The history and modernity of Catholicism in Russia goes back to the 9th-11th centuries. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, only two Catholic churches operated on Russian territory. They were located in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In addition, there were Polish priests at the offices of firms in this country. However, they were not officially registered, they performed services only in relation to their compatriots living in the Russian Federation. Catholicism in Russia today is represented by the archdiocese, three dioceses. There is also an apostolic prefecture on Russian territory.
Definition of Catholicism
The term refers to the largest Christian movement in the world. It spread to European states and the United States. Catholicism is the religion of the world, represented in almost every country in the world. She had a decisive influence on historical development, the formation of Western European states and the United States. The definition of "Catholicism" comes from the Latin word "universal."
All books of the Bible are considered canonical in this religion. Only priests interpret the text. They give celibacy, a vow of celibacy, thanks to which they are separated from the laity. If you describe that this is Catholicism, briefly and clearly, the most important thing in it is to do good deeds to save the soul. Dad has a treasury of good deeds, distributing them among all who need them. This practice is called indulgences. In short, representatives of Orthodoxy have criticized Catholicism for this. As a result, another split occurred in Christianity - Protestants appeared.
In Russia
In the 1990s, there was a massive restoration of religiosity throughout the country, and it affected different religions. A lot of people were disappointed in the communist ideal, and they sought to find new ideas. Someone went to Orthodoxy, and someone was engaged in the revival of Catholicism in Russia. Many people fell into sects, radical societies. Many prophets, obsessed, heretics appeared, who gathered crowds around them up to several thousand followers. All this continued for years, however, many followers passed from one prophet to another, in a certain grouping for a long time without stopping.
In 2004, the Congress of Christian Culture in Lublin raised the question of how superficially Catholicism was perceived in modern Russia. For former communists, religion meant only a change of sign. It turned out that it was much easier to change the sickle and the hammer with a cross than to change the Soviet way of thinking.
According to statistics, Catholicism in Russia is most often represented by the heads of charity movements.
The origins
Russia, bordering Europe and Asia, has always been open to the influence of many religions. Although Prince Vladimir adopted Byzantine Christianity, which determined the historical development of Russia. But at the same time, the Latin tradition has developed in the country throughout the entire 1000 years.
The adoption of Christianity in Russia was not an instantaneous action; the process dragged on for many years. At the same time, the preachers came both from Western countries and from Byzantium. It is noteworthy that historical sources contain information that in 867 the Russians were baptized in Constantinople. Little is known about where these people settled. Historians argue about this, in the 9th century the metropolis of "Rosia" is mentioned, but it has nothing to do with Kiev. Most likely, we are talking about Tmutarakan Rus.
However, the Russian annals are silent about this, and the first Russian metropolitan appears in them in the 17th century. The first known Christian preacher in Russia - Adalbert - arrived at the request of Princess Olga in 961 from Germany. Olga began to rule Kiev in 945. She was Christian, canonized as an equal apostle. They were baptized in Byzantium, but refused the church hierarchy of Constantinople. In 959, she turned to the ruler of Germany, asking to send a bishop. But when, after 2 years, he arrived in the country, the son of Olga Svyatoslav, a convinced pagan, was already in power. And the bishop failed to influence the situation in the country.
When Christianity was adopted in the country in 988, Russia continued to communicate with Rome. There is evidence that Vladimir communicated with the Holy See. From here, Catholic preachers were sent to Russia. Known mission of St. Bruno, who went to the Pechenegs. Vladimir received him cordially, and the preacher made peace with the Pechenegs and converted their group to Christianity. Later, Dominican monks followed the same path. An important feature of the Cyril and Methodius tradition was that the division of the Churches into Western and Eastern was not accepted.
In the VI century in the Crimea, Saint Clement received a martyrdom. His cult was spread by Cyril and Methodius. Part of the relics was transferred to Rome. Later, Vladimir took the relics out and left them in the church of the Mother of God the Tithe. It was the most important shrine in Russia. In the XI century, Yaroslav the Wise showed it to the European ambassadors.
It was this cult that was the stronghold of the confrontation of the "Greekization" of Christianity in Russia, which was actively conducted by Constantinople. However, later Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky began to supplant this cult, replacing it with Andrew the First-Called. St. Clement was revered along with the rest of the saints. In short, Catholicism in Russia manifested itself in the 18th century, with the revival of the cult of St. Clement.
