Studia Bobolanum 32 nr 1 (2021): 227-240 DOI: 10.30439/2021.1.12

František Dvorník, Velehrad Unionism and Church Unity

Pavel Ambros Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology Palacký University Olomouc

ORCID: 0000-0001-6644-8308

František Dvorník, ruch zjednoczenia z Velehradu i jedność Kościoła.

Streszczenie Celem artykułu jest ukazanie dotychczas zaniedbywanego aspektu twórczości 227 Franciszka Dvornika, a mianowicie, z jednej strony, wpływu ruchu zjednoczenia z Velehradu na jego formację naukową i osobistą, zwłaszcza u początku jego ka- riery naukowej, a z drugiej strony, rosnącego znaczenia osoby Dvornika dla ruchu zjednoczenia z Velehradu. Wzajemne oddziaływanie jest udokumentowane przez stopniowe przeobrażanie się tych korelacji (na tle modernistycznych napięć w teolo- gii katolickiej) i przez ukazanie protoekumenicznych tendencji ruchu zjednoczenia z Velehradu w kierunku sformułowanego przez samego Dvornika jasnego programu ekumenicznego.

S ł o w a k l u c z o w e : Kongresy zjednoczenia, František Dvorník, św. Cyryl i św. Metody, ekumenizm, katolicki slawizm

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„The most significant figure in the history of Czech Byzantine studies was one of its leading founders, Msgr ThDr. Francis Dvorník (1893–1975). Francis Dvorník’s fame exceeded considerably the narrow limits of Czech national science, and there is no doubt that he ranked among the most emi- nent Byzantinists of the 20th century”1. His work attracted extraordinary

1 Vladimír Vavřínek, „Francis Dvornik – a World-Renowned Byzantinist”, Bytantinoslavica 76, nr 3 (2018): 7; article is output of research grant Theologian impulses of the Pope Francis pontificate – Velehrad dialogues 2018, IGA_CMTF_2018_005. Pawel Ambros

attention in the field of ecumenism as well2. His cursory study reveals a well defined theme underlying each of his works, namely, concern for the re- union of East and West. To uncover the source of the inspiration behind this recurring theme, one is led without doubt to Velehrad. His interest in the ecumenical movement began right form his early years. Velehrad exerted an influence over Dvorník, which became increasingly meaningful to him as a student and later as a seminarian in Olomouc. The Moravian Metro- politan was particularly solicitous of the Cyrillo-Methodian heritage of the Czech local church. It became both an institution and a privileged mission3. Through their faith and their teaching, Saints Cyril and Methodius held together the Christian East and West, leading Pope Saint John Paul II to declare them forty years ago the ‘protectors of Europe’, saying: „In our times, times of division in Europe and division in the Church, the testimony of Saints Cyril and Methodius issues a call to unity. They are shared by all of us, and have ecumenical significance. In this place, the great Archbishop Antonín Cyril Stojan, initiator of the well-known Uniatic congresses that constituted the first steps towards modern ecumenism, responded to this call. We pray today, with great humility and full of fervour, that all believers may be of one soul and one heart”4. 228 The origins of Velehrad’s modern-day work for Christian unity can be found in the 19th century5. In 1850, a society called The Legacy of St. Cyril and St. Methodius (Dědictví sv. Cyrila a Metoděje) was founded in . In the 1860s and 1870s, traditional Cyril and Methodius pilgrimages were re-established at Velehrad. In 1881, Pope Leo XIII donated the relics of St. Cyril to the church. The revivalist František Sušil († 1868) stamped a Cyrillo-Methodian character on Velehrad, as his student, the Antonin Cyril Stojan († 1921), founded The Apostolate of Saints Cyril and Methodius under the protection of the blessed Virgin Mary (Apoštolát sv. Cyrila a Metoděje pod ochranou blahoslavené Panny Marie) in 1891,

