In the life of a free Christian the voice of conscience is important and is the only healthy standard of human actions. Our conscience, therefore, is our master, our judge and our chastiser. This voice cannot be muffled with impunity. Human conscience can only be influenced by good example, that means, that humanity should be educated in moral matters not by the threat of punishment in hell, not only anathemas or torture but only by the proper education of man. I strongly believe in Divine light, the light of man’s reason and the light of humanity. Therefore, if a man errs one should not cast him off, punish or maltreat him, but he should be helped in a brotherly way, instructed, inclined to improve himself and in the end gained for God’s cause. Let us remember to forgive one another, even our enemies. It often happens to a priest raised in the Roman Church that he meets up with a rough soul and is ready to bar such a man from the confessional or the altar for the simple reason that he doesn’t like him.

It is not only among the priests of the Church but also among the lay brethren that a parish or organization, for any insignificant reason will exclude a person or a group of persons from its ranks thus causing great harm to itself. During the 32 years of the existence of my parish in Scranton, only one person was ever excluded and that was at the very beginning. Even though the parish said that this or that person should be thrown out, I always interceded for him and in this way, patiently awaiting his regeneration, I won him over to my side. Therefore, we are going to ask both the clergy and laity of the National Church in Poland to work according to this divine principle, that is, not to condemn, expel or place interdicts on someone but to forgive and love one another.

The National Church does not recognize any anathemas. We are a group of free people and if, therefore, someone comes to know that our principles appeal to his soul, his education, and temperament, then we acknowledge him as our brother or our sister. In the same manner, if a person changes his conviction and leaves us, we do not condemn him because this is his free and Christian right. When new religious groups emerge, we do not curse them but acknowledge them as brothers. We, therefore, invite all the people of good will to our Church and if they do not come to our side, we will not degrade or ridicule them. We firmly believe that if not in this generation then in the next a large majority of the present Roman Church adherents will throw off the papal shackles and will secure for themselves truth and spiritual freedom. The National Church recognizes religious freedom on par with political freedom. We take cognizance of the fact that man’s conscience cannot be coerced.

The Most Rev. Franciszek Hodur, from a lecture on the Creed of the Polish National Catholic Church at the 1928 Synod in Warsaw, Poland. Translated by the Very Rev. Louis Orzech.