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 Of
major importance in the history and development of Orthodoxy was the conversion
of the Slavs and the shifting of the focus of the Church to the northern
regions of Bulgaria, Serbia, Moravia, Romania, and then Russia. In the
middle of the 9th Century, Patriarch Photius initiated large scale missionary
labors in these regions by sending out the two brothers Constantine (in
monasticism Cyril - 869) and Methodius (885 - both are commemorated May
11), first to the Khazar State north of the Caucasus (this was largely
unsuccessful) and then to Moravia (Czechoslovakia) in 863.
The Prince of Moravia, Rostislav, desired that his people hear the Word
of God in their own language and the two brothers were apt missionaries
in this respect as they had developed an alphabet, adapted from the Greek,
which later was called Cyrillic (after St. Cyril). Using a local Macedonian
dialect which they had heard near their birthplace of Thessalonica, the
brothers began translating the liturgical books, Holy Scripture, etc.,
into this dialect, using the new alphabet which they had developed. This
new liturgical language - Church Slavonic - became of crucial importance
in the extension of the Orthodox faith into the Balkans and ultimately
to Russia. This was so, since, unlike the Roman Catholic Church, which
continued to insist on the use of Latin, the use of Church Slavonic allowed
the new converts to hear the Gospel and the services in a language they
could understand.
The Mission to Moravia was ultimately doomed to failure because of the
jealousy and persecution of German missionaries working in the same area.
The brothers traveled to Rome (where St. Cyril died) and placed themselves
under the protection of the Pope, but this was not honored by the Germans
in Moravia and after the death of St. Methodius in 885, his followers
were expelled from the country.
The missionary labors of Cyril and Methodius were not in vain, however,
for their disciples were successful in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. Led
by St. Clement of Ochrid (commemorated November 25), the missionaries
were successful and in 869, Tsar Boris of Bulgaria himself was baptized.
The Bulgarian Church grew rapidly and about 926, under Tsar Simeon, an
independent Patriarchate was established there, recognized by Constantinople
in 927 (although later supressed), and the Bulgarian Church became the
first national Slavic Church.
The missionaries were likewise successful in Serbia and with the baptism
of Prince Mutimir (891), Serbia became officially Christian. After a period
of vacilation between East and West, Serbia came under the sway of Constantinople.
Under St. Sava (1237 - commemorated January 12), the Serbian Church became
partially independent with his consecration in 1219 as Archbishop of Serbia,
and in 1346 a Serbian Patriarchate was established with the consecration
of Bishop Ioannikios, recognized by Constantinople in 1375.
Missionaries from Bulgaria traveled to the Romanian lands and by the end
of the 9th Century portions of the Romanian people had been Christianized,
adopting the Slavonic Liturgy, but it was not really until the rise of
the Wallachian - Moldavian principalities in the 14th Century that the
Church actually began to thrive. In 1359 a Wallachian Metropolitan was
appointed by Constantinople to the new See of Arges in the foothills of
the Transylvanian Alps and in 1401, the Romanian Metropolitan of Suceava
in Moldavia was recognized by Constantinople.
The missionaries had also penetrated into Croatia, Dalmatia, Illyria,
Bosnia and Montenegro, but these areas were, for the most part, under
the influence and control of the Latin West during this period. |