2 See Horace G. Lunt, „Bibliography of Francis Dvornik”, Harvard Slavic Studies, nr 2 (1954): 385-390; Vladimír Vavřínek, „Bibliography of Francis Dvorník 1954-1967“, Byzantinosla- vica, nr 29 (1968): 265-280; Sirarpie Der Nersessian, „Francis Dvornik”, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, nr 27 (1973): ii+1-10; Ludvík Nemec, „Dvornik’s Bibliography“, The Catholic Histo- rical Review, nr 59 (1973): 212-224; Ludvík Němec, „Dvorníkova bibliografie”,Proměny 3, nr 1 (1973): 87-98. 3 Leonard Górka, „Il dialogo tra i cattolici a gli ortodossi alla luce dell’insegnamento dei Con- gressi di Velehrad 1907–1939“, Unitas 38 (1983): 4-20 4 Jan Pavel II. v Československu. 21.-22. dubna 1990. Projevy, promluvy, poselství (Praha: Zvon, Praha 1990), 71-90. 5 See Pavel Ambros, II risveglio della tradizione cirillo-metodiana per la chiesa di e d’oggi (Olomouc – Praha: Refugium, 2000); Mauricius Gordillo, „Velehrad e i suoi congressi unionistici (1907-1957)”, La Civiltà Cattolica 108, nr 2 (1957): 569-583; Michal Špaček, Apoštolát sv. Cyrila a Metoděje 1910-1948. Bibliografie časopisu věnovaného sjed- nocení Slovanů v Kristu a ukázky jeho unijního úsilí (Olomouc: Refugium, 2011). František Dvorník, Velehrad Unionism and Church Unity and The Velehrad Academy (Akademie velehradská) in 1910. The unionists of Velehrad were in active contact with those working for Christian unity in Europe: Jesuits Ivan S. Gagarin († 1882), Ivan M. Martynov († 1894) and Paul Pierling († 1922), Joseph Görres († 1848), the Slovenian bishop, Anton Martin Slomšek († 1862), the Bishop of Dakovo, Josip Juraj Strossmayer († 1905), and the Metropolitan of Lviv, Andrej Šeptický († 1944). Between 1907 and 1936, Uniatic congresses and meetings were held at Velehrad, in which significant representatives of the worldwide movement for unity took part. The unionist movement included many distinguished scientists: Josef Vajs († 1959), František Cinek († 1966), Josef Vašica († 1968), Fran- tišek Dvorník († 1975), and Vojtěch Tkadlčík († 1997)6. The ‘Velehrad Idea’ was made known across the world by Cardinal Tomáš Špidlík SJ († 2010). In 2007, Velehrad hosted the Jubilee congress, Towards a deeper solidarity among Christians in Europe7. Historically, unionism was sometimes connected with secondary na- tionalistic and political goals. The Velehrad congresses avoided such errors. They always prioritized theological goals that were oriented towards a con- crete impact on the life of the Church. They formulated general principles, based on which they built the concept of Church unity and its renewal. They showed the direction for further theological development, which emerged in 229 full at the Second Vatican Council. In particular, these were the following principles: the equality of both parties, openness of theological exploration, active participation of the laity in cooperation and responsibility for the fate of the Christian world, admission of guilt for the schism by both parties, thus by the Catholic party as well, and recognition of ecclesial values by the Orthodox Church. It was the dialogical method of the congresses that was to turn out to be of major importance8. Although Dvorník never became an uncritically enthusiastic adherent of unionism, in the same way as scientific zealots who were influenced by

6 See Vojtěch Tkadlčík, Minulost a budoucnost velehradských kongresů (Velehrad: Societas 1996); Vojtěch Tkadlčík, „Velehradská cesta k odloučeným bratřím“, Josef Myslivec, Křes- ťanský Východ a my (Praha: ČKCH, 1970): 43-67. 7 Pavel Ambros, Antoine Arjakovsky, ed., Towards a deeper Solidarity among Christians in Europe. Jubelee Velehrad Congress. Velehrad, , June 28 – July 1st 2007. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the First velehrad Congress (1907-2007) (Olomouc: Refugium, 2007). 8 See Pavel Ambros, „Velehrad Unionist Movement”, Acta Universitatis Palackianae Olo- moucensis. Theologica Olomucensia, 9 (2008): 107-111; Leonard Górka, Dziedzictwo ojców. Ekumeniczny charakter tradycji welehradzkiej (Warszawa: Verbinum, 1995); Józef Budniak, Jednoczeni w różnorodości – Tradycja cyrylo-metodiańska Kościołów, kultur i narodów (Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, 2009); František Brázdil, Rozwój idei cyrylometodianskiej w Welehradzie w okresie działalności jezuitów (1890-2000 r.). Studium historyczno-prawne (Wrocław, 2002 [Dissertatio]). Pawel Ambros

the enthusiasm of Velehrad and Olomouc, nevertheless it must be said that the idea of Christian unity pervades all his historical works9.

