Catholic Missionary Activity in 17th Century Wallachia. New Findings in Bulgarian Archives

Author(s): Alexandru Ciocîltan / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2015

The lack of a collection of sources dedicated specially to the Catholic presence in 17th century Wallachia is an important obstacle in the effort to reconstruct the missionary activity in the above-mentioned territory. As a consequence the author focused his efforts to punctual contributions to the topic, based on researches carried out mainly in Bulgarian archives.The destiny of Catholicism in 17th century Wallachia was deeply influenced by the Franciscan missionaries Andrea Bogoslavić and Pietro Paolo Bruni. Bogoslavić defected from the observant to the conventual branch of the Franciscan Order, proclaimed himself bishop of Wallachia and demanded from the Saxons living in Târgovişte and Râmnic to pay him the tithe. The parishioners refused and embraced the Orthodox faith. Only 8 families remained loyal to the Roman Church in Târgovişte. The conventual friar Pietro Paolo Bruni, who replaced Bogoslavić in 1629, got involved in a dispute with the Catholic bishop of Sofia regarding the jurisdiction over the Franciscan monastery in Târgovişte. According to the sources, the ignorance of the vernacular languages used by the Catholic parishioners was the main cause of his failure.In 1644, during his pastoral visit in Wallachia, Petăr Bogdan Bakšić, the Catholic archbishop of Sofia, offers important information regarding the attitude of the Orthodox boyars towards Catholicism.The need for native clergy in the parish of Câmpulung could be fulfilled only 20 years after the reconversion of the Lutheran Saxon community to Catholicism. In 1659, after studying 12 years in Rome, Michele de Paulis returned home to serve as a priest. Between 1659 and 1662 he witnessed the Turkish and Tatar invasion, was twice enslaved and liberated, became sick of quart fever and plague but managed to survive. Between 1670 and 1674 Martin Tobias, another Franciscan born in Câmpulung, was active as a missionary among the Paulicians living south of the Danube. He also returned home to serve as a priest.

Диана Атанасова. Реторика на историчното. Деяние на Св. Никола в южнославянски контекст

Author(s): Vasya Velinova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 32/2016

Калина Мичева-Пейчева. Сакральная чистота и профанная нечистота

Author(s): Mariyana Vitanova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 32/2016

Cosmogonies and mythopoesis in the Balkans and beyond

Author(s): Florentina Badalanova Geller / Language(s): English Issue: 14/2014

Compared and contrasted in this article are three different types of accounts dealing with the cosmogonic and eschatological themes employed in Slavonic and Balkan oral tradition, para-Biblical literature and modern poetry. The focus of analysis is the cluster of motifs attested in the creation narrative of the apocryphal Legend of the Sea of Tiberias. Two versions are examined: the South-Slavonic one discovered in 1845 by V. Grigorovich in the Monastery of Slepche, and the 18th century Russian account from MS № 21.11.3 (fols. 3a–5b) from the Archaeographic Department of the Library of the Academy of Sciences [Библиотека Академии наук, Рукописный отдел] in St. Petersburg, composed most probably by an Old Believer; this manuscript is published here for the first time. Folklore counterparts of the apocryphal Legend of the Sea of Tiberias are treated, with special emphasis on the oral narratives from the Bulgarian diaspora in Bessarabia (God and the Devil Create the World Amicably but then Fall Out). Finally, a poem of the 20th century Bulgarian intellectual Pencho Slaveykov [Пенчо Славейков] from his anthology “On the Island of the Blessed” is discussed; the poem, entitled How God willed the Earth to come to be and what did Satanail do after that? was designated by Slaveykov himself as “a legend of the Bogomils”, and blended within his lyrics are dualistic themes and motifs attested in vernacular Christianity, with the hallmark of Haeresis Bulgarica.

Koniec epoki rewizjonizmu – rok 1945 w publikacjach gazety „Църковен вестник”

Author(s): Anna Rusewa / Language(s): Polish Issue: 14/2014

The main purpose of this article is to show a Bulgarian political and cultural memorial space from the perspective of the Orthodox Church, which is emblematic for the Second World War. In my work I analyse publications which appeared in the journal Carkoven vestnik between 1940 and 1944 concerning the religious, historical, political and social issues of the time. It is not my intention to deal with the religiosity of the Bulgarian people during this difficult period, even though the source material would suggest it. The idea is to reconstruct the attitudes of the Orthodox Church to the main contemporary ideologies and policies pursued by government of Tsar Boris III. I analyse the position of the Orthodox Church, which on the one hand stresses its role as the spiritual centre of Bulgarian society, and on the other as an institution serving national interests. I pay particular attention to the role of the „Great Bulgaria” myth and the age of revisionism, nurtured in the Church, in context of German assistance in regaining the territories lost after the First World War and Balkan wars. I present a detailed historical record of the annexation of Dobruja. All studies are placed in the broad social and cultural context of the age, as well as the context of local cultural texts. I base my analysis on the typology of Eric Voegelin, who showed Gnostic political influences in his works The New Science of Politics and Hitler und die Deutschen.

