Diecézne štatúty M. M. Olšavského z rokov 1752 - 1758.

In 1752 the Greek Catholic Bishop Michal Manuel Olšavský (1700 - 1767, bishop since 1742) performed a canonical visitation of his believers. In this period, from the standpoint of canon law, the Greek Catholics (the units) administratively belonged to the Latin Diocese of Eger. The bishop discovered that there was no unified practice in the ministry of the sacraments, so in 1752 he issued statutes in the Church-Slavonic language how correctly to divide the seven sacraments. These so-called older statutes was united the sacramental discipline of the Eastern Rite under the Carpathians Mountains. In 1755 the bishop issued another so-called younger statutes in Latin. There were non-uniform practices in various everyday matters, doubts, and mistakenly been interpreted certain provisions of canon law. It was necessary to introduce some customs that belonged to a modern and cultural Theresian country, for example the registry records. The bishop had the greatest problem with arrogant priests, the Latin version of the statutes has been translated into the Church Slavonic language. The statutes were promulgated in 1758 and were read on public congregations. This prescription had to be memorized by each priest and had to be examined. If he did not or avoided the test, so was suspended. The statutes of the years 1752 - 1758 are one moral and legal entity. The bishop also sent them to Rome. The statutes of bishop Olšavský not yet published, are now published for the first time. This document is important for church history, canonical law, secular history, linguistics. The statutes describe the ecclesiastical, spiritual, religious and everyday customs of the Christians of the Eastern Rite under the Carpathians in the second half of the 18th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]