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Polish National Catholic – Roman Catholic
Dialogue
Fall 2007
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Row 1: left to
right, Bishop Thaddeus Peplowski,
Bishop John E. Mack, Bishop Anthony
Mikovsky (Co-Chairman), Bishop
Edward U. Kmiec (Co-Chairman), Msgr.
Thomas J. Green, Very Rev. Paul
Sobiechowski. Row 2: left to
right,Very Rev. Marcell W. Pytlarz,
Very Rev. John Z. Kraus, Rev. Philip
A. Altavilla, Rev. Robert M.
Nemkovich, Jr., Msgr. John
Strynkowski, Father Ronald G.
Roberson (staff). |
WASHINGTON (October 19, 2007)—The fall Roman
Catholic – Polish National Catholic Dialogue
in Buffalo, September 25-26, focused on
recent Vatican documents on the Mass in
Latin and the way the Catholic Church views
other church groups.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo hosted
the meeting, which was presided over by
Bishop Edward U. Kmiec of Buffalo and Bishop
Anthony Mikovsky of the Polish National
Catholic Church (PNCC) Central Diocese.
Part of the session centered on old
business, including a discussion of the
relations between Catholic and PNCC military
chaplains, the possibility of further
incremental steps towards unity, and a
proposal regarding Canadian participation in
the dialogue. The bulk of the meeting was
devoted to two recent Vatican documents.
Bishop Kmiec offered a summary of Summorum
Pontificum, the “motu proprio” Pope Benedict
XVI issued in July regarding the use of the
Roman liturgy prior to the 1970 reform, and
reflected on its implications for the life
of the Church.
Msgr. John Strynkowski presented “Responses
to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects
of the Doctrine of the Church,” the document
of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith that was released in August. The
second document in particular provided an
occasion for an in-depth discussion of the
way our churches view one another.
The meeting concluded with a presentation by
Father Robert Nemkovich Jr. on the new PNCC
Missal. There was also a discussion of the
status of former Roman Catholic laity and
clergy who belong to the PNCC, a question to
be revisited at the next meeting. Sessions
of the dialogue in 2008 are slated for May
19-20 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and
November 6-7 in Baltimore.
The dialogue between the Polish National
Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic
Church has been meeting semiannually since
1984. The present PNCC members include
Bishop Anthony Mikovsky (Co-Chairman),
Bishop John E. Mack, Very Rev. Marcell W.
Pytlarz, Very Rev. John Z. Kraus, Very Rev.
Paul Sobiechowski, and Father Robert M.
Nemkovich, Jr. The Roman Catholic members
include Bishop Edward U. Kmiec
(Co-Chairman), Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of
Orlando Florida, Msgr. John Strynkowski,
Msgr. Thomas J. Green, Father Philip
Altavilla, and Paulist Father Ronald G.
Roberson (staff).
More information on this dialogue is
available on the USCCB website at
http://www.usccb.org/seia/polish_national_catholic.shtml
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