THE ACTIVITIES OF VICAR ANDRIY BILETSKY IN THE ARCHEPARCHY OF LVIV OF THE GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH IN 1914–1917

Abstract

The proposed scientific article is devoted to the activities of a little-known figure of Andriy Biletsky during the First World War. The main purpose of the article was to discover the period of the priest‟s performance of the duties of the vicar of the Archeparchy of Lviv during the internment of Andrey Sheptytsky from September 1914 to September 1917. The author had analyzed the geopolitical conditions and activities of the clergyman as the head of the church administrative unit.

According to the author, the activities of Andriy Biletsky can be divided into the two periods. The first of them had started from the moment of internment of the Metropolitan Andrey by the Russians in September 1914 to the de-occupation of Lviv by the Austria-Hungarian‟s army in 1915. At this time, Andriy Biletsky and the church administration defended the interests of the Greek Catholic Church before the Russian authorities. They made the efforts to prevent the personnel shortages, to stop the appointment of the Russian clergy, and preserve the status of the Greek Catholic Church. The second stage lasted until Andrey Sheptytsky‟s return to Lviv in September 1917. In the context of the restoration of Austria-Hungarian power the vicar had begun the stabilization measures in the Archeparchy. He contributed to the restoration of the educational and the charitable activities, and also developed the spiritual and intermediary functions of the Ukrainian clergy.

Finally, the clergyman returned to his prewar duties after the return of Metropolitan A. Sheptytsky. Despite the fact that Andriy Biletsky had a dubious reputation at the beginning of the war he defended the interests of the Greek Catholic clergy before the two states. According to the author, with his activities the clergyman gave a good beginning to the restoration of the Archdiocese of Lviv, which will be continued in the future by Andrey Sheptyysky.