1. Ecumenical level of Dvorník’s historical work

First, we will attempt to detail the preliminary hypothesis by which we wish to establish the main contribution of František Dvorník to the Catholic approach to ecumenism. He was convinced that in the East the principal of accommodation outweighed the principle of apostolic succes- sion, which is a theological, dogmatic concept that refers to the foundation of the Church by Christ. Tradition expresses the dogma (the truth of faith) in the celebration of the liturgy (the consecration of bishops), in icons and art, defines it at councils, and subjects it to a critical speculation in the work of theologians. Accommodation takes place at the level of human history. It is the cultural expression of a Christian community, including comprehensive political and social activity in their entirety, with all their strengths and weaknesses. For Dvorník, the sacred unity of the church consists of the oneness of the common creed experienced by the church in a history that is full of bias, 230 polemic, error and inherited stereotypes. He is aware of the need for his- torical events to be made clear and for their meaning to be illuminated for us. The historian understands this work of illumination as a reconstruction of history and as a means of understanding the implications for us today. He is recognised as one of the world’s great historians with a special gift for bringing the past to present life in his works. When in his work Byzantium and the Romana Primacy Dvorník claims that “this Oriental conception of the church, although more deeply imbued with a mystical spirit, is identical with that of the West”10, he does not deny herewith the division of East and West to be historically embedded present reality. For Dvorník this division is only a new reason to return to the problem and investigate that historical level that obviously does not correspond to the professed dogmatic truth. Here he clearly continues in the spirit of the approach of his precursors J.H. Newman, A. Gratieux, and especially Abbé Fernard Portal11.

9 See Homage to Francis Dvorník. Byzantinoslavica, LXXVI/3 – Supplementum (: Slovanský ústav AV ČR, 2018) (V. Vavřínek, R. Thomson, M. Garzaniti, F. Ronconi); Anto- nio Porpora, I presupposti storici del primato del Vescovo di Roma nell’opera di František Dvornik (Roma: PIO, 2015 [Dissertatio]); Maddalena Betti, The Making of Christian Moravia (858-882). Papal power and political reality (Boston–Leiden: Brill, 2014; Ludvík Němec, František Dvorník – mistr historické syntézy (Olomouc: Refugium, 2013). 10 František Dvorník, Byzance et la primauté romaine (Paris: Cerf, 1964), 16. 11 Ludvík Němec, František Dvorník – mistr historické syntézy, 21-31; see Hippolyte Hemmer, Fernand Portal (1855-1926). Apostle of unity (London: Macmillan; London–New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1961); Régis Ladous, Monsieur Portal et les siens, 1855-1926 (Paris: Cerf, František Dvorník, Velehrad Unionism and Church Unity

This dogmatically strong clarification that Dvorník held was not an ideological fortress. The knowledge of historical conditionality of dogmatic expressions did not lead him to a cheap relativisation of knowledge that re- sts on dogma as a reality of revelation. The light of faith was for him a part of his personality. As a historian, he factually revived and spiritually relived the history which he wrote, always with a sense of eternity. It included the culture of personal prayer, valuable inner attitudes and a feeling and thin- king with the church (sentire cum ecclesia). Dvorník was attracted by what Yves Congar, in his preface to Dvorník’s oevre The Photian Schism. History and Legend, calls “ecumeni- cal magnetization”. As part of his insight into historical moments he includ- ed an awareness and evaluation of our own situation of division hic et nunc12. As a historian he was fascinated by the concrete forms that the trans- mission of historical events could take. He was also interested in the direc- tion of the consequences of such events. At the same time, he kept dogmatic knowledge of truth about the church (for example of the papal primacy) in the dynamics of the relationship between the interpreter and the object of the past that is interpreted, in which the act of comprehension properly con- sists. Historical knowledge became for him an opportunity to clarify this relationship in its historical relevance (historical truth) and in its constant 231 focus on God (the truth of dogma). He was convinced that the division of Christians is a consequence of human weakness, illusions and error, not that God had abandoned the world. Already before the council, he had antici- pated the fundamental ecumenical axioma that the Second Vatican Council incorporated first into the concept of the hierarchy of truths13, second into the key starting point of ecclesiology (understanding of the relationship of the one only Christʼs ʻChurch constituted and organized in the world’14 and the by the expression subsistit in), and finally into the re- cently formulated respect towards other religious traditions15 and religious freedom16. Dvorníkʼs ecumenical position can be summarized as follows: The doctrinaire limpidity of seeing did not prevent him from seeking to put forward a new width and depth of historical information, and from striving

