Życie religijne katolików obrządku łacińskiego na Ukrainie sowieckiej w latach 1953–1964

Abstract

This article is an attempt to present the religious life of Latin-rite Catholics in Ukraine in the years 1953–1964 as well as to present the policy of the Soviet authorities towards the Roman Catholic Church. The structure of the publication consists of five chapters. The first chapter presents the situation of the Latin Church in Ukraine against the background of the socio-political changes in the Soviet state that followed the death of Joseph Stalin. The second chapter presents the specificity of pastoral work in Soviet Ukraine. The third chapter presents the participation of the faithful in the sacramental life. The fourth chapter is devoted to one of the most important forms of the prayer life of Catholics in the USSR, which was „liturgies without a priest”. The last, fifth chapter presents the activities of secular associations, which in turn, despite numerous restrictions by the state authorities, have had a significant impact on the preservation of identity and religious practices and the transfer of the link of faith to younger generations.