Works on Drafts of the President’s Decrees on Recognition of Religious Unions and on the Change of the Denomination in Poland in 1926–1927 According to Documents from the Archivo Segreto Vaticano

Abstract

In 1927, the Polish government tried to adjust legal problems arising from the denomination. These works were undertaken by Gustaw Karol Dobrucki and Kazimierz Okulicz, but they were soon blocked by the Holy See, represented by nuncio Lorenzo Lauri, Carlo Chiarlo and Cardinal August Hlond. The attempts by the governmental side (Aleksander Meysztowicz and Władysław Skrzyński) to reach an agreement with the Church were unsuccessful. In the middle of 1929, the Polish government resigned from continuation of work on the decrees. The article presents key archive documents, including the drafts of the decrees on change of the denomination and on recognition of new denominations. It also presents correspondence between the government and the Holy See regarding negotiations concerning these matters.