Przed narodzinami. Powinności kobiety brzemiennej w świetle poradników z końca XIX i początku XX w.

Author(s): Monika Nawrot‑Borowska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 28/2011

Celem niniejszego artykułu jest próba rekonstrukcji zaleceń kierowanych do kobiet ciężarnych na terenie ziem polskich w ostatnich dekadach XIX w. i w początku XX. Podstawę źródłową dokonanych ustaleń stanowi literatura o charakterze poradnikowym w zakresie zdrowia i higieny, a także edukacji dziecka. Odtworzone zostały porady ówczesnych lekarzy, higienistów i teoretyków wychowania dotyczące higieny kobiety brzemiennej, których przestrzeganie przyczynić się miało do dobrego stanu zdrowia matki, w szczególności zaś korzystnie wpływać miało na stan zdrowia i całe przyszłe życie noszonego w jej łonie dziecka.

Blog katolika jako miejsce dawania świadectwa wiary i dialogu ze światem na przykładzie blogu „Halo Ziemia” Konrada Kruczkowskiego

Author(s): Ewa Łaskarzewska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2015

This article is devoted to blogs Catholics – the not very well used and givinghuge possibilities of virtual reality evangelization and witness life in accordancewith the truths of the Gospel. Author describes the blog “Halo Ziemia” lead byKonrad Kruczkowski. It is an excellent example of how in a wise and prudent,and at the same time without unnecessary intrusive, virtual reality can share thetestimony of life, in which God and faith are not just slogans. Blogger despite itsvery short activity was warmly received by readers – won the most important title“Blog Roku 2013”. In addition, one of the jurors awarded him the grand prize inthe category: Politics, journalism, society. Blog Kruczkowskiego also receivedthe title of “Bloga Blogerów”, awarded by last year’s winners of this contest.

Teleewangelia. Nowy paradygmat komunikacji religijnej

Author(s): Krzysztof Marcynski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2015

In this article, an author has undertaken the research in order to answer the following questions: Is television an adequete and good tool for the transmission of the Gospel? How should be assessed its usefulness in the religion communication? The specific objectives can be presented in the following issues: Is the TV faithfully communicates the meaning and value of the Gospel? In what way TV spreads and interprets the Gospel? Since some of these questions are broad, the authors focused on a specific example, showing how the message of the Gospel is transmitted on television. Therefore for the analysis was selected the program aired on Polish public television (TVP 2) named “The Word on Sunday.” An intermediate goal of this research and subject matter is also to initiate and continue the discussion among the scholars of the science of media and social communication and also of the media theology on the subject of television and its capabilities, or their shortcomings in the transmission of faith.

Komunikacja społeczna i jej rola w Kościele w orędziach Pawła VI na Światowe Dni Środków Społecznego Przekazu

Author(s): Dariusz Sonak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2015

The pontificate of Paul VI took place during a new civilizational epoch: theaudio‑visual era, with far‑reachingel ectronic media which could affect peopleand whole nations and the reality of media space in need of axiological evaluation. It is during this pontificate that World Communication Day started to be celebrated. In his twelve addresses made for these days, Paul VI uses the term “social communication, both in its social and ecclesial meaning. He showed “social communication” as a complex process of social relations, based not only on transferring content between a broadcaster and a receiver. In his teachings, he presentedthe process in the Christian personalism approach and gave it a specific direction.

Edukacja medialna kapłanów archidiecezji przemyskiej w ramach formacji stałej. Projekt Katedry Współczesnych Form Przekazu Wiary Wydziału Teologii KUL z archidiecezją przemyską, styczeń-kwiecień 2015 roku

Author(s): Agnieszka Szajda / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2015

In the academic year 2014/2015 the staff and doctoral students of Media LiteracyEducation at the Catholic University of Lublin undertook the project of medialiteracy education for priests of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Przemyślas part of their permanent priestly formation. Approval for this idea was given byPrzemyśl Archbishop Józef Michalik. The main subjects of the training were therole of social media in the work of new evangelisation, mental transformation ofchildren, teenagers and the whole society in the light of widespread access to newinformation technologies, as well as the protection of children and teenagers fromthe dangers related to the use of the media.

