Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and

Slovakia
The Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia
(Czech: Pravoslavná církev v Českých zemích a na Slovensku; Orthodox Church of the
Slovak: Pravoslávna cirkev v českých krajinách a na Slovensku) is Czech Lands and Slovakia
a self-governing body of the Eastern Orthodox Church that Pravoslavná církev v Českých
territorially covers the countries of the Czech Republic and zemích a na Slovensku (Czech)
Slovakia. The current primate of the Czech and Slovak Orthodox Pravoslávna cirkev v českých
Church is Rastislav of Prešov (born Ondrej Gont), Metropolitan of krajinách a na Slovensku (Slovak)
the Czech Lands and Slovakia since 2014.
Classification Eastern Orthodox

History Primate Rastislav (Gont)

Bishops 6
Parishes 172
Foundation
Language Church Slavonic,
The Church of the Czech Lands Czech and
and Slovakia presents both an Slovak
ancient history as well as a very Headquarters Prague, Czech
modern history. The present-day Republic
Saints Cyril and Methodius church occupies the land of Great Prešov, Slovakia
Cathedral in Prague Moravia, where the brothers Ss.
Cyril and Methodius began their Territory Czech
mission to the Slavs, introducing Republic
the liturgical and canonical order Slovakia
of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Possessions —
translated into Church Slavonic,
using mostly Greek calques to Founder Ss. Cyril and
explain concepts for which no Methodius
Slavic term existed.[2]: 192 In Independence 1951, 1998
doing this they developed the Recognition Autocephaly
first Slavic alphabet, a mixture of
Interior recognised in
Greek and Hebrew-based
1951 by the
characters with a few invented
characters of their own to represent unique Slavic Russian
sounds.[2]: 190 : 191 Orthodox Church
and in 1998 by
This was done at the express invitation of the powerful ruler the Ecumenical
Rastislav of Moravia. Yet within the Moravian state there was a Patriarchate of
Frankish party among the nobility who desired closer ties with the Constantinople.
Kingdom of Francia, whose ruler, Louis the German, was
Ratislav's nominal suzerain, and a Frankish bishop had Members 75,000 (2021)[1]
ecclesiastical jurisdiction over a small part of Ratislav's domain that Official website Czech official
had earlier converted to Christianity. Despite the Photian Schism, website (http://w
the churches of Rome and Constantinople still preserved some ww.pravoslavnaci
semblance of unity, and Pope Nicholas I did not want to see the
formation of a large independent Frankish church in Central rkev.info/)
Europe. When an appeal of the ecclesiastical issue was made to Slovak official
Rome, Nicholas summoned both Cyril and Methodius and the website (https://o
complaining Frankish parties to his court to hear them out. rthodox.sk/)
Nicholas died before their arrival, but the new Pope Adrian II
reached a compromise after hearing both sides: Old Church Slavonic was
confirmed as a liturgical language alongside Greek, Hebrew and Latin,
and Methodius was confirmed as bishop with a Frankish co-adjutor,
Wiching. Adrian was convinced by Cyril's impassioned defence of the
Slavic liturgy in which he cited 1 Corinthians 14:19 "Yet in the church I
had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I
might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue."
Cyril fell ill while the brothers were still at Rome, and on his deathbed he
asked Methodius to swear to return to Moravia and complete the mission
to the Slavs instead of returning to the monastic life on Mount Olympus
as he had intended to do.[2]: 192–4

