WESTERN ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVES ON THE POLISH NATIONAL CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Flag and Seal of the Polish National Catholic Church

UTRECHT, SCRANTON, AND THE CALL TO A FAITHFUL ANCIENT ORTHODOXY

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

INTRODUCTION

The history of the Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) and its role in the formation of the Union of Scranton is a profound witness to the persistence of Western Orthodoxy amid the fragmentation of post-Reformation Christendom. While not originally styled in Eastern Orthodox language, holding tight to a self-definition of “Catholicity,” the PNCC has historically stood for many of the same principles upheld by the Orthodox Churches: conciliar governance, fidelity to Apostolic Tradition, resistance to papal absolutism, and the organic development of liturgy and the faithful historical and conciliar interpretation of Christian doctrine. Its story is deeply intertwined with the ancient rights of the Archbishopric of Utrecht, the upheavals of the Roman Church following the First Vatican Council, and the more recent apostasy of Western liberal Catholic bodies. Today, the PNCC represents one of the most compelling examples of a Western Catholic Church preserving apostolic faith without falling into Roman legalism or Protestant innovation.

THE ROOTS: UTRECHT AND WESTERN AUTOCEPHALY

The foundation for much of what became the PNCC’s ecclesiological and canonical framework lies in the ancient Archbishopric of Utrecht. Established in the early Middle Ages, Utrecht was long a respected center of Catholic life in the Netherlands. However, it became a beacon of Western ecclesiastical independence following the Jansenist controversies of the 17th and 18th centuries. When Rome attempted to suppress the local Church over disputes surrounding grace and predestination, the Chapter of Utrecht asserted its ancient canonical right to elect and consecrate its own bishops without papal confirmation, a right rooted in pre-schism conciliar traditions, and in the practice of Northern Europe during the wars of the Reformation. In 1724, the Chapter consecrated Cornelius Steenoven as Archbishop of Utrecht without papal approval, thus beginning a line of episcopal succession independent of Rome. Though anathematized by the Roman hierarchy, the Utrecht succession maintained valid holy orders and sacraments, and became a haven for those resisting ultramontanism. To this day, while begrudgingly, the Roman Churches recognize the full validity of these unbroken holy orders and will receive clergy without reordination, as will some Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions. 

RESISTING VATICAN I: A CATHOLIC DISSENT

The First Vatican Council (1869–70) provoked a theological crisis in the West by promulgating the dogma of papal infallibility and universal jurisdiction: claims unknown to the early Church and rejected by the Eastern Orthodox. Many faithful Catholics, including theologians, bishops, and entire dioceses, resisted these innovations. The Old Catholic movement emerged in response, and Utrecht became its heart. Churches in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria joined Utrecht in forming the Union of Utrecht in 1889, affirming their adherence to the faith of the undivided Church of the first millennium and rejecting Vatican I’s novelties and errors.

THE BIRTH OF THE PNCC

In the United States, Polish immigrants often faced neglect, linguistic discrimination, and exclusion from pastoral leadership in the Roman Catholic hierarchy. In response, a movement emerged to establish a Church that could preserve Polish language, culture, and dignity while remaining faithful to the Catholic Tradition. This movement crystallized under the leadership of Franciszek Hodur, a Roman Catholic priest educated in theology and philosophy, who was elected bishop by representatives of Polish parishes in 1897.

Hodur was consecrated a bishop in 1907 by the Old Catholic bishops of Utrecht, Deventer, and Haarlem, thus inserting the PNCC directly into the valid and canonically independent episcopate of the Union of Utrecht. From that point forward, the PNCC grew into a robust ecclesiastical body with parishes throughout the United States and Canada, developing its own seminary, publishing house, and liturgical life.

A RETURN TO EARLY LITURGY

One of Hodur’s most significant legacies was his commitment to liturgical reform, which was seen, not as modernization, but as restoration. Influenced by scholarly studies of the early Church and the Liturgy of St. James, Hodur introduced the use of vernacular language, simplified ceremonial, and versus populum posture in the celebration of the Eucharist, as the early testimonies of the St. James affirm. These reforms, initiated in the early 20th century and formalized further in the 1940s, anticipated many of the changes that would only later be introduced by Rome during and after Vatican II. They were done, not as an imitation of Roman practice, but as a missional practice that anticipated what Rome would do over twenty years later. The priest facing the people, audible prayers, congregational responses, and the centrality of the Eucharistic assembly were all seen by Hodur as expressions of the ancient and apostolic ethos of the Church.

Unlike the Roman reforms, which often came with a spirit of rupture or innovation, the PNCC’s liturgical renewal was grounded in Tradition, aimed at clarity, dignity, and theological coherence. In many ways, the PNCC helped pave the way for more pastoral approaches within Roman Catholicism, which undoubtedly saw what they were doing as a small-scale experiment, like a Petri dish, to prove the effectiveness of such reforms. Yet, the PNCC retained a more conservative and coherent doctrinal framework, because of the strictness of how their liturgical practice unfolded, and their clear theological limitations. 

