QUELQUES TRAITS DES RAPPORTS LAZARISTES – BULGARES-UNIS À SALONIQUE OTTOMANE
SOME REMARKS ABOUT THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE LAZARISTS AND UNIATE BULGARIANS IN OTTOMAN SALONIKA

Summary/Abstract: The study is mostly based on documents from the Archives of Congregation of the Mission. The beginning of the Catholic missions in Salonika is traced and especially those of Congregation of the Mission, which replaced the Jesuits (1782 – 1783). Special attention is paid on the relations between foreign missions and the Bulgarians who accepted Pope’s supremacy, known as Uniates. The objects of research are the first Bulgarian bishops Nil Izvorov, Lazar Mladenov and Epiphane Scanoff, whose administrative activities are directly dependent upon the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide and the Ottoman authorities. The French-Ottoman Capitulations (until 1913) aid the Catholic missions but do not influence denomination changes among the Bulgarians. These changes depend on the Exarchate’s actions and on the agents of the Patriarchate, who are very often sent by Russia, “the protector of the Balkan Christians”. The Ottoman authorities involve only in cases when the Christian communities seek solutions to administrative issues or need support in conflicts inside the respective community.

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