Methodius kept his word and returned, but his mission was interrupted by
the death of Ratislav, as the new ruler, Svatopluk I of Moravia sided with
the pro-Frankish party and had Methodius imprisoned for almost three
years, until he was freed through the intercession of Pope John VIII. For Church of St Gorazd in
the next ten years, Methodius continued his work, but the death of John Olomouc
VIII in 882 removed his papal protection, and Methodius died in 885.
After this, Pope Stephen V of Rome confirmed his Swabian co-adjutor
Wiching as bishop.[3] Methodius's disciples were imprisoned, expelled to Bulgaria, like Gorazd and many
others, or enslaved. The expelled, led by Clement of Ohrid and Naum of Preslav, were of great importance
to the Eastern Orthodox faith in the already Christian from year 864 Bulgaria, after they were released from
prison and escorted to the Danube.[2]: 197 In AD 870 the Fourth Council of Constantinople granted the
Bulgarians the right to have the oldest organized autocephalous Slavic Orthodox Church that little later,
from autonomous Bulgarian archbishopric, became patriarchate. A major event that strengthened the
process of Christianization was the development of the Cyrillic script in Bulgaria at the founding by Naum
and Clement of the Preslav Literary School in the 9th century. The Cyrillic script and the liturgy in Old
Church Slavonic were declared official in Bulgaria in 893.[4][5][6]

Survival and revival

The Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical order survived in present-

day eastern Slovakia and neighboring regions due to its
nearness and influence to Kievan Rus', especially among the
population of the Rusins, until the middle of the 17th century
when the Union of Uzhhorod was brought about in the
Kingdom of Hungary. During the times of suppression,
remaining Eastern Orthodox Christians from the region kept
their ties with neighboring Eastern Orthodox Eparchy of Buda
of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć and later with the
Metropolitanate of Karlovci. One of the most northern parishes
of the Serbian Orthodox Church existed in the Slovak city of Eastern Orthodox Church in Komárno
Komárno with local church built in the 18th century still (Slovakia), built in the middle of the 18th
century under jurisdiction of the Serbian
standing today.[7]
Orthodox Eparchy of Buda
After the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918, legal restraints
to Eastern Orthodoxy were removed. In the new state, Eastern
Orthodox communities were mainly located in the eastern
parts of the country, including Carpatho-Rus' that was
incorporated into Czechoslovakia in 1919. In that region, the
city of Mukachevo was located with its traditions going back
to the old Eastern Orthodox Eparchy of Mukachevo, that
existed before the Union of Uzhhorod. In the spirit of Eastern
Orthodox revival, many people in the region left the Uniate
(Greek Catholic) Church. Since there were no Eastern
Orthodox bishops in Czechoslovakia, local leaders looked to
the Serbian Orthodox Church because Serbs were historically
and ethnically close to the Czechs, Slovaks and Rusins. That
view was also supported by state authorities of
Czechoslovakia (1920). In order to regulate the ecclesiastical
order, Bishop Dositej Vasić of Niš (Serbia) arrived in Prague
and met with leaders of Eastern Orthodox community,
receiving them into full communion (1921).[8]
Eastern Orthodox Bishop Gorazd of
Among those seeking to restore ties with Eastern Orthodox Prague (1921–1942)
Church was a Catholic priest Matěj Pavlík, who had been
interested in Eastern Orthodoxy for years. The Serbian
Orthodox Church thus consented to receive him in full
communion and he became Archimandrite with the name
Gorazd, in honor of Saint Gorazd of Moravia, disciple and
successor of Saint Methodius, Archbishop of Moravia. On
September 25, 1921, Archimandrite Gorazd was consecrated
Bishop of Moravia and Silesia at the Cathedral of the Holy
Archangel Michael in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, by Serbian Czechoslovakia, from 1920 to 1938
Patriarch Dimitrije. Bishop Gorazd received jurisdiction over
Czech Lands.[9]

As the Orthodox leader in the new nation of Czechoslovakia, Bishop Gorazd laid the foundations of the
Orthodox Church throughout Bohemia, Moravia, and also into Slovakia. In Bohemia, he oversaw the
building of eleven churches and two chapels. He also published the essential books for the conduct of
church services that were translated into Czech. He provided aid to those in Slovakia and Carpatho-Rus',
which then was part of Czechoslovakia, and who wanted to return to Eastern Orthodox Faith from the
Unia, Union with Rome. Thus, in the inter-war period, Bishop Gorazd built the small Czech church that
during World War II would show how firmly it was connected to the Czech nation.[10]

By 1931, Eastern Orthodox renewal in eastern Slovakia and Carpatho-Rus' was progressing very well,
allowing the creation of the second Diocese that was named: Eparchy of Mukačevo and Prešov.[11] That
diocese was also created under the auspices of the Serbian Orthodox Church. First bishop of Mukachevo
and Prešov was Damaskin Grdanički.[12] In 1938, he was succeeded by Bishop Vladimir Rajić.

