Orthodoxy and catholicism in Ukraine in 1989-2014 - a quantitative approach

The complex reality of religious and institutional situation in Ukraine (three orthodox churches; two catholic churches), imposed on ethnic relations, has a significant impact on the balance of power in Ukraine, reinforcing existing divisions: between Ukrainians and Russians, between west and east Ukraine, between Orthodox and Catholics. Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) is the most conservative force, with canonical and political ties (specially part of hierarchy) with Russia. It is the best organized religious structure in Ukraine with 12485 parishes and 10068 priests. Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (4536 parishes and 3141 priests) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (1205 parishes, and 731 priests) are much more related to Ukrainian statehood and are supported by the Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian political parties on their road to autocephaly and canonical independence from Moscow Patriarchate. The most aroused nationalist forces (the All-Ukrainian Union “Svoboda”, Right Sector) are often associated with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (3734 parishes and 2594 priests), the main supporter of the Ukrainian nationalism.

The model of a contemporary female Catholic as designed by religious girls on the threshold of adulthood. A report on focus group interviews

This article describes the model of a contemporary Catholic woman as designed by religious girls on the threshold of adulthood. In the struggle of young people with existential dilemmas, both specific models and abstract role models may prove to be helpful. Both have become the subject of research carried out in 2021 conducted using 10 focus group interviews with 35 female students in the final years of secondary schools. The focus groups were created by recruiting 17–18 years olds girls of the Roman Catholic faith living in western and northern Poland and attended religion lessons. This article contains an excerpt concerning the model of a Catholic woman in the contemporary world designed by interviewees. The projection task showed that the created role models go beyond the stereotypical images of Catholic women, less refers to a specific traditional Christian personal models and is an exemplification of a new female perspective in Catholicism.

Socio-cultural reproduction of traditional confessional minorieties (the example of the Catholic community of Rostov region)

The article researches the problem of preserving the identity of the traditional confessional minorities in contemporary Russian society (for example, the Catholic community of Rostov region). Authors analyze the current status of its socio-cultural reproduction. Historically, the Catholic minority was always present in the confessional portrait of the Don region. It is confirmed by the pre-revolutionary census. Soviet period and the policy of state atheism have significantly reduced the demographic set of the Catholic community. Since 1990s. Catholic parishes began to revive. But this process is accompanied by a number of endogenous and exogenous complexities. The category of endogenous risk reproduction of Don Catholic community included a reduction of ethnic groups that traditionally profess Catholicism (Poles, Germans, Lithuanians) in the regional population. At the same time under the influence of migration flows increased presence in the region, Armenian Catholics and Catholics among Ukrainians that strengthens claims of members of the religious community to change the traditional (Latin) rite in favor of the Eastern Christian (Byzantine) rite. At the level of everyday life confessional community play ethnic and racial segregation, impeding the consolidation of the group, its demographic growth due to intramarriages. The growth of the community by neophytes complicated by strict rules incorporating new members, as well as the official rejection of the Roman Catholic Church of proselytism in Russia. Exogenous factors socio-cultural reproduction of religious groups is the difficulty in resolving the legal status of the community, land and property issues in the places of worship, public perception of Catholics among the population and the authorities. Despite the convergence of the official position of the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church on a number of issues, the legal status of the Catholic community in Russia is often marginal. This is due to including with the problems of presence on the territory of the Russian Catholic clergy, mainly consisting of a number of citizens of foreign countries (Poland, Ukraine, and others.). In such circumstances, and taking into account the total secularization of Russian society can predict a further reduction in the Catholic community and the replacement of religious identity of its members, especially among young people.