1985); The conversations at Malines, 1921-1925 = Les conversations de Malines 1921-1925 (London: Oxford University Press, 1927). 12 Yves Congar, „Předmluva”, in František Dvorník, Fotiovo schizma. Historie a legenda (Olo- mouc: Refugium, 2008), 5-14. 13 Unitatis redintegratio, 11; see Avery Dulles, „The Hierarchy of Truths in the Catechism”, The Thomist. A Speculative Quarterly Review 58, nr 3 (1994), 369-388; „The notion of »hi- erarchy of truths« An ecumenical interpretation”, accessed December 14, 2019, http://www. prounione.it/dia/jwg/Dia-JWG-08b-6b.pdf. 14 Lumen gentium, 8. 15 Nostra aetate, 1. 16 Dignitatis humanae, 2. Pawel Ambros

to attain maximal objectivity with one intention: to open present awareness of Christian people to the inquiring spirit that seeks the unity of Christians.

2. The proto-ecumenical character of Velehrad unionism

Now we can advance to the claim that is the central subject of this short study: to distinguish Dvorníkʼs ecumenical position from the proto -ecumenical character of Velehrad unionism. Although Dvorník never be- came a unionistic “crusader” in the same sense as some religious zealots who were influenced by the enthusiasm of Velehrad and Olomouc, never- theless it must be said that the idea of Christian unity permeates all his hi- storical works. Velehrad unionism became the starting point of the gradual maturation of Dvorník’s ecumenical method applied in his historical works. Under the term proto-ecumenical character we understand a me- thod proper to the ecumenical movement that is, however, used in the ecclesiological models that are still missing the principles of the catho- lic understanding of the restoration of unity among all Christians as they were defined by the Second Vatican Council17. By this we want to say that Velehrad unionism had ecumenical features in terms of its methodology. 232 Ecumenical theology benefitted greatly from Dvorník’s researches, becau- se beside being a historian he was a skilled theologian, whose theological contribution was inherent in his historical research. In addition to his well established unionism and ecumenism, and in support of both, he surprised the scholarly word, where he clearly shows that the Orthodox church (in this case Constantinople) had an understanding and respect for the Prima- cy of Rome. It is also worthy to say that Dvorník, the historian, contributed positively to the understanding of Byzantine Ecclesiology thus making the reunion of Churches more feasible, and did not neglect even the problems of the contemporary Church, namely that of collegiality, a modern idea of Vatican II. Dvornik’s historical analysis of these events meant that this internal contradiction within Velehrad unionism was a common theme in his work. Velehrad unionism was a serious attempt to face the importance of Saints Cyril and Methodius for a crucial orientation of the European events with emphasis on the unifying impact on East-West relationship in three ways: a) by the increase of knowledge that also includes an element of personal encounter and of a positive publicity, b) by overcoming psy- chological barriers by their understanding and explanation, c) by a strong anchorage in a systematic method as well as in the presentation of results of both historical and theological inquiry. Dvorník’s contribution to all the- se three was significant.

