MISSIONARY ACTIVITY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE WESTERN TERRITORY OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES

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The article is devoted to the analysis of some aspects of missionary activity of the Catholic Church on the Western Territory of the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Being a natural and necessary process from Christianity’s point of view, missionary work, solved one of the most important tasks - to attract new supporters to the Christian church. Missionary work of the Catholic Church was quite successful and effective in XIX-XX centuries and the Orthodox Church and Russian government recognized this fact. However, on the territory of Russia, missionary work was available and officially allowed only to the Orthodox Church, which was the predominant and dominant in the territory of the Russian Empire according to the legislation of the 19th century. Recognizing the effectiveness of the influence of Catholic priests on the Orthodox population of Russia, the spiritual and state authorities have developed measures aimed at strengthening the role of Orthodoxy and weakening the influence of non-Orthodox confessions, in particular, the Catholic one, on the territory of the Russian Empire. First of all, it was about the Western Territory, which remained under the strong influence of the Catholic Church after accession of territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Proselytism of the Catholic Church on the territory of the Russian Empire was directed not only at the Orthodox population of the Western Territory, but also at Uniatism, which was considered by Catholics and the Orthodox Church as a transitional stage for the adoption of Catholicism.