Editing Union of Brest

{{Short description|1596 transfer of religious jurisdiction}}
{{about|the 1596 transfer of religious jurisdiction from Constantinople to Rome in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|the medical condition|Symmastia}}
[[File:Religie w I Rz-plitej 1573.svg|thumb|Religious situation in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1573]]
The '''Union of Brest'''{{efn|({{Langx|be|Берасцейская унія|translit=Bieraściejskaja unija}}; {{Langx|lt|Bresto unija}}; {{Langx|pl|Unia brzeska}}; {{Langx|uk|Берестейська унія|translit=Berestejśka unija}})}} took place in 1595–1596 and represented an agreement by Eastern Orthodox Churches in the [[Ruthenians|Ruthenian]] portions of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] to accept the Pope's authority while maintaining Eastern Orthodox liturgical practices, leading to the formation of the [[Ruthenian Uniate Church]], which currently exists as the [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church]] and the [[Belarusian Greek Catholic Church]].

== The union ==
{{History of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church}}
=== Background ===
Rome-oriented Christians and their Byzantium-oriented counterparts formally [[East–West Schism | severed connections]] from 1054. Subsequent attempts to unify Eastern Orthodox believers and the Catholic Churches were made on several occasions, including an instance in 1452 in which the deposed [[Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus' |Metropolitan of Kiev]], [[Isidore of Kiev|Isidore]] (in office from 1437 to 1441), endorsed the 1439 [[Union of Florence]] and formally promised the unity of the Ruthenian Orthodox Church with Rome.

In 1588–1589, [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]] [[Jeremias II of Constantinople |Jeremias II]] traveled across Eastern Europe, particularly the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] and the [[Tsardom of Russia]], where he finally  acknowledged the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] in Moscow (estranged from Constantinople since the 1440s) and consecrated [[Patriarch Job of Moscow]] as the Eastern Orthodox All-Russian Patriarch (a dignity previously held by Isidore from 1437 to 1441). Patriarch Jeremias II deposed the Metropolitan of Kiev, {{ill|Onesiphorus Divochka|uk|Онисифір Дівочка}}, and with the approval of the King of Poland [[Sigismund III Vasa| Sigismund III]], consecrated [[Michael Rohoza]] as the new [[Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' (1441–1596)|Metropolitan of Kiev, Halych, and all Rus']].<ref name=eohou/>

=== Negotiations ===
After Patriarch Jeremias II left Muscovy in 1589,<ref name=eohou/> four out of nine bishops of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] in the [[Ruthenia|Ruthenian]] lands of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] gathered in synod in the city of [[Brest, Belarus|Brest]]. They signed a declaration of their readiness to reunite with Rome.<ref name=eohou>Hudziak, B.O., Tu, O.Yu. ''[http://resource.history.org.ua/cgi-bin/eiu/history.exe?Z21ID=&I21DBN=EIU&P21DBN=EIU&S21STN=1&S21REF=10&S21FMT=eiu_all&C21COM=S&S21CNR=20&S21P01=0&S21P02=0&S21P03=TRN=&S21COLORTERMS=0&S21STR=Berestejska_uniia_1596 The 1596 Brest Church Union (БЕРЕСТЕЙСЬКА ЦЕРКОВНА УНІЯ 1596)]''. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine.</ref> The 33 articles of Union were accepted by [[Pope Sixtus V]]. At first widely successful, the Union lost some of its initial support within the following several decades,<ref name="Dvornik1962">{{cite book|last1= Dvornik|first1= Francis|year= 1962|title= The Slavs in European history and civilization |url= https://archive.org/details/slavsineuropeanh0000dvor|url-access= registration|page= [https://archive.org/details/slavsineuropeanh0000dvor/page/347 347]|edition= 3rd. pbk.|location= New Brunswick [u.a.]|publisher= Rutgers University Press|isbn= 9780813507996}}</ref> mainly due to its enforcement on the [[Eastern Orthodox| Orthodox]] parishes, which provoked several massive uprisings.

;List of bishops who did not initially accept the union
* Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'
* [[Ruthenian Catholic Archeparchy of Polotsk–Vitebsk|Archeparch of Polotsk–Vitebsk]]
* [[Ruthenian Catholic Archeparchy of Smolensk|Bishop of Smolensk]]
* [[Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Volodymyr–Brest|Bishop of Volodymyr–Brest]]
* Bishop of Przemyśl-Sambir-Sanok (adopted the union in 1692)

;List of bishops who in 1590 signed the declaration of intent<ref name=eohou/>
* Bishop of Luck and Ostrog — [[Kyrylo Terletskyi]] (exarch of Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople)<ref name=eohou/>
* Bishop of Pinsk and Turow — [[Leontiy Pelchytskyi]]
* Bishop of Chelm — [[Dionisiy Zbyruiskyi]]
* Bishop of Lviv — [[Hedeon Balaban]]

;List of bishops who later joined the agreement
* Bishop of Przemysl — [[Mykhailo Kopystenskyi]]
* Archbishop of Polock — [[Herman Zahorskyj]] ''(acting)''
* Bishop of Volodymyr-Brest — [[Hypatius Pociej]]<ref name=eohou/>
* [[Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus'|Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus']] — [[Michael Rohoza]]<ref name=eohou/>

