DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ODESA REGION (LATE XX – BEGINNING OF XXI CENTURY)

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to highlight certain aspects of the development of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) in Odesa region in the context of its problems and achievements at the end of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that, for the first time, a comprehensive study of the peculiarities of the development of the RCC in Odesa region against the background of historical events of the late 20th – early 21st centuries is proposed. On the basis of archival documents, the main stages of the activity of the RCC in Odesa region in the specified period are considered. It was found that the first stage on the way of the revival of the Church fell on the 1990s. Its characteristic features were the return of buildings previously confiscated by the Soviet authorities to Catholic communities, their reconstruction and restoration. During this period, it was possible to create a network of religious communities adapted to the conditions of activity in the plane of a multi-confessional environment. It is indicated that this process was under the control of the Department for Religious Affairs, which operated under the Odesa Regional State Administration during 1996-2005. It has been proven that the second stage of development of the RCC began at the beginning of the 21st century, which was due to the arrival of Pope John Paul II in Ukraine. The main achievements of this period are analyzed: the foundation of the new Odesa-Simferopol diocese headed by Bishop Bronislav Bernatsky, the increase in the number of believers, the activation of educational and charity work, activities aimed at improving inter-religious relations in the region. The intellectual and religious ties of the RCC with representatives of state structures and the public have been clarified. In the conditions of full-scale Russian aggression, the RCC took an active position in supporting the population of Ukraine and providing them with appropriate humanitarian aid. Further studies of church history include research on the construction of Christian churches in the south of Ukraine.