Abstract
The Catholic Church was perceived as an alien element in the United States until the second half of the twentieth century. However, hand in hand with gradual Americanization of Catholics, their social status and independence on the Catholic Church in Europe was growing.
American Catholics ceased to be a special category of Americans, but they have become a unique national community in the frames of the universal Catholic Church. Today, American Catholics try to bee independent on the main stream of American protestant religiosity and loyal to the teachings of the universal church at the same time.
They are even trying to reform the universal Catholic Church. American Catholics are trying to get autonomy in certain issues, but only as the last resort, if they cannot achieve their goals by other means.