At the request of Prince [[Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski]], Hypatius Pociej left his post of [[Greater Castellan of Brześć Litewski]] and accepted the King's appointment to the [[eparchy]] of Volodymyr-Brest.<ref name=eohou/> Prince Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski considered that the Metropolitan of Kyiv should reach an agreement with the eastern patriarchs, the [[Patriarch of Moscow]], and [[Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina]] for joint participation in agreement with the [[Latin Church]].<ref name=eohou/>

In 1595, both Hedeon Balaban and Mykhailo Kopystenskyi withdrew their signatures from the agreement.<ref name=eohou/> That same year the Archbishop of Polotsk, Nathaniel Sielitskyi, died, and was replaced with Herman Zahorksyi.

=== Proclamation ===
The union was solemnly and publicly proclaimed in the Hall of Constantine in the [[Apostolic Palace| Vatican]]. Canon [[Eustachy Wołłowicz]], of [[Vilnius]], read in [[Ruthenian language| Ruthenian]] and in [[Latin]] the letter of the Ruthenian episcopate to the [[Pope]], dated 12 June 1595. [[Cardinal (Catholicism) |Cardinal]] [[Silvio Antoniani]] thanked the Ruthenian episcopate in the name of the Pope, and expressed his joy at the happy event. Then [[Hipacy Pociej]], Bishop of Volodymyr, in his own name and that of the Ruthenian episcopate, read in Latin the formula of abjuration of the 1054 Greek Schism, Bishop [[Cyril Terlecki]] of [[Lutsk]] read it in Ruthenian, and they affixed their signatures. [[Pope Clement VIII]] then addressed to them an [[Papal allocution | allocution]], expressing his joy and promising the Ruthenians his support. A medal was struck to commemorate the event, with the inscription: ''{{lang|la|Ruthenis receptis}}''. On the same day the bull ''{{lang|la|Magnus Dominus et laudabilis nimis}}'' was published,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia= Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum |language=la|volume=T.5 pt.2|editor-first=Charles|editor-last= Cocquelines|location= Rome |publisher= Hieronymi Mainardi|oclc= 754549972|author= Pope Clement VIII|title= Unio Nationis Ruthenae cum Ecclesia Romana|pages= 87–92|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=6mRZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA87 |date= 1753|orig-year= promulgated 1595-12-23}}</ref> announcing to the [[Roman Catholic]] world for the first time that Ruthenians were in the unity of the Roman Church. The bull recites the events which led to the union, the arrival of Pociej and Terlecki at [[Rome]], their abjuration, and the concession to the Ruthenians that they should retain their own rite, save for such customs as were opposed to the purity of Catholic doctrine and incompatible with the communion of the Roman Church. On 7 February 1596, [[Pope Clement VIII]] addressed to the Ruthenian episcopate the brief ''{{lang|la|Benedictus sit Pastor ille bonus}}'', enjoining the convocation of a synod in which the Ruthenian bishops were to recite the profession of the Catholic Faith. Various letters were also sent to the Polish king, princes, and magnates, exhorting them to receive the Ruthenians under their protection. Another bull, ''{{lang|la|Decet Romanum pontificem}}'', dated 23 February 1596, defined the rights of the Ruthenian episcopate and their relations in subjection to the [[Holy See]].<ref name="cathenc">{{Catholic|last= Palmieri|first= Aurelio|wstitle= Union of Brest|volume=15}}</ref>

=== Terms ===
It was agreed that the formulation ''[[filioque]]'' should not be inserted in Ruthenians' [[Nicene Creed]], and that the Ruthenians <blockquote>"should remain with that which was handed down to us in the Holy Scriptures, in the Gospel, and in the writings of the holy Greek Doctors, that is, that the Holy Spirit proceeds, not from two sources and not by a double procession, but from one origin, from the Father through the Son."{{efn|See the 1575 ''Profession of faith prescribed for the Greeks''.<ref name="Denzinger2012">{{cite encyclopedia|location=San Francisco |publisher=Ignatius Press|encyclopedia=Enchiridion symbolorum: a compendium of creeds, definitions and declarations of the Catholic Church|edition= 43rd|editor1-last= Denzinger|editor1-first= Heinrich|editor2-last= Hünermann|editor2-first= Peter|editor3-last= Fastiggi|editor3-first= Robert L.|editor4-last= Nash|editor4-first= Anne Englund|display-editors= 2|year=2012|isbn=978-0898707465|title=Compendium of Creeds, Definitions, and Declarations on Matters of Faith and Morals}}</ref>{{rp|at=nn. 1303, 1307, 1863–1870, 1985–1987}}}} </blockquote>The bishops asked to be dispensed from the obligation of introducing the [[Gregorian Calendar]], so as to avoid popular discontent and dissensions, and insisted that the king of Poland should grant them, as of right, the dignity of senators.<ref name="cathenc" />

