Spotkania chrześcijaństwa Wschodu i Zachodu w Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodów. Część 1. Wyznanie propaństwowe – prawosławie w monarchii jagiellońskiej wobec wyzwań politycznych
Meetings of Eastern and Western Christianity in the Polish-Lithuanian. Part 1: Pro-state Confession – Orthodoxy in the Jagiellonian Monarchy in the Face of Political Challenges

Author(s): Hieronim Grala
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Cultural history, Studies of Literature, Polish Literature, Theory of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Orthodoxy; Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; Jagiellonian dynasty; Religious politics; Moscow-Lithuania relations
Summary/Abstract: In the 16th century, relations between Orthodox believers in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Moscow were a key element of regional politics. Moscow, under the pretext of defending Orthodoxy, used religious rhetoric to justify its aggression against Lithuania. However, the Orthodox elite of the GDL remained loyal to the Jagiellonian dynasty. Orthodox hierarchs actively supported the state, repelling Moscow’s claims and engaging in diplomacy and intelligence. The Ruthenian nobility, despite being Orthodox, played a crucial role in defending their homeland against Moscow, as exemplified by prominent commanders like Konstanty Ostrogski. Orthodox dignitaries held high offices and participated in politics without succumbing to Moscow’s propaganda. The Jagiellonian policy favored the equal status of Orthodox believers, reflected in decisions by Sigismund I and Sigismund II Augustus. However, the Union of Lublin (1569) introduced new challenges – Polonization, the Reformation, and the Catholic Counter-Reformation. The establishment of the Moscow Patriarchate intensified fears of religious expansion, forcing Orthodox communities to seek reforms and strengthen their own ecclesiastical structures within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

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