My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It has come to my attention that some of the members of the former parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Brant, New York, are considering purchasing the parish property and re-opening as a parish of the Polish National Catholic Church. As Bishop of Buffalo and in my capacity as the Roman Catholic co-chairman of the dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and the Polish National Catholic Church, I have a special interest in this case.
The relationship between our churches has improved enormously since the dialogue was established in 1984. A century of hostility has gradually given way to greater understanding of one another, and an experience of a deeper fellowship based on the mutual recognition of our sacraments, including the Eucharist and the ordained ministry in the Apostolic Succession. This understanding even means that in certain circumstances it is possible for the faithful of our churches to receive some of the sacraments in the other church. In May 2006 our dialogue issued a “Joint Statement on Unity” that reviewed the progress in our relations, and stated explicitly that the goal of our ongoing engagement is the re-establishment of full communion.
However, despite such progress, our churches remain divided, and there are still significant differences that must be overcome. In particular, it should be emphasized that the Polish National Catholic Church is not in communion with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and so is not a part of the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, the Roman Catholics in Brant or others in the area who are considering this move should be aware of the gravity of their decision.
The Code of Canon Law is clear about the penalties attached to those who leave the Roman Catholic Church. According to canon 751, “Schism is the withdrawal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or from communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” Canon 1364 provides that such a schismatic who deliberately and freely chooses to leave the Roman Catholic Church incurs an excommunication latae sententiae, meaning that excommunication takes effect immediately even if it is not formally declared. It should be pointed out that this applies to Catholics who join any other church; it is not directed against the Polish National Catholic Church as such.
For these reasons I call upon the Roman Catholics of the former parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to consider very carefully the implications of any decision to join the Polish National Catholic Church. Excommunication is a very serious matter indeed, and would mean that they would no longer be able to participate in the sacramental life of the Roman Catholic Church, not even to the extent allowed occasionally to members of the Polish National Catholic Church who are not former Roman Catholics.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my fervent hope that the former parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish will remain within the Roman Catholic Church, and that our dialogue with the Polish National Catholic Church will progress to the goal of the reestablishment of full communion. On that happy day, our differences will have been definitively resolved.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec
Bishop of Buffalo
Rather than reacting against this letter, I would like to point out that everything Bishop Kmiec says is correct within the Roman Catholic Church’s understanding of these matters. For those who claim allegiance to the Roman Church he is spot on in his citing the Roman Catholic Church’s understanding of communion (i.e., the PNCC is not in communion with the Bishop of Rome — the sole sign of unity within the Roman Church). He correctly cites the Latin Church’s Code of Canon Law, and all the penalties that will be imposed on those who break its law.
Since all this is true one must examine the term the bishop uses for those who chose to leave the Roman Church: It is a grave decision. Indeed it is, but not the gravest decision.
I’ve been through this journey and I can speak from first hand experience. In coming to the PNCC I was asked to accept certain things, and to reject others. Can those of you who may be considering such a move do the same? Can you accept this grave (essentially important) decision?
To enter the PNCC you have to accept an understanding of man’s destiny and his relationship to the Holy Church. The PNCC describes these in the Eleven Great Principles and the Confession of Faith (see especially points 6, 7, and 8I BELIEVE in the need of uniting all followers of Christ’s religion into the one body of God’s Church, and that the Church of Christ, Apostolic and Universal, is the representation of this Divine community of mankind, which the Savior proclaimed for the realization of which all noble minded peoples labored, are still laboring and for which the soul of man yearns, desiring truth, light, love, justice and consolation in God.
I BELIEVE that the Church of Christ is the true teacher of both individual man as well as of all human society, that it is a steward of Divine Graces, a guide and a light in man’s temporal pilgrimage to God and salvation; in so far as the followers and members of this Church, both lay and clerical, are united with the Divine Founder through faith and life proceeding from this faith.