In 1938, Nazi Germany succeeded in annexing the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia during the Munich
Conference. In the same year, after the First Vienna Award, southern parts of Slovakia and Carpathian
Ruthenia were annexed by Fascist Hungary. Since the city of Mukačevo was taken by Fascist Hungary,
bishop Vladimir had to move to the city of Khust. In 1939, Nazi Germany annexed the remainder of the
Czech lands into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and installed a pro-Nazi regime in Slovakia. In
the same time, Fascist Hungary occupied the rest of Carpathian Ruthenia and in 1941 Hungarian authorities
arrested bishop Vladimir Rajić and deported him back to Serbia.
Years of Nazi occupation (1938/9-1944/5) were marked by renewed restrictions and persecutions.[13] By
1942, Reinhard Heydrich, architect of the Final Solution, had become governor of the Czech Protectorate.
After the May 27, 1942 assassination attack on Heydrich's car in Prague, Czech and Slovak partisans took
refuge in the crypt of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral before continuing their escape. They were
aided by senior church laymen, who kept Bishop Gorazd informed. However, their presence was
discovered by the Nazis, and on June 18 the Nazis attacked their hiding place in the cathedral, forcing them
to commit suicide. The Orthodox priests, laymen, and Bishop Gorazd were arrested and killed by firing
squads on September 4, 1942.[14]

In reprisal the Nazis forbade the church to operate in Bohemia and Moravia.[15] Churches and chapels
were closed, and a rounding up of Czechs was conducted, including the whole village of Lidice, whose
inhabitants were either killed or sent to forced labor camps.[16] For the Orthodox the whole church fell
under the Nazi persecution and was decimated. A total of 256 Orthodox priests and laymen were executed,
and church life came to a stop.[17]

Post-War developments

In 1945, after the incorporation of Carpatho-Rus' by the USSR as Zakarpattia Oblast of the Ukrainian SSR,
eastern parts of the Eparchy of Mukačevo and Prešov were transferred from the jurisdiction of Serbian
Orthodox Church to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church, and on that territory a new Eparchy
of Mukačevo and Užgorod was formed, while the western part of the diocese remained in Czechoslovakia
and was reorganized as the Eparchy of Prešov.

After World War II, the Orthodox Church in Czechoslovakia began its recovery without its bishop. On
December 9, 1951, the Patriarch of Moscow granted autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of
Czechoslovakia, recognized by nearly all Orthodox local churches, though this action was not recognized
by Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who made claims to jurisdiction, regarding the Czechoslovak
church as being autonomous under its authority. The Patriarch of Constantinople later issued a tomos, or
official proclamation, of autocephaly in 1998.[18]

When the Communists came to power in April 1950, the government convoked a synod of the Slovak
Greek Catholic Church in Prešov, where five priests and a large number of laymen signed a document
declaring that the union with Rome was disbanded and asking to be received into the jurisdiction of the
Moscow Patriarchate, later the Orthodox Church of Czechoslovakia. Greek Catholic faithfuls and clergy
were presented with the choice of remaining in union with Rome and becoming Latin-rite Catholics or
keeping their Byzantine rite and become Orthodox. The government transferred control of the Greek
Catholic churches and other property to the Orthodox Church.

