THE GREEK-CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE CONTEXT OF ETHNO-CONFESSIONALRELATIONS IN GALICIA (SECOND HALF OF 19th – EARLY 20th CENTURY)

Abstract

This scholarly article presents a detailed characterization and critical analysis of the complex relationship dynamics between the two dominant confessional institutions – The Greek Catholic Church (Uniate) and The Roman Catholic Church – within the geopolitical framework of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, a crown land of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The investigation focuses on the pivotal period from the «Spring of Nations» (1848–1849), which catalyzed a fundamental reshaping of ethnic consciousness in the region, through to the early 20^th century. The core interpretive framework employed is the escalating Ukrainian-Polish (Rusin-Polish) ethno-political confrontation, wherein the Churches functioned as crucial agents of ethno-cultural mobilization and identity consolidation.

The analysis unequivocally demonstrates that the competitive dynamic between the Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic Churches transcended mere theological or liturgical divergences. Instead, it was fundamentally shaped by a complex nexus of national, political, social, and economic factors. Specifically, the Roman Catholic Church frequently operated as a powerful institutional mechanism for the assertion of Polish national interests and the systematic promotion of cultural Polonization throughout Eastern Galicia. Conversely, the Greek Catholic Church served as the central spiritual, cultural, and political bulwark for the Rusyn (Ukrainian) population, playing an essential, defensive role in preserving their distinct ethno-confessional identity against dominant external pressures. Consequently, the identification of confessional affiliation with ethnic solidarity often exacerbated local rivalries, cementing the Churches’ roles as institutionalized battlegrounds for the control of national narratives and resources within the marginalized Rusyn community.