Review article
Czech Reform Movement, beginnings of the Czech people’s Church (New Hussite Church) and the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church on the pages of the Croatian newspapers.
Daniel PATAFTA
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
Czech People’s Church emerged as result of a short reform movement conducted by a part of the Catholic clergy of Bohemia and Moravia. This movement did not demand any regulation of relations among the lower clergy in the new state, and it was inspired by the
work of the Czech national revivalists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, especially Masaryk. At the same time, this was an answer to the anti-Habsburg policy that prevailed after Czech lands became independent from Austria. The collapse of the Monarchy
revealed many frustrations among Czechs and this breakup with Austria automatically provoked a new separation from Rome. Therefore, even though Czech clergy confronted Rome with their reform demands, some of radical members of the movement soon decided to establish the independent Czech People’s Church that was parted from Rome. At the beginning this Church had some success in the Czech lands, since it was supported by Masaryk and Czechoslovakian government. Still, in the Slovak part of the country this Church did not attract many followers. By the same token, soon after formation of the new Church, there were some disputed among the members, since some of them wanted to organize it according to the Protestant’s traditions, and some were more inclined to the Orthodoxy. Czech Reform Movement and Czech People’s Church were not result of along-lasting struggle for a reform (like it was case in Croatia), but they were result of the anti-Habsburg, and then consequently anti-Roman, policy of the Czech governments and
Masaryk.
Keywords
Reform movement; Croatian press; Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk; “Jednota”; Czech People’s Church; Serbian Orthodox Church; bishop Dositej
Hrčak ID:
199600
URI
Publication date:
21.12.2017.
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