During the Prague Spring in 1968, the former Greek Catholic parishes were allowed to restore communion
with Rome.[19] As a result of anti-Russian sentiment, of the 292 parishes involved, 205 voted in favor. This
was one of the few reforms by Dubček that survived the Soviet invasion the same year. However, most of
church buildings remained in the hands of Orthodox Church as they had originally been built as Orthodox
churches and/or the congregations of these churches had in large measure voted to have their parishes
placed under the omophorion of the Orthodox Church in 1950. After communism was overthrown in the
1989 Velvet Revolution, most of the Church property was returned to the Slovak Greek Catholic Church
by 1993.

The martyrdom of Bishop Gorazd was recognized by the Serbian Orthodox Church on May 4, 1961,
which canonized Gorazd as a New Martyr. Subsequently, on August 24, 1987, he was canonized at the
Cathedral of St. Gorazd in Olomouc, Moravia.[20]
Archbishop Rastislav of Prešov was elected by the Extraordinary Synod held on January 11, 2014, as the
new primate.[21] On December 9, 2013, the Synod removed Archbishop Simeon (Jakovlevic) of Brno and
Olomouc from his position as Locum Tenens (ad interim administrator following the resignation of the
previous primate, Archbishop Krystof, over allegations of sexual relations with women),[22] and appointed
Archbishop Rastislav in his place,[23] an action against which Archbishop Simeon protested[24] and which
was deplored by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, who had supported Krystof.[25]

Administration
After Czechoslovakia separated into independent countries of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993,
church activity continued in each country as separate legal entities: in the Czech Republic as the Orthodox
Church in the Czech Lands and in the Slovak Republic as the Orthodox Church in Slovakia, but
canonical unity was maintained as the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. The church
is now organized into four eparchies divided into two administrative centers: the Metropolitan Council for
the Czech Republic resident in Prague and the Metropolitan Council for the Slovak Republic in Prešov.
Under the Council of the Czech Lands (Prague) are the eparchies of Prague and Olomouc-Brno, while the
eparchies of Prešov and Michalovce are under the Council of Slovakia (Prešov).

After the death of Metropolitan Dorotheus of Prague and All Czechoslovakia, Archbishop Nicholas of
Prešov was elected the new metropolitan, and the church's primatial see was moved from Prague to Prešov.
Metr. Nicholas reposed on January 30, 2006, and was replaced by Archbishop Christopher of Prague and
the Czech Lands (elected May 2, 2006).

In the Czech Republic there are 82 parishes, with 51 in Bohemia and 31 in Moravia and Silesia. In
Slovakia there are 90 parishes, with 69 in the eparchy of Prešov and 21 in the eparchy of Michalovce. The
Orthodox Theological Faculty of the University of Prešov provides an education for future priests of
combined Church. The faculty maintains a branch in Olomouc.[26]

The Monastery of St. Procopius of Sazava is located in Most, and that of the Dormition in Vilemov.

The current primate of the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church is Rastislav of Prešov (born Ondrej Gont),
Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia since 2014.

Archdioceses and archbishops

Archdiocese of Prešov and Slovakia : Metropolitan Rastislav (Gont), Metropolitan of the
Czech Lands and Slovakia (since 2014)
Archdiocese of Prague and the Czech Lands: Michal (Dandár) (since 2015)
Diocese of Brno and Olomouc: Simeon (Jakovlevic) (since 2000)
Diocese of Michalovce and Košice: Juraj (Stránský) (since 2007)

Vicar dioceses and bishops

Diocese of Beroun : Jachým (Hrdý) (since 2015), vicar bishop of Prague
Diocese of Šumperk : Izaiáš (Slaninka) (since 2015), vicar bishop of Brno and Olomouc

See also
Religion in Slovakia
 Christianity in Slovakia
Catholic Church in Slovakia
Protestantism in Slovakia