Information has been preserved about how Dominicans and Franciscans appeared in Russia before the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols in the 13th century. In Kiev there was a mission of these monks. However, with the invasion of Batu Khan, from the European capital of Kiev there were actually 200 houses left. Churches, a Dominican monastery were destroyed.
In 1247, Franciscans marched through Khan through Russia, who saw with their own eyes the consequences of the invasion. On the way back, they were negotiating with Daniel Galitsky about reunification with the Roman Church.
It is noteworthy that, to describe briefly, Catholicism in Russia left traces of its influence in many ways. Many church concepts have Latin roots - a cross (crux), a shepherd (pastor), and so on.
This influence was reflected in literary art. Many lives were translated from Latin into Slavic. It is known that in Russia there were churches of Latin rites - in Kiev, Novgorod, Ladoga.
The surge of Catholicism in Russia
A surge of Catholicism in Russia took place in the Time of Troubles. Then the enslavement of peasants begun by Ivan the Terrible actually ended. And in Poland a young man appeared who called himself his son Dmitry. He triumphantly walked around the country, the peasants saw in him a hope for liberation from serfdom. Along with him were representatives of the Latin clergy. However, the reign of the prince ended in 1606. Then the dreams of the unification of the Russian Church with Rome were destroyed. Attempts to accomplish this continued throughout the history of Russia.
The most grandiose changes took place during the reign of Peter I. Catholic churches appeared along with other parishes. When they opened, the Orthodox clergy was much more indignant than when creating the Protestant ones. Catholicism in Russia was represented in the churches of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Astrakhan, Nezhin. However, services according to the Latin tradition were also performed in other settlements.
Relations with Orthodoxy in the present
In 1991, with the liberalization of society, the negative attitude of the Orthodox clergy towards Catholics did not change. Someone collaborated with the Western Church, but there were a minority of such people. Describing Catholicism in modern Russia, it is worth noting that the bishops of this faith consider it rare for the Orthodox priests to be indifferent to Catholicism. Nevertheless, contacts between them continue.
Representatives of Catholicism in modern Russia belong to the most diverse races and nationalities. Priests from all over the world work in this field. Every year 2 new priests from among Russian citizens take a similar rank. The main problem of those wearing this dignity is instability. It often happens that in a couple of years, those who have been ordained decide to quit pastoral activity and start a family. This is influenced by the Orthodox tradition, in which there is no celibacy - the vow of celibacy. If you describe modern Russian Catholicism briefly and clearly, this is a Christian movement that is increasingly declaring its own identity in Russia. Probably, it will not become truly Russian. Since describing which nations profess Catholicism in Russia, researchers note that these are mainly Lithuanians, Poles, Ukrainians and Belarusians.
Most of the services are conducted in Russian. So a new spirituality appears. Catholic parishes are available in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Vladivostok. They are an important part of the country's religious diversity.
Statistical data
In the 20th century, Catholicism in Russia was represented by 10.5 million people. In total, there were over 5,000 Catholic churches in the country. They had more than 4300 representatives of the clergy. It received maintenance from the state treasury. However, on the territory of Russia itself there were more than 500,000 Catholics. Two seminaries also functioned.
After the October Revolution broke out, the territories dominated by Catholics became independent. We are talking about Belarus, Poland, the Baltic States, Western Ukraine.
Story
Relations between the Soviet Union and the Vatican were complex. When the tsar was overthrown, and the church was separated from the state, the Holy See began to hope for the opportunity to activate Catholicism in Russia. But this religion also befell the fate of all other religions. Despite active repression, the emigration of a large number of people who professed Catholicism in Russia, according to various studies, 1,300,000 Catholics remained in the country in Soviet times, according to various studies.
In 1991, the Vatican began to reform the Roman Catholic Church of the Soviet Union. The publication of a monthly magazine in Russian has begun. It provided information on the development of Catholicism in a modern country. Meanwhile, the Orthodox clergy are actively opposing the spread of this current Christianity. Information about him is not so much just for this reason.
