Abstract

The History, the teaching and legal status of Old Catholic churches belonging to the Union of Utrecht has been the subject of research of the author of this article since 1971.n Since then the author has also put particular emphasis on the history of the Polish National Catholic Church in the U.S.A. and Canada and also on the Polish Catholic Church in Poland. This publication presents mutual relations between the Polish Catholic Churches in the U.S.A. and Canada and the Polish Catholic Church in Poland and also the position of the latter one in the Union of Utrecht. The author focuses particular attention on the influence of the first bishop Leon Grochowski on the history of the Polish Catholic Church in Poland, especially on the course of the session of the 5th all-Poland Synod and election of bishops.