References
1. CNEWA - Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, retrieved 2023-08-28 (https://c
newa.org/eastern-christian-churches/orthodox-church/the-autocephalous-churches/the-ortho
dox-church-in-czech-and-slovak-republics/?highlight=Orthodox%20Church%20of%20the%2
0Czech%20Lands%20and%20Slovakia)
2. Wells, Colin (2006). Sailing from Byzantium: How a Lost Empire Shaped the World. New
York: Bantam Dell. ISBN 9780553382730.
3. Richard P. McBrien, Lives of the Popes, (HarperCollins, 2000), 144
4. Dvornik, Francis (1956). The Slavs: Their Early History and Civilization (https://archive.org/d
etails/slavstheirearlyh00dvor). Boston: American Academy of Arts and Sciences. p. 179 (http
s://archive.org/details/slavstheirearlyh00dvor/page/n184). "The Psalter and the Book of
Prophets were adapted or "modernized" with special regard to their use in Bulgarian
churches, and it was in this school that glagolitic writing was replaced by the so-called
Cyrillic writing, which was more akin to the Greek uncial, simplified matters considerably
and is still used by the Orthodox Slavs."
5. Florin Curta (2006). Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250 (https://archive.org/
details/southeasterneuro0000curt). Cambridge Medieval Textbooks. Cambridge University
Press. pp. 221 (https://archive.org/details/southeasterneuro0000curt/page/221)–222.
ISBN 978-0-521-81539-0. "Cyrillic preslav."
6. J. M. Hussey, Andrew Louth (2010). "The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire" (https://
books.google.com/books?id=J-H9BTVHKRMC&q=+preslav+eastern&pg=PR3-IA34).
Oxford History of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-19-
161488-0.
7. The Changing World Religion Map: Sacred Places, Identities, Practices and Politics (2015)
(https://books.google.com/books?id=CGh-BgAAQBAJ), p. 430.
8. The Czechoslovak Heresy and Schism: The Emergence of a National Czechoslovak
Church (1975) (https://books.google.com/books?id=dSomAQAAMAAJ), p. 43.
9. Martyr Gorazd of Prague (https://oca.org/saints/lives/2017/09/04/102375-martyr-gorazd-of-pr
ague-bohemia-and-moravo-cilezsk)
10. Historie naší pravoslavné církve (http://www.pravoslavnacirkev.info/nase-cirkev/historie/481-
historie-nasi-pravoslavne-cirkve)
11. Eastern Churches Journal: A Journal of Eastern Christendom, vol. 4 (1997) (https://books.go
ogle.com/books?id=stUkAQAAIAAJ), p. 61
12. Bishop Damaskin (Grdanički) (http://www.eserbia.org/sa-people/prosopography/1022-bisho
p-damaskin-grdanicki)
13. Four fighting years (1943) (https://books.google.com/books?id=pTOQAAAAIAAJ), p. 69.
14. News Flashes from Czechoslovakia Under Nazi Domination (1942) (https://books.google.co
m/books?id=n0PTAAAAMAAJ), p. 151, 155.
15. Christian Churches in Czechoslovakia: History, Mission, Organization, Statistics, Addresses
(1992) (https://books.google.com/books?id=AtqfAAAAMAAJ), p. 19-20.
16. Memories of Lidice (2007), p. 71. (https://books.google.com/books?id=BVciAQAAIAAJ)
17. Eastern Christianity and politics in the twentieth century (https://books.google.com/books?id
=DhrZAAAAMAAJ), p. 255-256.
18. "Metropolitan Herman concludes Official Visit to the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands
and Slovakia" (http://oca.org/news/archived/metropolitan-herman-concludes-official-visit-to-t
he-orthodox-church-of-the-). Orthodox Church in America. October 11, 2004. Retrieved
August 25, 2014.
19. "Orthodox Church of Czechoslovakia" (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eastern-Orthodoxy).
Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
20. Eastern Christianity and the Cold War, 1945–91 (2010) (https://books.google.com/books?id=