W 450. rocznicę zakończenia Soboru Trydenckiego (1545–1563)

Author(s): Jan Wiśniewski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 13/2015

In the Council of Trentino, from 1545 to 1563, the last two strands: reformof the Catholic Counterreformation, because previous efforts to reformthe Church connected with the clarification of Catholic science challengedby Protestants. The papacy feared convening another Council due to thesupremacy of the Cathedral over Pope, although the first such attempt in1534, 1536, 1537, 1539 to Trento, but the last Papal Bull Laetare Ierusalemannounced in 1944, and the second was on December 13, 1945, in the firstsession was attended by few Cardinals, archbishops and bishops, but in theend of December 4, 1563, was attended by 255 of the second fathers. In sciencethe church adopted: the doctrine of justification, of original sin, indicatedon the letter and tradition as a source of faith, it was number 7 sacraments,which were found to be the source of grace, and the Holy Mass makes it clearthe sacrifice of Christ on the cross, as well as the obligation to preach theword of God. In terms of church discipline: prohibited the appointment ofcumulation, ordered to include marriage to Pastor and witnesses, the Ministerrecalled to mansion, and bishops were obliged to visit the diocese and forconvening councils, as well as the obligation to create seminars and closurehave been introduced in the monasteries and banned from broadcastingthem in command. Trentino for many centuries formed the Catholic Churchreligious, and gave it the order and shape in terms of doctrine and discipline.

Rozpracowywanie przez aparat bezpieczeństwa PRL ks. prymasa Stefana Wyszyńskiego i o. Mariana Pirożyńskiego na przykładzie działalności tajnego współpracownika o pseudonimie „Ptaszyńska”

Author(s): Piotr Bączek / Language(s): Polish Issue: 13/2015

After 1944 a network of secret collaborators was one of the primary methodsof operation communist security apparatus. In Poland, were replicatedmethods of the Soviet Union. Executives of Security Ministry were trainedby the soviet political police NKVD. Well-located agents played an importantrole in the suppression of anti-communist sentiment. It served also tocombating ideological enemies, including the Catholic Church. The Churchenvironment were development of videomonitoring by the security apparatussince the beginning of communist rule in Poland. As early as in 1946.it was established secret instructions about the acquisition of agents amongthe clergy. The Stalinist Safety Authority also recruited collaborators amongthe prisoners. Such a person was Sister Maria Graczyk of the Congregationof the Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary. Since 1951. she stayedin prison. In July of 1953 she was recruited by the secret police, she was giventhe pseudonym “Ptaszyńska”. Her first denunciations concerned the FatherMarian Pirożyński. He was arrested on 28 September 1953. For two years, shereported on the interned Polish Primate Stefan Wyszyński. For this reason, itplayed an important role in the communist system the fight with the CatholicChurch. Maria Graczyk after release from prison in 1956. continued collaborationwith the SB, she walked away of the Order. Her fate is an example ofa person who from the victim persecuted by the secret police has evolved intoa passive and effective instrument of repression apparatus.

Życie, działalność apostolska i biskupia posługa bł. Mikołaja Czarneckiego CSsR (1884–1959)

Author(s): Olga Pushchak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 13/2015

The article examines life and mission of the bishop Mykolay Charnetskyy,a Ukrainian Redemptorist, who was proclaimed a blessed martyr along withother 26 blessed ecclesiastic and lay people by John Paul II in June 2001. Theauthor presents Charnetskyy’s early childhood, his school years, studying atthe Seminary, higher education and work as a professor of the Seminary inStanyslaviv. The decision to join the Congregation of Redemptorists was thenext big step in his life. Charnetskyy performed various tasks as a confrere.He served as a teacher, a confessor, a missionary and a housekeeper in a fewhouses of the Lviv Province. Special attention in the article is paid to his ministryin Volyn region as a missionary and an apostolic visitator. The articledeals with special features of spiritual life in Volyn and the interconfessionalconflict between Poles and Ukrainians. Charnetskyy’s mission was deterreddue to the political situation in the region and the War. Mykolay Charnetskyybecame a martyr of the Soviet Regime who was unjustly accused of beinga “spy of Vatican”. His relics have been transferred to the Church of St. Josaphatin Lviv.

Katolicka parafia w Tylży w XIX wieku

Author(s): Marek Jodkowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 13/2015

The first chapel after Reformation in Drangowski near Tylża was built in1663 by Piotr von Gieβen-Dorengowski. After his death, it was destroyed. Anothertemple was built in the same place in the years 1692–1699. However,it was gradually falling into ruin and in 1861 a decision was made to demolishthe building. In 1739, a plot of land was given to Catholics for the purposeof building a new church in Tylża. Even though the works already started in1740, due to accumulated difficulties they could be continued from the year1849. The dedication of the church to the Assumption of Mary took placein 1853. The Catholic institution in Drangowski was given parish rights on20 December 1843. Then they were transferred to the institution in Tylża.German-speaking and Lithuanian-speaking people belonged to this parish.In 1879, renovation of church paintings was carried out by Justus Bornowski,and the side altars were made by Heinrich Splieth. In 1888, the constructionof the church tower was completed. The bells were cast in a bell-foundryowned by Karl Friedrich Ulrich from Apolda. A Catholic school also functionedin Tylża. Its activity was suspended during the Kulturkampf period.The parish was supported by Catholic associations and organisations, includingthe Boniface Association. Priests from Tylża were involved in the developmentof church facilities in Robkojen.

