Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC)
The Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) is a religious denomination primarily found in North America that emerged in the late 1800s as a result of dissatisfaction among Polish immigrants with the Roman Catholic Church. Formed in 1897, the PNCC sought to create a church that aligned more closely with the cultural and spiritual needs of Polish Americans. Initially, the church experienced rapid growth, with membership exceeding 20,000 by 1902; however, by 2019, this number had declined to approximately 25,000 members.
The PNCC operates independently from the Roman Catholic Church and is not in communion with it, although it considers the Roman Catholic Church a sister church. The PNCC’s beliefs share commonalities with Catholicism but include significant differences, such as the rejection of papal infallibility and original sin as a generational legacy. It has a liturgical style similar to that of the Latin Rite but typically conducts services in English.
Governed by a democratic structure, the PNCC is led by the General Synod of bishops, with the Prime Bishop acting as the chief executive. The church also emphasizes the involvement of lay members in decision-making processes, reflecting its commitment to a community-oriented approach. As the PNCC continues to navigate its identity and relationship with broader Catholicism, it remains a distinct expression of faith within the Polish-American community.
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Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC)
The Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC), or the Polish National Catholic Church of America, is a religious group located mostly in North America that has existed since the late 1800s. The church branched off from the Roman Catholic Church and is not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church at present. In the mid-2020s, the PNCC claimed to have between twenty-five and thirty thousand members, which represented a significant decline from the more than two hundred thousand claimed in the mid-twentieth century. Most parishes are in the United States, but a few are in Canada. The motto of the PNCC is "With truth, work, and struggle, we will succeed."
History
The PNCC first organized in March 1897, but it traces its origins back to the time of Jesus. During the 1800s, Polish immigrants flooded the United States in search of new opportunities. Many of these immigrants were Roman Catholics, and they sought to practice their faith in their new homeland. Some Polish immigrants were unhappy with the Roman Catholic Church in America; they were particularly unhappy with the way the church managed parishes and parish property. These immigrants broke with the Roman Catholic Church to form the PNCC. The first PNCC mass was held at Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Parish in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on March 21, 1897. Approximately 250 families united to form the church.
By 1902, the PNCC had more than twenty thousand members. A young priest, Franciszek "Francis" Hodur, helped lead the fledgling church, and he became the church's first bishop. In 1907, Hodur was consecrated as bishop by three bishops of the Old Catholic Church in Utrecht, Holland. (The Old Catholic Church formed after the First Vatican Council when some bishops split from the Roman Catholic Church.) During the 1900s, the General Synod of the church met numerous times to discuss and clarify the PNCC's teachings and beliefs. The PNCC clarified a number of views that differed from the views of the Roman Catholic Church. The relationship between the PNCC and the Roman Catholic Church was tense.
After World War I, missionaries from the PNCC in the United States traveled to Poland to establish churches there. The missionaries were successful, and dozens of churches opened in the country. During World War II, however, the Nazis took control of Poland. They persecuted members of the PNCC and almost totally destroyed the church within the country.
In the early 1980s, the PNCC began a dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church. Although the Roman Catholic Church did not recognize the PNCC as part of the Universal Catholic Church, it did acknowledge that the PNCC had maintained the order of apostolic succession through the bishops. If the PNCC ever elects a female bishop, however, the Roman Catholic Church will no longer acknowledge it as having maintained apostolic succession. The PNCC considers the Roman Catholic Church a sister church, meaning it is equal in power but totally separate from the PNCC.
Beliefs
The PNCC has many beliefs that are similar to those of other Catholic churches. Members of the PNCC believe that God is a Trinity made up of three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They also believe that Jesus died for humanity's sins. However, they have some beliefs that are different. For example, they do not believe in papal infallibility. (Papal infallibility is the dogma of the Catholic Church that states that the pope cannot be wrong when speaking about matters of doctrine.) The PNCC also does not believe that original sin passes from generation to generation, as Roman Catholics and Eastern Catholics do. In the 2020s, women were still not allowed to be ordained in the church, and the blessing of same-sex marriages was rejected.
The PNCC believes in seven sacraments. The PNCC celebrates the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, the Word of God, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Holy Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. The PNCC also believes that priests can marry. The PNCC shares many of the same holy days and feasts as the Roman Catholic Church, but it has a few additional feasts, including the Feast of the Poor Shepherd and the Feast of the Remembrance of the Dear Polish Fatherland. The PNCC liturgy resembles many aspects of the Latin Rite used by Roman Catholics, but the PNCC mass usually is spoken in English, as that is the language that most members of the church speak.
Organization
The Catholic pope does not oversee the PNCC. The PNCC is led by the General Synod, which is a group of bishops within the church. The General Synod meets every few years and discusses the church's beliefs and teachings. It also establishes church law and ordains new bishops. The Prime Bishop is the chief executive of the church and convenes the General Synod. The bishops of the church also play important roles outside the synod; they ordain priests and confer sacraments. Priests and deacons are also ordained members of the church.
Although bishops head the PNCC, it is considered a democratic church. Members of the laity have opportunities to help make decisions. For example, if a bishop wants to close a church due to declining membership, the members of the church also have to approve the church's closing. The various dioceses and parishes have councils and committees that help the laity become involved in the church. As such, controversy was stirred when, in 2013, the prime bishop deposed the bishop administering the Canadian diocese of the PNCC, an act that some argued was overstepping his bounds. A sign of the decline of interest in the Polish Nation Church occurred in October 2022 when the synod was unable to elect a bishop for its Central Diocese due to a lack of interest. This event illustrated declining church attendance and a lack of an adequate clergy pool.
Bibliography
“About Us.” Polish National Catholic Church, pncc.org/about. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
“History of the PNCC.” St. John the Baptist Parish, saintjohnspncc.org/history-of-the-pncc/. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
“Polish National Catholic Church.” World Council of Churches, www.oikoumene.org/member-churches/polish-national-catholic-church. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
“Structure.” Polish National Catholic Church, pncc.org/structure. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
Whale, William Joseph. Separated Brethren: A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, & Other Religions in the United States, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 2002, pp. 188–93.