As can be seen in its content, the Declaration of Scranton of 2008 is modeled heavily on the Declaration of Utrecht written in 1889 by the Old Catholic Churches. This is true not only in its content, but also in the reason for its coming to fruition.

The Declaration of Utrecht was written in 1889 as a statement of faith for the Old Catholic Churches. The Churches that were involved in its writing were the Old Catholic Churches of Holland, Germany and Switzerland. Its decisions were later accepted by the Church of Austria which was also in existence at the time. The Declaration of Utrecht served as a model of union for these Churches and from it the Union of Utrecht was born. From that point forward, the Declaration of Utrecht served as a point of focus for those churches which approached the Old Catholics for acceptance into the Union of Utrecht as well as to seek consecration of bishops to become new national Churches.

In 1907 before his consecration, Bishop Francis Hodur was required to assent to the tenets of the Declaration of Utrecht and subsequently it has served as a basis of the faith for Polish National Catholics up to the present time.

Unfortunately, many of the Old Catholic Churches have begun to look upon the Declaration of Utrecht as merely a historical artifact and not as a document of faith. This view has led to these Churches deviating from the faith of the ancient church, which was expounded in the Declaration of Utrecht, by the ordination of women to the priesthood and the solemnization of same-sex marriages.

Because of this situation within the Union of Utrecht, the Polish National Catholic Church is now separated from the other Churches of the Union. As it would seem, the Polish National Catholic Church is the only remaining Church that still holds the Declaration of Utrecht as a true document of faith for Old Catholics.

In the time period around this separation from the Union of Utrecht, the Polish National Catholic Church had been approached by other Church bodies that wished to retain the traditional Catholic beliefs and practices of the ancient church including the Polish National Catholic view of the papal office. In doing so they are hoping to become new national Churches.

The Polish National Catholic Church now finds itself much in the same position the Church of Holland did in 1889. That Church had existed since 1724 and had remained constant in their profession of the traditional catholic faith. When they were faced with other Churches that wished to unite with them in that understanding but have separate autonomous churches, they needed a document that would formulate this understanding between them.

In the same way the Polish National Catholic Church has been in existence since 1897 and has always stood strong in its acceptance of the traditional catholic faith. Now that we are being faced with other churches and ecclesial bodies that are approaching the Polish National Catholic Church to share in its understanding of the faith and seeking to have separate autonomous national churches of their own, the Polish National Catholic Church found it necessary to expand the Declaration of Utrecht to make clear some points of catholic understanding that were not a part of the original declaration, especially those dealing with the issues that brought about the fracture in the Union of Utrecht. It was for this reason that the Polish National Catholic Bishops have accepted this present Declaration of Scranton and hold it as a point for future agreements with those who wish to share our understanding of the traditional catholic faith…