Unicki dekanat cyryński w archidiecezji kijowskiej w świetle wizytacji generalnej z 1798 roku

Abstract

The general visitation of the Uniate Cyryń deanery was made by Archbishop Teodozy Rostocki, the visitator who had been authorized by the metropolitan bishop of Kiev and of the whole Russia. The Cyryń deanery was situated in the Latvian part of the Kiev metropolitan archdiocese. The visitatorial acts had been published in the thirteenth volume of the Russian publication entitled ,,Apxeoгрaфикчeскій cборнкъ документовъ относящиxcя къ итopiи cѣвepo-зaпaднoй Pycи” (A Geographical Collection of Documents Concerning the History of East-West Russia) before the revolution of 1917. So far no detailed research on the system and organization of the Uniate Kiev archdiocese has been carried out. Therefore revealing some details brings us closer to the then situation of that large archdiocese. The paper has presented only part of the problems connected with the organization and system, but even that allows us to notice that the Cyryń deanery, numbering a few dozen parishes, had numerous drawbacks and shortcomings. Its organization leaves a lot to be desired and in this respect could not be compared with its contemporary deacanataes in the Lvov archdiocese, not to mention the Przemyśl diocese. Many factors affected that state of affairs, including greater poverty among the faithful, the vast territory of the archdiocese, rare canonical visitations, and lack of an integrated settlement of the Uniates. The visitation of the Cyryń deanery came about immediately after the last partition of Poland, yet before the destruction of the early Polish Church organization (including that of the Orthodox Church). Accordingly, its acts are essential to grasp the actual state of that part of the Kiev archdiocese at the final stage of the early Polish period.