I BELIEVE that every true Christian should take an active and vital part in the spiritual life of the Church, through the hearing of the Word of God, through the receiving of the Holy Sacraments, through fulfilling the laws and regulations established by Christ and His Apostles, as defined and given to us by the Church.). In short, man’s destiny is unity with God, His creator, and to join with others who hold common cause to that end. The manner in which we join together, the way that leads to life in Christ, is defined by our way of life, our teaching, our adherence to Holy Scripture and the Councils of the unified Church. The Polish National Catholic Church stands as the earthly representation the Divine community of mankind. Our Church’s life reflects the community our Lord and Savior desired, the community He proclaimed, the community He established wherein all noble minded peoples may come to labor. The Polish National Catholic Church is the earthly representative of the community man desires — the community of the Kingdom of God. We are a community of truth, light, love, justice and consolation in God.
Man’s destiny — union with God — is not achieved through a series of laws, rules, and regulations laid down by far off, disconnected prelates, in tomes of man-made laws. Our destiny is written in our hearts. Our destiny calls us to seek the Lord while He may be found, to call to Him while He is near. That call is brought to fulfillment in the Holy Church, which teaches the truth and which respects his intellect, his drive, and his determination to work and struggle for the truth. It is the truth we find when we live in the manner our Lord lived and if we follow the teachings He left to us.
In entering the PNCC you must accept that excommunication, along with words such as schism, are nothing more than a bludgeon, attacking man’s freedom. The PNCC does not excommunicate. Rather we accept all who come to us seeking Jesus Christ. If one should choose to join with us, in our way of life, adhering to the Church’s teaching and joining in our journey to the Lord, then they are welcome. If they decide to leave, to find Christ elsewhere, via some other path, we bear them no ill will. We all seek our Lord and Savior, and are united to that end. We simply wish them well. As recent events illustrate, excommunication does nothing to purge man of sin, but rather is a means to discipline an organization’s membership; disciplining in a manner used against unruly children – the “time out.”
In entering the PNCC you must reject the notion that our Lord and Savior set one apostle above all others by creating a special and distinct office and charism. The Roman Church refers to this office as the papacy and the alleged charism is called papal infallibility. Can any reasonable person accept this notion? Rather, one must accept that our Lord and Savior granted a special charism to all of His apostles, with authority to guide, teach, and preside over the Church in His name. That charism is held by all bishops in a line of succession back to the Apostles and is passed on by the laying on of hands. The charism of infallibility is held by the Holy Church, in Council, something that hasn’t happened for nearly 1,000 years. We accept that the Church has created various offices, established for its good order, and for maintaing a solid organizational structure. Churches in Apostolic succession have various names for these man-made offices, Archbishop, Cardinal, Catholicos, Metropolitan, Patriarch, Prime Bishop, Pope. Whomever the man holding the office, all of them are bishops with the same authority to guide, teach, and preside over the local community. They, along with every bishop in their respective Churches, are in union with each other, as long as they hold to, teach, and preach the truth as defined by the Church. This is why we share far more than what divides us. In many ways we hold a common Catholic understanding on many issues whether Orthodox, Roman, Oriental, or Polish National.
The decision you face is grave. This is more than man made rules and man-made offices. It is a decision for freedom. You must be prepared to do more than pray slightly differently, to re-number the sacraments, to reject the fillioque, or to sing Tyle Lat, you must be prepared to accept a way of life. Our way of life leads to eternal life in God. Our way of life is freedom, it is joyous, it is hard work, and it is a struggle, but in the end we will be victorious. This is our testimony, this is my testimony.
The gravest decision you will make is the decision to freely follow Christ, to be regenerated in Him, and to follow Him without fear. Once you make this decision you will be challenged and changed in new ways. Can you set aside a fear of man-made laws, and the criticism of prelates, who can do nothing to throw you into Gehenna? Can you discard the label of schism as a shibboleth? What will lay heaviest upon you as you stand before our Lord and Savior, your adherence to the sayings of men or your way of life?
Read, and re-read the bishop’s letter. What do you see, what do you hear? How do you perceive its witness and its teaching? This is a teaching moment and says more than the words themselves.
