From the history of ultramontanism in Galicia: the role of the University of Innsbruck in the formation of ideas and views of Onufriy Volyansky

Abstract

Based on the epistolary and journalistic legacy of the Greek Catholic priest Onufriy Volyansky and on the example of his life the studies at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Innsbruck as one of the main ways of spreading of the ultramontanism among the Greek Catholic clergy of Galicia in the early twentieth century are analyzed. It is noticed that although ultramontanism as an ideologi-cal phenomenon was, first of all, widespread in the Roman Catholic Church, it also had an important impact on the ideological atmosphere within the Greek Catholic clergy and, in general, on Ukrainian society in Galicia. It is marked that ideas of Onufriy Volyansky were the most striking example of ultramontanism among Ukrainian clergy in Galicia. It is highlighted that for the first time in Ukrainian historiography the impact of Innsbruck studies on Volyansky`s worldview and, in general, examples of ultramontanism in Ukrainian society of Galicia in the early twentieth century are investigated. It is shown that the example of Volyansky’s impressions and experiences, the conservative and ultramon-tane nature of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Innsbruck, the selection of teaching staff and studying programs – all of that clearly demonstrated the key role of Innsbruck in forming of his ultramontane worldview. It is approved that the most notable was the impact of Catholic dogmatic studies (which received much less attention at the Greek Catholic Seminary in Lviv) and lectures on the social mission of the clergy in the modern age. It is summarized that comparison of Volyansky’s letters and his press articles shows that social issues became the most popular topic in his future writ-ings not only because of his own interests but also as a consequence of the unfavorable for the Greek Catholic clergy ideological atmosphere of the early twentieth century – a time of secularization and growing popularity of radical, often anti-church and anti-religious, movements. At the same time, the insurmountable obstacles that led to the failure of ultramontanism both among the Ukrainian and Polish clergy and societies in Galicia are defined. It is also added that a separate aspect of the studied topic is the role of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky in spreading of this ideological trend among Ukrainian theology students, including Onufriy Volyansky.Keywords: Onufriy Volyansky, the University of Innsbruck, ultramontanism, theology, social issue, Galicia, Andrey Sheptytsky