Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) Lenten observances have some unique features, characterized by a blend of the traditional and the modern. Many of the changes made to the liturgical calendar and practices of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) flowing from Vatican II were not implemented by the PNCC. The PNCC spun off from the RCC well before Vatican II. This article is not an authoritative and exhaustive list of the differences between the Lenten services of the two churches. It is written in the spirit of Egeria’s Diary of a Pilgrimage, covering those matters that are of most interest to me.
Lenten Devotions
PNCC parishes perform the Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent. Selected parishes also pray the Gorskie Zale, or the Bitter Lamentations. This devotion developed in the 18th century in Poland and is patterned after other services including matins and lauds. Its essential nature consists of popular hymns. Portions are sung on Sundays and then completely on Good Friday. In some respects the scheduling of Gorskie Zale parallels the scheduling of the Passia service and its contents are reminiscent of the Matins of Holy Saturday of the Orthodox Church. This latter service also focuses on the lamentations of the Theotokos. For pastoral reasons the Gorskie Zale service is often transferred to a weekday.
Passion Sunday
The Fifth Sunday of Lent is still referred to as Passion Sunday by the PNCC. This Sunday begins a two week period terminating on Easter, known as Passiontide. It is the conclusion of the Lenten cycle. The readings during these two weeks portray the Passion and death of Jesus. Statues can be veiled during this time, reflecting the last lines of the traditional Gospel of the day, John 8: 46-59. This Gospel proclaims: “But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the Temple.” The veiling of statues is not a requirement so all parishes do not do so. The PNCC follows the revised Lectionary of the RCC in determining the readings for the day.
Palm Sunday
There is a procession of Palm Sunday, recalling the crowd that greeted Jesus as he entered Jerusalem on that day. The second part of the procession service includes the celebrant knocking at the door of the church. This has a double meaning, representing the entrance of the Messiah into the earthly and the heavenly Jerusalem. Interestingly enough, the pre-Vatican II rubrics call for a subdeacon to knock on the door of the Church with the foot of a crucifix. Pope Paul VI abolished the four minor orders of the RCC (including the subdiaconate) replacing them with the ministers of the word and service. Accordingly, this rubric would no longer be operative in the RCC. The PNCC and the Eastern Churches do retain the order of subdeacon but this seems to be only transitional. For instance, I was a subdeacon for approximately twenty minutes on my way to diaconal ordination.
During the procession, the traditional hymn is sung, the first verse of which is:
“All glory, laud and honor
To Thee, Redeemer, King
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet Hosannas ring”
Maundy Thursday
The bishops of the PNCC also bless the holy oils used in Baptism, Confirmation, and the Sacrament of Healing on this day. In the churches, the altar is stripped at the end of the Holy Thursday service, commemorating the rending of Jesus’ garments at the Crucifixion. The original rubrics call for this to be done at the end of vespers. Since most parishes do not observe vespers, the stripping of the altar is done at the end of the Mass for the day.
Good Friday
The service this day is divided into several parts. The first is a series of readings from the Old Testament focusing on the Redemption of mankind by Jesus and His death. The second part is the prayers for various groups. It was in this spot the infamous prayer for the “perfidious Jews” was located before being mercifully removed. Sometimes human tradition needs to change and this is a perfect example of that. The familiar refrain of “Let us pray. Let us kneel.” rings throughout the church. The third part of the service is the veneration of the Cross. The priest slowly unveils the Cross, singing “Behold the Wood of the Cross” three times in a successively higher pitch. The faithful then come forward to venerate the Cross. The last part of the service is the “Mass of the Presanctified”, which of course is not truly a Mass. It is communion service traditionally ascribed to Pope Gregory I, who was the papal apocrisarius to the Byzantine Emperor. Gregory I is known as Gregory the Dialogist in the Eastern Church, where this particular service is performed most frequently on Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent and the first three days of Holy Week.
Lectionary for Holy Week
The Lectionary used for Palm Sunday, Holy (Maundy) Thursday, and Good Friday follow the current RCC lectionary for those days.
Fasting
Fasting/abstinence is practiced on Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent.
Mark Koscinski CPA D.Litt. 