17 See Catechism of the Catholic Church, 817-822. František Dvorník, Velehrad Unionism and Church Unity

The final goal of Velehrad unionism was not doctrinal convergence, consonance or agreement between the partners of the dialogue but a true realization of the yearning for the unity of faith and morals that would pre- serve the diversity of the Christian traditions. This approach was, on the one hand, an expression of a profound underlying harmony 18 and on the other hand a realization that full unity of the churches has yet to be reached in or- der to be able to share in communion of Eucharist (full communion) in truth and love. The entire work of The Apostolate of Sts Cyril and Methodius con- sisted in the growing idea of the Catholic revival of the second half of the 19th century19. Stojan defined it as “a continuous organizing of self-sacrifice for the preservation, reviving and spreading of the holy catholic and apos- tolic faith (…), but from which a majority has broken away”20. The program of the unionistic praxis defined this way by Stojan was, however, part of an ecclesiological model of unity, based on a return of non-Catholic Christians (churches) into the Catholic Church, to the Bishop of Rome as the successor of Peter the Apostle21. Velehrad unionism introduced a new approach to full unity of the churches: The Unionistic Congresses at Velehrad represent not merely a movement, an unrealised desire, but a determined action directed to the realization of Christian unity. It was in large part thanks to the efforts of Velehrad unionism that this method of seeking Christian unity became 233 an important subject for catholic theologians as well22.

3. František Dvorník and the proto-ecumenical character of Velehrad unionism

Dvornik’s spiritual, academic and cultural formation had a huge impact on his life and had a pervasive influence on his scholarly efforts. When in 1904 he entered the archdiocesan gymnasium (grammar school) in Kroměříž which its founder, cardinal Fürstenberg († 1892), dedicated to the protection of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the unionistic movement had already begun to affect the formation and education of the incoming generation of . We need to seek the explanation of Fürstenberg’s sys-

18 „ARCICʼs Clarifications of Certain Aspects of the Agreed Statements on Eucharist and Mi- nistry“, Information Service 87, nr 4 (1994): 242; see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 835. 19 Tomáš Špidlík, „Cyrilometodějská tradice”, Jezuité 13, nr 5 (2004): 1-8. 20 František Cinek, Velehrad víry. Duchovní dějiny Velehradu (Olomouc: Lidové knihkupectví a nakladatelství, 1936), 409. 21 Most recently see Robert Louis Wilken, The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity (New Haven & London: Yale U. Press, 2012). 22 See Pavel Ambros, „Protoekumenický charakter velehradské cyrilometodějské tradice v pojetí Adolfa Špaldáka. Příspěvek k formování české ekumenické teologie první poloviny 20. stol.”, Marek Junek, Cyrilometodějská tradice v 19. a 20. století, období rozkvětu i snah o umlčení (Praha: Univerzita Karlova v Praze – Filozofická fakulta, 2013), 137-152. Pawel Ambros

tematic revival of Cyrillo-Methodian tradition in the very beginnings of his installation as Archbishop of Olomouc on the local level and in the spiritual orientation of the Catholic Church then, in general23. The tasks set to the church by Pope Pius IX († 1878) definitely influenced the way Fürstenberg looked after the diocese entrusted to him. The attempts for a new blooming of the veneration of the saints affected the whole of the Catholic church of that time. That is why Fürstenberg made efforts to achieve the official cano- nization of the Olomouc martyr Jan Sarkander. Similarly he wanted to encourage the long-lived cult of Moravian pa- trons Saints Cyril and Methodius by acquiring their relics in Rome. It was he who financed the excavations at St. Clement in Rome. It was thanks to him that the day of Saints Cyril and Methodius began to be celebrated on the 5th July24. But above all, he invited Tomáš Bečák († 1855) to the semina- ry to instil it with Cyrillo-Methodian character25. But what has become decisive for the future development of Velehrad unionism in the era of Antonín Cyril Stojan was the Catholic Slavism of Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903). Through his encyclical Grande munus (1880) the cult of Saints Cyril and Methodius spread over the whole of the Catholic church. Furthermore, this encyclical strongly encouraged Catholic Slavs to 234 value the idea of missions. The territory of these missions that has become the Slavic East with its changed borders caused the political events of the 19th century in central and Eastern Europe. With the boundary being shi- fted in favour of the tsarist Russia, Catholics of both Latin and Eastern rites began to be threatened. In Moscow, a plan was worked out that had three main points: 1) to abolish the Basilian order, 2) to brand the union as an act of national treason 3) to install to the Latin episcopate bishops that were willing to cooperate with tsarist Russia. In the second half of the 19th cen- tury massive proselytism from the side of Russian Orthodox Church was also taking place26. The Catholics in the West began to realize that they had

