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Society. Document. Communication

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Peculiarities of conducting general visitations in the Kyiv Uniate Metropolis: A review based on acts of church visitations of the 18th century

Andriy Maiovets
Retrieved from Volume 10, No. 1, 2025 Pages 32–44
Received
15.11.2024
Revised
20.02.2025
Accepted
21.03.2025
Views
801

Abstract

The relevance of the study is stipulated by the need for an in-depth study of the mechanisms of church governance in the eighteenth-century Kyiv Uniate Metropolis, in particular through the prism of the practice of general visits, which had a significant impact on religious and social life. The purpose of the study was to identify the peculiarities of conducting general visits, their impact on the organization of religious life and the development of church structures in the Kyiv Uniate Metropolis. The methodological basis of the work was historical, comparative, and sociocultural analysis, which allowed for a systematic study of the phenomenon. The source base consisted of acts of church visitations, protocols, and reports of the eighteenth century. The study found that general visits were aimed at checking the state of churches, parishes, and the activities of the clergy. Visitors carried out a detailed inspection of the material condition of churches, assessed the level of liturgical duties, the state of church documentation, as well as the level of catechesis and morality of parishioners. Considerable attention was paid to discipline among priests and to ensuring proper maintenance of churches and schools. The study also found that the visits contributed to strengthening church discipline and integrating the metropolis into the Catholic world. At the same time, the practice of visits reflected local peculiarities, such as social and cultural differences between regions, which was particularly evident in the Lviv, Lutsk and Polotsk deaneries. The findings underlined the importance of general visits as an instrument of church governance that allowed for the strengthening of religious identity and the adaptation of church-wide norms to the needs of union communities. The practical significance of the work lies in the possibility of using its findings for further study of the history of the Uniate churches, in particular their role in preserving cultural heritage and spiritual life

Keywords

Kyiv Uniate Metropolis; spiritual life; deaneries; diocese; parish; pastoral care

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Suggested citation

Maiovets, A. (2025). Peculiarities of conducting general visitations in the Kyiv Uniate Metropolis: A review based on acts of church visitations of the 18th century. Society. Document. Communication, 10(1), 32-44. https://doi.org/10.69587/sdc/1.2025.32