Antin Sielava
Encyclopedia
Antin Atanasij Sielava (1583—1655) was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and Russia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
from 1641 to his death in 1655.
, in the monastery of the Holy Trinity in Vilnius
, taking the religious name of Antin (Antony). He lived for some time in the same cell with Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych and he was ordained a priest
in 1617. He studied in the Greek College in Rome from 1617 to September 1619.
On 12 November 1623 the bishop of Polotsk, Josaphat Kuntsevych (later declared a Saint
), was killed by a Orthodox mob. After him, Antin Sielava was appointed to the See
of Polotsk. He was consecrated a bishop
in early 1624 by Metropolitan Josyf Veliamyn Rutsky and enthroned on 14 February 1624.
To Metropolitan Josyf Rutsky succeeded Metropolitan Rafajil Korsak
, who, when in 1639 left Bielorussia to go to Rome
for Visit ad Limina, appointed Sielava as Vicarius
for the Church. Rafajil Korsak died in Rome in August 1640 and, according to his last will, Pope Urban VIII
confirmed Sielava as new Metropolitan after the usual process of eligibility. Antin Sielava was so formally appointed Metropolitan of Kiev on 18 March 1641. His patriarchate was initially marked by the beatification
, on 16 May 1643, of Josaphat Kuntsevych.
Following his predecessors Josyf Rutsky and Rafajil Korsak, Sielava went on in negotiations with the Orthodox Patriarch of Kiev, Peter Mogila about the way to unify the Ukrainian Church. However he was not a person of the stamp of his predecessors, and after the death of Mogila (1646), the discussions ended without results.
Sielava left much part of the administration of the Church to others, and he was of a sickly disposition and quite hypochondriac, and in the last part of his life he was seriously ill and blind.
Since 1648, the political situation in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth underwent years of crisis due to the Khmelnytsky Uprising
, a Cossack
rebellion in Ukraine
fiercely anti-Catholic, followed by the Russo-Polish War (1654-1667) and Second Northern War
. The Greek-Catholic Church was seriously threaten, many churches, monasteries and schools were destroyed, and priests and monks killed. Sielava had to leave Polotsk and died on 5 October 1655, when already (since 1653) the Greek-Catholic Church was in the resolute hands of Havryil Kolenda
.
, and his "Vitam Servi Dei Josaphat, Archiepiscopi Polocensis" (Life of the Servant of God Josaphat, bishop of Polotsk) edited in 1624.
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , Ukrainska Hreko-Katolytska Tserkva), is the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris particular church in full communion with the Holy See, and is directly subject to the Pope...
from 1641 to his death in 1655.
Life
Atanasij Sielava was born on about 1583 in the Polotsk Voivodeship. In 1612 he entered in the Order of Saint Basil the GreatOrder of Saint Basil the Great
The Order of St. Basil the Great also known as the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat is an monastic religious order of the Greek Catholic Churches that is present in many countries and that has its Mother House in Rome. The order received approbation on August 20, 1631...
, in the monastery of the Holy Trinity in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, taking the religious name of Antin (Antony). He lived for some time in the same cell with Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych and he was ordained a priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
in 1617. He studied in the Greek College in Rome from 1617 to September 1619.
On 12 November 1623 the bishop of Polotsk, Josaphat Kuntsevych (later declared a Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
), was killed by a Orthodox mob. After him, Antin Sielava was appointed to the See
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
of Polotsk. He was consecrated a bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
in early 1624 by Metropolitan Josyf Veliamyn Rutsky and enthroned on 14 February 1624.
To Metropolitan Josyf Rutsky succeeded Metropolitan Rafajil Korsak
Rafajil Korsak
Rafajil Nikolai Korsak was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and Russia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 1637 to his death in 1640.-Life:...
, who, when in 1639 left Bielorussia to go to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
for Visit ad Limina, appointed Sielava as Vicarius
Vicarius
Vicarius is a Latin word, meaning substitute or deputy. It is the root and origin of the English word "vicar" and cognate to the Persian word most familiar in the variant vizier....
for the Church. Rafajil Korsak died in Rome in August 1640 and, according to his last will, Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions...
confirmed Sielava as new Metropolitan after the usual process of eligibility. Antin Sielava was so formally appointed Metropolitan of Kiev on 18 March 1641. His patriarchate was initially marked by the beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
, on 16 May 1643, of Josaphat Kuntsevych.
Following his predecessors Josyf Rutsky and Rafajil Korsak, Sielava went on in negotiations with the Orthodox Patriarch of Kiev, Peter Mogila about the way to unify the Ukrainian Church. However he was not a person of the stamp of his predecessors, and after the death of Mogila (1646), the discussions ended without results.
Sielava left much part of the administration of the Church to others, and he was of a sickly disposition and quite hypochondriac, and in the last part of his life he was seriously ill and blind.
Since 1648, the political situation in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth underwent years of crisis due to the Khmelnytsky Uprising
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising, was a Cossack rebellion in the Ukraine between the years 1648–1657 which turned into a Ukrainian war of liberation from Poland...
, a Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
rebellion in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
fiercely anti-Catholic, followed by the Russo-Polish War (1654-1667) and Second Northern War
Second Northern War
The Second Northern War was fought between Sweden and its adversaries the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , Russia , Brandenburg-Prussia , the Habsburg Monarchy and Denmark–Norway...
. The Greek-Catholic Church was seriously threaten, many churches, monasteries and schools were destroyed, and priests and monks killed. Sielava had to leave Polotsk and died on 5 October 1655, when already (since 1653) the Greek-Catholic Church was in the resolute hands of Havryil Kolenda
Havryil Kolenda
Yuri Havryil Kolenda was the Administrator of Kiev–Galicia from 1655 and Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and Russia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 1665 to his death in 1674.-Early Life:...
.
Works
Antin Sielava was also a writer and a polemist. Among his works we have his "Antelenchus", against the "Elenchum" of Meletius SmotrytskyMeletius Smotrytsky
Meletius Smotrytsky , né Maksym Herasymovytch was a Ruthenian linguist from Galicia, author and religious activist. Son of the famous Ukrainian religious and political activist Herasym Smotrytsky. He was educated in Ostroh and Vilnius, as well as Leipzig, Wittenberg and Nuremberg...
, and his "Vitam Servi Dei Josaphat, Archiepiscopi Polocensis" (Life of the Servant of God Josaphat, bishop of Polotsk) edited in 1624.