23 See Angelo Tamborra, „La riscoperta di Cirillo e Metodio nel secolo XIX e il suo significato”, Edward G. Farrugia, Christianity among the Slavs the heritage of saints Cyril and Methodius. Acts of the International Congress held on the eleventh centenary of the death of St. Methodius Rome, October 8-11, 1985 (Roma: PIO, 1988), 315-341. 24 See Vojtěch Tkadlčík, „Pátý červenec“, Katolické noviny 28, nr 27 (4. 7. 1976): 1,3; 28, nr 28 (11. 7. 1976): 5 [Státní archiv Opava, pobočka v Olomouc, Ordinariátní archiv, sign. A14, kart. 683]. 25 See Pavel Vychodil, Z doby Sušilovy. Sbírka dopisů (Brno: Papežská knihtiskárna benediktinů rajhradských, 1917), 63-164. 26 For example the swearing the oath to the allegiance to the Russian tsar entailed for Catholics renunciation of the submission to the Roman pontiff and embracing Orthodoxy. According to the tsarist law from 15. 5. 1893 immigrants were not allowed to own and rent land unless they embraced Orthodoxy; see Antonín Robek, „K problematice českého vystěhovalectví do Ruska v druhé polovině 19. století”, Češi v cizině, 2 (Praha: ÚEF ČSAV, 1987): 64-97; Češi v cizině 3 (Praha: ÚEF ČSAV, 1988): 4-20. František Dvorník, Velehrad Unionism and Church Unity to do something for the Catholics from the Eastern rites. This program was formulated by Cardinal Edward H. Howard (1829–1892) in three points: 1) to support the attempts for the unity of the Eastern and western Slavs through the veneration of the apostles to Slavs: Saints Cyril and Methodius; 2) to establish a pontifical institute for seminarians from all Slavic coun- tries; 3) to establish a special department by the Sacred Congregation for the promotion of the faith named The Mission of Sts Cyril and Methodius27. The geographical perspective of Catholic Slavism has spread to such a degree that it transformed on a massive scale the view of Czech and Mo- ravian Catholics. A vision of unity was slowly emerging out of the idea of mission. In it there were anchored unionism as a goal and immediate dia- logue as a method. The main credit of Stojan was that he managed to over- come the risks of pan-slavism and Austroslavism. Contradictory political ambitions as well as various forms of neo-Slavism were the accompanying signs of the Orthodox-Catholic discourse in this time. It was not easy to maintain a balance with Viena, Prague, Rome and Moscow, and still keep the idea of unionism alive without loss of appeal to the diversified Slav na- tionals at a time when political forces strongly tended to disrupt it. Young Dvorník who bore the brunt of these turbulent times recognised the historic mission of Velehrad as providential, and was more than ready do share in 235 the activities connected with the Cyrillo-Methodian heritage. All this was going on as Dvornik entered the seminary and in the first years of his pasto- ral work as a priest during the First World War. Dvornik’s success at reaching the very centre of the Velehrad move- ment can be deduced from the fact that Dvornik was instrumental in ensur- ing the approval of several great feasts of the liturgical year from the Latin rite in the Czech lands and together with Dr. Vajs, J. Vasica and A.C. Stojan introduced these rites for the first time to Velehrad on the th4 July 192028. Immediately after that he left for his studies in Paris. Dvorník understood his French mission also as intensive work for the matter of Velehrad union- ism. His correspondence before the Fourth Unionist Congress clearly shows both his keen commitment to but also a certain reservation towards the do- mestic environment. In his letter from 6th July 1924 he writes: „It pains me considerably that my lecture was not at all taken into consideration. I have offered my services and the preparatory committee itself had the right to

