poland, Bishop Francis Hodur worked to establish the PNCC in that country. According to the religious and social precepts of the PNCC, there was an obligation to serve their country of origin, Poland. They especially sought the independence of their native land. The Church worked to maintain this tradition among Polish immigrants, along with defending Polish national interests. Independence in Poland was gained in 1918, although the missionary work of the Church was impeded due to lack of legalization. The efforts of the Church for legal recognition were unsuccessful until 1939. It was not until February 1946 that the Church gained legal status on the basis of the decision of Polish Ministry of Public Administration.

After 1945, Polish Communist authorities were not keen on legalising the Polish National Catholic Church because its leader, Bishop Franciszek Hodur, was a United States citizen. In 1951, under pressure from the Communist regime, the Polish diocese of the original Polish National Catholic Church declared itself independent of its parent church in the United States. This was partially due to the arrests of Bishop Joseph Padewski and Father Edward Narbutt-Narbuttowicz. In the autumn of 1951, the church changed its name to the Polish Catholic Church. The new leader of the church was Father Józef Dobrochowski who, in close cooperation with Father Eugeniusz Krieglewicz, followed the orders of the Communist authorities. The Polish government now had complete control over the Church, in that state authorities appointed and removed bishops, managed Church personnel, and financed Church operations.

The duties of the new Church included organising Masses for the celebration of the anniversary of the 1952 Polish Constitution which occurred on July 22, a Communist holiday not supported by the Catholic Church, and sending letters of congratulation to the authorities concerning other anniversaries.

Full regulation of the Church’s legal status occurred after Polish Parliament on June 30, 1995, passed a Bill on Mutual Relations Between the State and Polish Catholic Church in the Republic of Poland (Dz. U. Nr 97, poz. 482). On May 26, 2000, the Polish Catholic Church and the Catholic Church of Poland agreed upon mutual respect and cooperation.