THE COLLAPSE OF UTRECHT AND THE BIRTH OF SCRANTON

As the 20th century progressed, the Union of Utrecht began to drift into theological liberalism. By the 1990s, member Churches began endorsing practices long rejected by the catholic consensus of the Church: the ordination of women to the priesthood, the blessing of same-sex unions, and the embrace of moral relativism in sexual ethics. The PNCC, standing firm in its fidelity to the undivided Tradition, strongly opposed these moves. When the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands formally endorsed women’s ordination and LGBT blessings, the PNCC withdrew in protest.

In 2008, the PNCC formed the Union of Scranton, a new communion of Churches committed to orthodox faith and morals. This new union affirmed the authority of Scripture, the historic creeds, the Seven Ecumenical Councils, and the moral teachings of the universal Church. Its episcopate retained valid apostolic succession from the autocephaly of Utrecht, and its theology remained centered on the teachings of the undivided first millennium Church.

THE NORDIC CATHOLIC CHURCH AND EXPANSION

The Nordic Catholic Church (NCC) was established in Norway in 1999 under the auspices of the PNCC and later became a foundational member of the Union of Scranton. Formed in response to the radical liberalization of the Lutheran state churches in Scandinavia, the NCC sought to reclaim the Western Catholic heritage of Norway. The PNCC provided episcopal oversight and support for the fledgling Church, and today the NCC has expanded into several European countries, serving as a bridge between Western and Eastern Christian traditions.

Together, the PNCC and the NCC are building a growing communion that represents an authentically Western form of Orthodoxy: faithful to the apostolic tradition, yet free from papal supremacy and liberal revisionism.

ECUMENICAL ENGAGEMENT AND HISPANIC MISSIONS

The PNCC has also maintained active and fruitful ecumenical relationships. In the United States, it has engaged in dialogue with conservative Anglican bodies, including the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and the Continuing Anglican movement (G3). These relationships are built on shared values of moral theology, liturgical reverence, and a conciliar understanding of Church governance.

Perhaps most significantly, the PNCC has been in formal dialogue with the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, exploring the possibilities of mutual recognition and even closer communion. This resulted in the 1987 publication of the ecumenical study called “The Pathway to Unity,” which compared and contrasted Eastern and Western practices, opinions on validity, Apostolic Succession, and the authority of later councils. These discussions, though cautious, reflect the deep theological consonance between the PNCC’s ecclesiology and that of the Orthodox Church.

In recent years, the PNCC has also turned its attention to evangelizing Hispanic and other minority communities in the United States. Recognizing the widespread disillusionment with both Roman Catholic hierarchy and Protestant fragmentation, the PNCC seeks to offer a stable, traditional, and culturally sensitive expression of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic faith. Its Spanish-language liturgies, outreach ministries, and immigrant-focused pastoral strategies represent an important step toward a truly multicultural and missionary Western Orthodoxy.

CONCLUSION: A WESTERN ORTHODOXY FOR OUR TIME

The story of Archbishop Hodur, the PNCC, and the Union of Scranton is a powerful testimony to the enduring relevance of conciliar, traditional, and missionary Christianity in the West today. Rooted in the historic episcopate of Utrecht, enriched by the vision of early liturgical renewal, and refined through the trials of modern ecclesial conflict, the PNCC has emerged as a guardian of the ancient faith in a modern context. Its example should be taken seriously by all those who seek to renew the Western Church without compromising the Orthodox and Catholic faith once delivered to the saints.

From our Western Orthodox perspective, the PNCC and its daughter Churches offer a compelling model: a Church that is both ancient and living, both apostolic and accessible, both faithful to Tradition and open to the Spirit’s movement in history. As the Union of Scranton grows and deepens, it may well serve as a vital partner in the larger task of restoring the fullness of Orthodoxy to the West, and restoring unity to conservative, liturgical Apostolic Christians who are currently divided into many competing factions! May the Lord’s will be done! 

COLLECT 

O God of our Fathers, who by Thy providence didst raise up Thy servant Franciszek Hodur to labor for the truth of the Gospel, the dignity of Thy people, and the renewal of the ancient and apostolic faith in the lands of exile and trial: Grant Thy blessing, we beseech Thee, upon the Polish National Catholic Church, upon Prime Bishop Anthony, and upon all the bishops, priests, deacons, and faithful therein. Pour forth Thy Holy Spirit upon them, that in holiness of life, steadfastness of doctrine, and unity of heart, they may continue to bear witness to the undivided Faith of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Knit us together, O Lord, with cords of charity and bonds of peace, that all who seek the restoration of Western Orthodoxy may find godliness, mutual understanding, and perfect unity in Thy truth. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.