Писма архимандрита Мојсија Путника из Арадске епархије 1754. године
Letters of the Archimandrite Moses Putnik from the Arad diocese in 1754

Summary/Abstract: The Episcopate of Arad was one of the eparchies which were part of the Metropolitanate of Karlovci. Its population was ethnically varied and this setting was also heterogeneous when it comes to religion. This led to conflicts between Serbs and Romanians, who belonged to the Eastern Orthodox Church, on the one hand, and the Proselytic Catholic Church on the other hand. Since the Bishop from Veliki Varad and the Kaptol were the greatest feudal lords in the area, Orthodox population was on several occasions forcibly converted into Catholicism under their very powerful, predominantly financial influence. Bishops (Episcops) Isaija Antonović and Sinesije Živanović were particularly under threat and they made an effort to preserve their congregation at all costs. The situation was the gravest in the Halmadj area and in Veliki Varad. High-pressured by the Catholic Church and the Uniates, the Metropolitan of Sremski Karlovci Pavle Nenadović and Bishop Sinesije Živanović wrote a number of complaints to the Illyrian Court Deputation and to Maria Theresa. All this resulted in the appointment of a committee in 1754, which was to determine the exact numbers of Orthodox believers and of Catholic Proselytes and to finally resolve religious issues and impose order in the area. Head of the committee was agent at Erdelj Court Council, Martin Wanokel von Seeberg, as Imperial Commissioner. Metropolitan Nenadović appointed as his exarch and representative in the committee Archimandrite Mojsije Putnik, with Silvester Popović, hieromonk from Rakovac nominated as his assistant and interpreter for Romanian. Archimandrite Putnik informed the Metropolitan in his letters on how the investigation was being implemented. From these letters we can see that all the pressure seems to have been futile, as despite it, the population under the jurisdiction of the Arad bishop more often than not identified themselves as Orthodox, rather than Uniates.

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