27 See Ľuboslav Hromják, „Il movimento slavo e le origini del Bohemicum”, Tomáš Parma, T. (ed.), Dal Bohemicum al Nepomuceno. La cultura ceca e la formazione sacerdotale in un contesto di scontri nazionalisti e di coesistenza (Roma–Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého, 2011): 17; see another outline of Slavia ortodossa and Slavia romana developed by Riccardo Picchio (Riccardo Picchio, Letteratura della Slavia ortodossa [IX-XVIII sec.] (Bari: Edizioni Dedalo, 1991), 3-82. 28 Velehradské zprávy, 3 (1920): 3. Pawel Ambros

specify the program and all the details. I was of the opinion that the lecture was designated in the same way it was read in the preparatory meeting in February. Not one priest from our diocese is on the program, as if we our- selves reported that we don’t have anybody in our dioceses who would be able to do it. I regret deeply that it has turned out with my lecture like this, but I cannot say anything, not knowing either of reasons or circumstanc- es. But keep this to yourself. I will have yet enough opportunities to fulfil myself in work”29. This short anecdote also illustrates what his biographer Ludvík Němec means when he says that “we have to clarify the evident con- tradiction between Dvorník’s youthful and later mature and erudite view of the church unity”30. As part of his study of political science and byzantology Dvorník stayed in the house of abbé Ferdinand Portal († 1926). He got into the very centre of the conversations of Catholics, Anglicans as well as the Orthodox. Here we can refer to Ludvík Němec who describes in detail the atmosphere, individual actors involved and the form of the conversations31. It was a great school for Dvorník as to how to get to know the backstage of The Con- versations at Malines, what it means to discern between the official and non-official level of the conversations, the weight of pragmatic reflections, 236 making progress in overcoming the psychological barriers in the face to face dealings, as well as creating possibilities for church diplomacy32. Here Dvorník received the opportunity to go beyond the limitations of Velehrad unionism . According to him the first real ecumenical step ahead can be found only where we are able to cast aside our own limitations and attempt to look at ourselves the way others see us. Dvorník has been counted among the great ecumenically oriented catholic theologians and historians such as Yves Congar, Robert B. Eno, Robert Murray and Jean-Marie Roger Tillard, who by their studies pointed out the problematic aspects of Catholic perception of the historical events and opened the way to the necessary change of perception, reasoning and terminology. A cultural mission therefore opened for Dvorník to convey these for the Czech environment33, to explain the essence of this mission

29 Zemský archiv v Opavě – Státní okresní archiv Olomouc, fond Apoštolát Cyrila a Metoděje v Olomouci / Land Archive, Opava – Land Archive, Olomouc, N. 701/1924. 30 Ludvík Němec, František Dvorník – mistr historické syntézy, 21. 31 Ibidem, 21-32. 32 See Bernard Pawley, Rome and Canterbury through four centuries. A study of the relations between the Church of Rome and the Anglican Churches 1530-1973 (Oxford: Mowbrays, 1974): 284-297; Ray J. Lahey, „The Origins and Approval of the Malines Conversations”, Church History 43, nr 3 (1974): 366-384. 33 František Dvorník, „Kardinál Mercier a sjednocení církví [Paříž, dne 8. února /1924/]“, Lidové listy, (13. 2. 1924): 1 and many others articles he published here till the end of 1922. ‘At the end of 1922 we would find among the externs of the paper also the historian František František Dvorník, Velehrad Unionism and Church Unity but also to bring in the Czech insight34, in a way that so clearly preserved a deep mark of Velehrad unionism in his life. Through this he expresses his conviction that Velehrad Unionist congresses represent an significant contribution to the solution of problems related to reuniting of churches35. He articulated this ideal for himself in his diary (1921) in the following way: “I wish to wholly devote myself to that great task, I want to belong only to souls, to work for the salvation and greatness of the Slavs, to spread knowledge and love for the holy church among them”36. Despite all the life struggles he never abandoned this journey.

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Summary This paper brings a so far neglected aspect of Francis Dvornik’s work to the fore, namely the influence of the Velehrad unionistic movement on the scientific and per- sonal formation of Dvornik at the beginning of his scientific career on the one hand, which was on the other hand connected with the increasing Dvornik’s influence on 240 the Velehrad unionistic movement. The reciprocal influence is documented on the gradual transformation of the period correlative unionism (on the background of the modernistic tension in the catholic theology) and by strengthening its protoecumeni- cal tendencies towards the clear ecumenical program formulated by Dvornik himself.

K e y w o r d s : Velehrad Unionist congresses, Francis Dvornik, St. Cyril and St. Methodi- us, ecumenism, catholic Slavism