Published: 2023-12-311

Organization of the Orthodox Church in the Second Polish Republic (1918-1921)

Abstract

The Polish government in the years 1918-1921 aimed at forming a higher church authority. It created the basis for a diplomatic mission in Moscow and Istanbul, striving for administrative independence and separation of the Orthodox Church in Poland from the influence of Soviet Russia. In the first stage of the diocesan organization of the Orthodox Church in Poland, specific needs were crystallized, namely the appointment of a higher church authority and the establishment of proper relations with the Polish authorities. The Orthodox Church in Poland was led by various higher church authorities: the Ukrainian Synod of Bishops, the Moscow Patriarchate, and the synod of the Russian hierarchy abroad. For their part, the Polish authorities did not agree to the interference of external church administrations. In the above situation, it was necessary to create an independent higher board of the church at home, in order to regulate the life of the church in Poland and defend the interests of the church in relations with the Polish government.

Keywords:

Orthodox Church, Second Polish Republic, Patriarch Tikhon (Bielawin), diocesan structures, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Enlightenment, statute of the Orthodox Diocese of Warsaw

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Borkowski, A. (2023). Organization of the Orthodox Church in the Second Polish Republic (1918-1921). Theological Yearbook, 65(4), 713–739. https://doi.org/10.36124/rt.2023.27

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