gESOAgAAQBAJ), p. 137-138, 143.
21. "New head of Orthodox Church of Czech Lands and Slovakia elected" (http://orthochristian.c
om/67521.html). OrthoChristian.Com. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
22. Prague Daily Monitor, "Czech Orthodox Church split over money, archbishop" (http://prague
monitor.com/2013/10/16/mfd-czech-orthodox-church-split-over-money-archbishop) Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20140201235857/http://praguemonitor.com/2013/10/16/mfd-cze
ch-orthodox-church-split-over-money-archbishop) February 1, 2014, at the Wayback
Machine
23. Communiqué of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Land and in Slovakia
(http://www.pravoslavnacirkev.cz/texty/2013/synod9.12.2013angl.pdf) Archived (https://web.a
rchive.org/web/20140202195000/http://www.pravoslavnacirkev.cz/texty/2013/synod9.12.201
3angl.pdf) February 2, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
24. Statement of Archbishop Simeon (http://pravoslavi.cz/church-in-schisma.htm) Archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20140103144606/http://pravoslavi.cz/church-in-schisma.htm)
January 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
25. "† Pravoslavná církev v českých zemích a na Slovensku | Patriarcha Bartoloměj je zděšen!!!
Arcibiskup Simeon byl odvolán nikoliv kanonickým postupem, ale neprůhlednými a
nepřijatelnými způsoby! Synod funguje nezdravě a svévolně! Usnesení Synodu jsou
neplatná! Arcibiskup Simeon zůstává metropolitním správcem!" (https://web.archive.org/web/
20150211023207/http://www.pravoslavnacirkev.info/aktuality/zpravodajstvi/740-patriarcha-b
artolomej-je-zdesen-arcibiskup-simeon-byl-odvolan-nikoliv-kanonickym-postupem-ale-spise
-nepruhlednymi-a-neprijatelnymi-zpusoby-synod-funguje-nezdrave-a-svevolne-usneseni-sy
nodu-jsou-neplatna-arcibiskup-simeon-zustava-metropolitnim-spravcem).
www.pravoslavnacirkev.info. Archived from the original (http://www.pravoslavnacirkev.info/ak
tuality/zpravodajstvi/740-patriarcha-bartolomej-je-zdesen-arcibiskup-simeon-byl-odvolan-nik
oliv-kanonickym-postupem-ale-spise-nepruhlednymi-a-neprijatelnymi-zpusoby-synod-fungu
je-nezdrave-a-svevolne-usneseni-synodu-jsou-neplatna-arcibiskup-simeon-zustava-metrop
olitnim-spravcem) on February 11, 2015. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
26. Orthodox World website, Orthodox Theological Faculty Of Prešov, Olomouc, Czech
Republic (https://orthodox-world.org/ru/i/16594/czech-republic/olomouck%C3%BD/olomou
c/%D1%88%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B0/orthodox-theological-faculty-of-pre%C
5%A1ov)

External links
Official website in the Czech Republic (http://www.pravoslavnacirkev.info/)
Official website in Slovakia (https://archive.today/20121204190348/http://www.orthodox.sk/)
(in Slovak)
Prague Eparchy of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands (https://web.archive.org/web/20
140714155140/http://pravoslavnacirkev.cz/) (in Czech)
Electronic edition of the magazine "Icon" (http://www.ikonapress.info/)
Pages about the orthodox Church in the Czech Republic (http://www.orthodoxia.cz/) (in
Czech)
 Overview of the Church (https://web.archive.org/web/20050208153834/http://www.czech.cz/i
ndex.php?section=1&menu=154) (scroll down)
Article on the Orthodox Church in the Czech and Slovak Republics by Ronald Roberson on
the CNEWA web site (https://cnewa.org/eastern-christian-churches/toc/orthodox-church/the-
autocephalous-churches/the-orthodox-church-in-czech-and-slovak-republics/)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Orthodox_Church_of_the_Czech_Lands_and_Slovakia&oldid=1184155888"