Earlier this month the ACC and its ecumenical partners (the Anglican Church in America, the Anglican Province of America, and the Diocese of the Holy Cross), commonly known as the G-4, began a dialogue with the Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC).
The Anglican churches were represented by Archbishops Walter Grundorf (APA), Mark Haverland (ACC), Brian Marsh (ACA), Bishop Paul Hewett (DHC) and their respective assistants. In attendance for the PNCC were Prime Bishop Anthony Mikovsky, Bishops Paul Sobiechowski and John Mack, and three priests. Bishop Craig Botterill of the Anglican Catholic Church in Canada (TAC) was present as well.
Meetings were held January 14th and 15th at St. Barnabas Church (APA) in Atlanta. In addition to going over the history of each of the churches, discussion centered on the Declaration of Scranton and the Affirmation of Saint Louis.
The goal of the discussion was for the various churches to learn more about each other and to explore the possibility of establishing communio in sacris. Doing so would reestablish the relationship of full communion that existed between the PNCC and the Episcopal Church in the USA from 1946 to 1978.
In between meetings, Prime Bishop Mikovsky celebrated mass according to the rite of the PNCC. This was the first time since 1952 that a PNCC Prime Bishop had celebrated the Eucharist using his own church’s rite at an Anglican church.