=== Outcomes ===
[[File:Religie w I Rz-plitej 1750.svg|thumb|Religious situation in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1750]]
The union was strongly supported by the [[King of Poland]] and [[Grand Duke of Lithuania]], [[Sigismund III Vasa]], but opposed by some bishops and prominent nobles of Rus', and (perhaps most importantly) by the nascent [[Cossack]] movement for Ukrainian self-rule. The result was "Rus' fighting against Rus'", and the splitting of the Church of Rus' into [[Greek Catholic]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church |Greek Orthodox]] jurisdictions. The greatest noble to oppose it was [[Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Snyder |first=Timothy |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xSpEynLxJ1MC |title= The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569-1999 |date= 2004-07-11 |page= 109|publisher= Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-10586-5 |language=en}}</ref>{{qn|date=November 2022}} In 1620, the [[Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' (1620-1686)|Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia]] was erected under the care of the Patriarchate of Constantinople for dissenting Eastern Orthodox faithful. This resulted in parallel successions of metropolitans to the same ecclesiastical title in the territory of the Commonwealth.

== See also ==
* [[Union of Uzhhorod]]
* [[Synod of Polotsk]]
* [[Articles for the Reassurance of the Ruthenian people]]
* [[History of Christianity in Ukraine]]
* [[Jeremi Wiśniowiecki]]
* [[Eastern Catholic liturgy]]
* [[Theological differences between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church]]
* [[Ecclesiastical differences between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church]]

== Further reading ==
{{See also|Bibliography of Ukrainian history|Bibliography of Russian history (1223–1613)}}
* Gudziak, B. A. (2001). ''Crisis and Reform: The Kyivan Metropolitanate, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the Genesis of the Union of Brest'' (Harvard Series In Ukrainian Studies). Cambridge: Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.<ref name=j4213031>{{cite journal|jstor=4213031|last1=Longworth |first1=Philip |title=Reviewed work: Crisis and Reform: The Kyivan Metropolitanate, the Patriarch of Constantinople, and the Genesis of the Union of Brest, Borys A. Gudziak |journal=The Slavonic and East European Review |year=2000 |volume=78 |issue=1 |pages=166–168 }}</ref><ref name=d10.2307/2697078>{{cite journal|doi=10.2307/2697078|jstor=2697078 |last1=Baran |first1=Alexander |title=Reviewed work: Crisis and Reform: The Kyivan Metropolitanate, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the Genesis of the Union of Brest, Borys A. Gudziak |journal=Slavic Review |year=2000 |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=449–450 }}</ref>
* Chynczewska-Hennel, T. (2002). [http://www.jstor.org/stable/41036851 The Political, Social, and National Thought of the Ukrainian Higher Clergy, 1569-1700]. ''Harvard Ukrainian Studies'', ''26''(1/4), 97–152. 
* Dmitriev, M. V. (2011). [http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qdf75.12 Conflict and Concord in Early Modern Poland: Catholics and Orthodox at the Union of Brest]. In H. Louthan, G. B. Cohen, & F. A. J. Szabo (Eds.), Diversity and Dissent: Negotiating Religious Difference in Central Europe, 1500-1800 (NED-New edition, 1, pp. 114–136). Berghahn Books. 
* {{Cite journal|last=Litwin|first=Henryk|title=Catholicization among the Ruthenian Nobility and Assimilation Processes' in the Ukraine during the Years 1569-1648|journal=Acta Poloniae Historica|year=1987|volume=55|pages=57–83|issn=0001-6829|url=http://rcin.org.pl/Content/30516/WA303_48794_1987-55_APH_03_o.pdf}}
*{{cite journal|last1=Pekar|first1=Athanasius|year=1992|title=The Union of Brest and attempts to destroy it|journal=[[Analecta Ordinis S. Basilii Magni]]|location=Romae|publisher=Sumptibus PP. Basilianorum|volume=20|pages=152–170|url=http://www.stnicholaschurch.ca/content_pages/osbm/osbm.3.Pekar.92.3.An.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107031559/http://www.stnicholaschurch.ca/content_pages/osbm/osbm.3.Pekar.92.3.An.htm|archive-date=2011-01-07|url-status=live}}
* Tatarenko, L. (2005). [http://www.jstor.org/stable/20174965 La naissance de l’Union de Brest: La curie romaine et le tournant de l’année 1595]. ''Cahiers Du Monde Russe'', ''46''(1/2), 345–354.
* Zema, V. (2011). [http://www.jstor.org/stable/24711709 Edificatory Prose of the Kyivan Metropolitanate: Between the Union of Florence and the Union of Brest]. ''Harvard Ukrainian Studies'', 32/33, 853–871.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
*{{cite web|date=2011-08-15|title=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|website=[[Religious Information Service of Ukraine]]|location=Lviv|publisher=Institute of Religion and Society of the Ukrainian Catholic University|url=http://risu.org.ua/en/index/reference/major_religions/~UGCC/43853/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320090616/http://risu.org.ua/en/index/reference/major_religions/~UGCC/43853/|archive-date=2013-03-20|url-status=live}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110623153014/http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/TREATBR.HTM The text]

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