Rozvíjanie cyrilo-metodského dedičstva spolkom Jednota sv. Cyrila a Metoda v Gréckokatolíckej cirkvi na Slovensku v rokoch 1941–1945
Developing of Cyril and Methodian Heritage by Society Union of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in the Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia from 1941 to 1945

Summary/Abstract: Association of Union of Sts. Cyril and Methodius was created in the eastern town of Michalovce in 1941 as an association of Slovak Greek Catholics. Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia in the first period of Slovak Republic (1939–1945) consisted of various ethnic and religious groups and the most represented were Slovaks and Ruthenians. Between the two camps tension was maintained and many conflicts were aroused. Bishop Paul Peter Gojdič, who was based in Presov, inclined to the Rusyn as Rusyn, but did not forget believers of Slovak nationality. He struggled to maintain unity, since the Greak Catholic Church was threatened with real breakdown by ethnic principle. After the establishment of the first Slovak Republic on the 14th March 1939 the relations between the bishops and the Government of the Slovak Republic worsened. The reason was particularly discriminatory treatment by public authorities towards the Ruthenian minority, who were defended by Bishop P. P. Gojdič. On the other hand, many believers of Slovak nationality, who formed the majority of Greek Catholics in Slovakia, woke up. It happened with the support of national authorities, which supported the Greek Catholics professing the Slovak nationality in order to weaken bishop's impact and position. Along the many negative phenomena of this period as a great positive could be considered the foundation of Union of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, located in Michalovce. In 1941, was established a community in Michalovce of Greek Catholic intellectuals, which leader was John Murin. After discussions and meetings in early 1941 they decided to create a society of Slovak Greek Catholics. On 4 May 1941 they convened a general meeting of the Association of Union of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, which was held in the premises of the Redemptorists' monastery in Michalovce. Its primary objective was to establish a religious-national Association for the Slovak Greek Catholics. Society should have created a strong, organized, religious, national unity among the scattered and broken Greek Catholics, whose heritage, the heritage of Cyril and Methodius, was holy, and this message was also expressed in the title. However, General Assembly which established this society, raised in the Catholic Church hierarchy some concern, since the Greek Catholics began to build a society on ethnic basis, which could lead to the division of the Greek Catholic Church. Bishop P. P. Gojdič had tried to take an objective position on the society and after careful consideration on 17 May 1941 agreed to the establishment of the Federation and gave Union of Sts. Cyril and Methodius his blessing. Association of Union of Sts. Cyril and Methodius became, despite the uneasy start and concerns among the hierarchy of the Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia, the head of the religious and cultural flowering of Greek Catholics. There were no political or professional or trade associations, but only stood in the service of Catholic Church and Slovak people. Publishing calendar, books and magazine helped to fill the main activity of unity. Each member received one copy for free or for minimal cost. With the help of cultural influence of Union the religious and educational level of Greek-Catholic congregation was raised. In 1942, Union began to publish religious and cultural magazin Union of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, with the articles from priests, representatives of the intellectuals, students or ordinary people. In 4 and 5 July 1942 there began a new phase in the life and activity of the Union, when they hosted the first national-religious pilgrimage called Cyrillo-Methodian ceremony in residence in Michaiovce. They held these festivals annually on the first Sunday in July, which corresponded to the best living conditions and circumstances of this region. These festivals were related to the General Assembly of Union and became an important part of life not only for believers but also for scattered Slovak intelligentsia. The main idea of festival was to renew the people religiously and nationally, that each knew their Greek Catholic and Cyril-Methodian tradition. The ceremony was also attended by the President of the Slovak Republic Jozef Tiso and prominent religious and secular dignitaries. Recent events of the World War II, for instance transition of battle front across the Slovak Republic stopped the activity of Union of Sts. Cyril and Methodius for a while. Society had lost a significant portion of its assets, lost its business – bookshop, letterpress and book-binding. At the same time they stoped publishing magazine and calendars. After the new government was established and started the construction of burned villages, intellectuals took steps to revive the work of society. After extreme financial and technical difficulties journal was restored under abbreviated name Cyril and Methodius. Editing and administration was taken over by monks of St. Basil from Trebišov. From 14 to 16 August 1946 were made two major pilgrimages of society to Velehrad and Saint Hostyn, which were the first of this kind. They was attended by about 400 believers from Eastern Slovakia, headed by Bishop, P. P. Gojdič and 35 priests. The culmination of action of this society was restoring of the traditional Methodian-Cyril pilgrimage of Slovak Greek Catholics, held on 6 July 1947 at Michaiovce in the presence of 15,000 believers and bishops P. P. Gojdič and Vasil Hopko. Slovak Greek Catholics manifested on this celebration for the unity with all Slovak Catholics and Union of Sts. Cyril and Methodius was again presented to believers as representing their culture and religion. Association of Union of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Michaiovce with its operations considerably helped to raise the religious and cultural level of Greek Catholics in Slovakia. The publishing of a magazine and a calendar, as well as the organizing of the great Cyrillo-Methodian days in Michaiovce and Trebišov, forever marked a trace in the history of the Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia.

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