After the Polish partition of 1722, many citizens of the Catholic faith appeared in Russian citizenship. The authorities allowed the construction of temples, a new Kherson diocese was approved. However, in Belarus, it was forbidden to order that came from Rome, to enter into force without the consent of the Russian authorities.
The Latin Church, its development, was under constant state supervision. Catherine did not allow the publication of the papal log in 1773, when the Jesuit order was destroyed. She let the latter exist in Russia. Some of Rome's wishes were satisfied - in particular, the requirements for schools and churches, and the freedom of movement of clergy.
When Emperor Paul accepted the title of Grand Master of the Order of Malta, many Maltese cavaliers came to the country. They were Jesuits. With them came the idea that there were no significant differences between the Latin and Orthodox traditions.
During the reign of Alexander I, this idea was traced even brighter. Propaganda of the idea of uniting churches was even more successful. Thanks to the French emigrants, who in large numbers entered Russia of those years, strengthened it. A boarding house was opened in St. Petersburg in which natives of aristocratic families were brought up in the spirit of Catholicism.
But propaganda ended when the Jesuits were expelled. Polish uprisings led to restrictive measures against Catholicism in Russia.
Catholic Church of Eastern Traditions
At the end of the 19th century, all these processes led to the actual emergence of the Russian Catholic Church of eastern traditions. The Russian clergy from among the Catholics were in a difficult situation. They were not accepted by the Latins, the Orthodox side subjected them to persecution. And even when in 1909 in St. Petersburg they opened the first Catholic church of Eastern traditions, issued a manifesto on religious tolerance, their situation was not legalized. They lived in danger of closure, and in 1913 this happened.
However, this had its consequences. The manifesto, published in 1905, made the transition from Orthodoxy to other faiths legal. Previously, it was prosecuted. And then many faiths in the country sighed freely, and only according to official data, in 1905-1909, 233,000 people converted from Orthodoxy to Catholicism. At the same time, Catholicism in Russia did not receive a full range of rights. Even during this period, in 1906, the Constitutional Catholic Party was banned by sending the Catholic delegate into exile.
When the government revised legislation in this area, the First World War began. And then the project did not have time to unfold.
Attitude to the revolution
For these reasons, Russian Catholicism accepted the 1917 revolution with enthusiasm. However, only a few months of freedom were provided to his representatives by these events. In 1918, large-scale persecution of religion began. Spiritual organizations were deprived of all rights, church property was transferred to the state.
Catholics who tried to oppose this process were arrested. In 1922, censorship of sermons was introduced; religious instruction was prohibited. Instead of spiritual organizations, atheistic organizations arose. Soon waves of repression began. Those that were applied to Catholic priests were called the Tseplyak-Budkevich process. They were given cruel sentences that provoked a flurry of protests in Russia and around the world.
In 1925, the foundation was laid for secret episcopal ordinations. During them, the Catholic formations that existed underground were reformed. In 1931, almost the entire community of Eastern Catholics was sent to the Gulag.
Thus, in the late 1930s, only 2 Catholic churches in Moscow and Leningrad remained in the whole country. In 1944, Stalin drew attention to the Catholics. He considered the Vatican a direct adversary in Eastern Europe. And the measures taken by him were not random.
On the eve of World War II, Catholic missionaries tried to make their way in various ways. Their activities were actively suppressed by the NKVD. They were condemned as "agents of the Vatican." After the war, "catacomb" Catholic societies developed. Nicodemus, the Leningrad Metropolitan, played a large role here.
It is noteworthy that in the 1990s, the revival of monastic orders began. Then the Jesuits returned to the country. The Sisters of Mercy of Mother Teresa visited Russia.
At the moment, Catholics are faced with the task of restoring the former heritage of the church. Activities are also directed at the ability to carry Christ to the Gentiles of the new era. And these tasks are relevant in a state in which atheism reigned for 70 years.
Conclusion
The freedom of activity of Catholics in the country is the key to the establishment of democratic principles in Russia. In a state where there are many faiths, Catholics are determined to maintain mutual understanding. First of all, this concerns the Orthodox clergy. Catholicism in Russia is an integral part of the thousand-year history of the state, the clergy emphasizes that the strength of this country lies in its diversity, including confessional.