Ставлення до "схизматиків" у львівській латинській архідієцезії на передодні флорентійської унії

Abstract

The author investigated in the article which based on documentary material the attitude of the Apostolic See, the Polish-Lithuanian ruling elite, the Catholics («Latins») to the Orthodox («schismatics») in the Lviv Latin Archdiocese in 1412 –1435 through the prism of the Latinization lands of Rus`. This is the main idea of the article.

The mail problem has considered on the basis of documentary materials of the European, state-wide and local levels. The nature of the relationship between «Latins» and «schismatics» was different. The Polish authorities set themselves the task of incorporating the Lithuanian lands and Southwestern Rus` (Ruthenia) into the kingdom of Poland. This process had accompanied by Latinization and the beginnings of serfdom relations. Some documents and actions of the Polish royal administration testify about the rigorous Latinization, separation between the «Latins» and «schismatics»..

The emergence of the new Lviv Archdiocese, the church province in 1414, caused tensions between the higher clergies in the Polish kingdom. Archbishop of Gnezno Mikolaj Tromba (1412 – 1422), who had received the title of the primate, emphasized his highest status in the church hierarchy in the kingdom in comparison with the Lviv archbishop. In addition Bishop of Cracow Zbigniew Olesnicki presented himself in Europe the Svidrigailo Wars (1432 – 1438) as religious because he had feared the unification of the Rusyns with the Hussites.

Formally, a network of Latin dioceses was established in the lands of southwestern Rus`, which included the Сathedrals in Lviv, Przemysl, Kholm, Lutsk, Kamyanets-Podilsky, Kiev, Seret (Suchava). However, the overwhelming majority of the population here belonged to the Eastern Church. The Church Union at the local level should have solved this problem. The Polish-Lithuanian ruling elites also were forced to tolerate the «schismatics» as shown by documents.

The Church policy of Latin West had concerned not only the territory of Western Ukrainian lands but in perspective should have to cover whole Christians of Rus` and Byzantine Empire. The activity of the bishops of the Lviv Latin archdiocese wasn`t only the alternative way of the Latinization of this territories, but also prevented the spread of the exceptional church authority of Kiev and all Rus` Orthodox Metropolitan Photius, whose seat was in Moscow.

Thus, the author found out that the church jurisdiction of the Latin Archbishops of Lviv was formally carried out on the territory of Southwestern Rus`, because here predominantly lived Christians of the Greek rite. The terms «church union» and «latinization» had been similar in essence at this period.