Sprawozdanie z konferencji „Prawo o nauczaniu w Kościele”, Olsztyn, 26 lutego 2015 roku

Author(s): Mateusz Tubisz / Language(s): Polish Issue: 13/2015

Children, Common Good, and Society

Author(s): Aneta Gawkowska / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2015

The article presents the interconnectedness between the issues of the good of the child, the child as constituting the good in himself or herself, and the common good of society. It juxtaposes the perspective of personalism and individualism, rights versus duties, goods, and commitments, while linking the issues of freedom and love as fulfilment of freedom. The paper discusses these issues by examples of tendencies towards growing individualism noticed by some authors in changes of American divorce laws, the so-called collaborative reproduction, and in the possibilities of genetic engineering. Arguments quoted or discussed are taken from John Paul II, Helen M. Alvare, Michele M. Schumacher, Mary Ann Glendon, Michael J. Sandel, and Jurgen Habermas. The article calls for the social recognition of the child (and every person) as the common good and points to the social attractiveness of the perspective of giftedness of human nature and social relations exemplified especially in the relation between the mother and the child, which needs to be recognized by various institutions of society.

Roman Catholic-Anglican Mixed Marriages in Ecumenical Dialogue and Pastoral Practice

Author(s): Robert Samsel / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2015

The article entitled “Roman Catholic-Anglican Mixed Marriages in Ecumenical Dialogue and Pastoral Practice” presents the teachings of the Catholic Church with respect to marriage based on the encyclical of Pope Pius XI “Casti connubi” and apostolic exhortation by John Paul II “Familiaris consortio”. Presenting marriage with its fundamental features: unity, indissolubility, sacramentality, as being a natural union between a man and a woman, blessed by God and empowered to take on matrimonial and parental tasks, constitutes a basis for deliberations on mixed marriages between people baptized in various Christian confessions, in this case Roman Catholic and Anglican ones. The issue of the mixed marriage between people of those two confessions has become an element of works by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, ARCIC, which in 1975 published a document entitled “Theology of Marriage and Its Application to Mixed Marriage”. Its content became a basis for the presentation of the Anglican vision of marriage in the context of the ecumenical dialogue: points of contacts and differences. Because of schism, out of concern for spouses’ religious identity as well as the unity and stability of marriage, it is necessary to introduce the right rules of pastoral care and confession discipline, which constitute the final part of the presented material.

The Children’s Rights. Regulations and Rules of International Law

Author(s): Cătălina Mititelu / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2015

The hermeneutical analysis of the text of the main regulations and rules of international law regarding the children’s rights, reveal to the reader that they created a set of principles on the Rights of the Child, which have to be taken by the world’s states in their approach undertaken in order to harmonize their national legislation with the international law doctrine of the child. Among others, this article’s reader could also find out that in recent decades the international legislator was constantly concerned to develop new rules and regulations on the children’s rights and on their legal protection; hence the need that the basic principles enunciated by it should not be only known and inserted into the text of national laws, but also respected and applied by practical and concrete measures.

„Nie chcę, aby płodzili oni synów i córki” – średniowieczny dualizm a prokreacja

Author(s): Adam Krawiec / Language(s): Polish Issue: 06/2014

The text discusses the phenomenon of abstaining from having progeny in the Middle Ages in the broader context of the attitudes of that time towards procreation. It points to the overwhelming dominance of pronatalist attitudes in society, which are supported by the Catholic Church. It also points out that the choice to abstain from having children almost never constituted a value in itself, but was mostly either forced upon people by external factors, or was a manifestation of practicing the virtue of chastity. Presented are a spectrum of views of adherents to dualistic religious, esp. the Cathars, whose rejection of procreation was a spontaneous and ideologically conditioned value.

Фразеологические единицы библейского происхождения в речи православных носителей русского языка

Author(s): Eugenia Maksimowicz / Language(s): Russian Issue: 14/2014

Currently in Russia, due to the change in the political system, there is more and more noticeable impact of the Orthodox Church on the life and language of the Russians. Biblical phraseology begins to permanently enter into the realm of contemporary Russian culture. It became common among the Orthodox Russians to cite the idiomatic expressions and quotations from the Bible. In the modern language of the Orthodox Christians the meanings of idiomatic units coincide with their meanings in the texts of Scripture, which, however, is not always synonymous with the dictionary meaning.