Reflections on the Background to the Union of Uzhhorod/Ungvár (1646)

This study examines the underlying historical context of the Union of Uzhhorod (1646) and the formation of the Greek Catholic Churches in historic Hungary. Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century confessionalization and Catholic ecclesiastical modernization, it analyzes the respective motivations and expectations of both the Catholic and the Orthodox (Byzantine-rite) communities.
On the Catholic side, the initiative—spearheaded primarily by Bishop György Lippay—was driven by the dual objectives of halting Protestant expansion and fostering the ecclesiastical and cultural elevation of the Byzantine-rite populace. For the impoverished priests of the Eparchy of Mukacheve, who lived in a state of serfdom and were completely subjected to manorial arbitrariness, uniting with Rome represented the sole viable avenue for educational advancement, upward social mobility, and securing the legal privileges accorded to the Catholic clergy.
The paper delineates the political impediments to integration, the pivotal issue of preserving liturgical rite and identity, the resistance mounted by antagonistic Protestant landowners, and the pragmatic, reality-grounded modernization efforts pursued by the involved parties.