Peter Solinat and the Initial Stage of Formation of a Catholic Diocese in the Bulgarian Lands

Authors:

Pages: 85-96
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/VAQW1823

Abstract:

The paper examines the life and work of the Franciscan monk Peter Solinat. Mainly his visit to the Bulgarian lands as a visitor to the Holy See and his activities as a bishop of the Bulgarian Diocese are traced. The research shows Peter Solinat as the person who has restored the position of the Catholic faith in our lands from the 17th century and underlines his greatest success – the conversion of the Danube Paulicians and those in Plovdiv to Catholicism. The churches, monasteries and schools built on his initiative are also listed. Two of his reports to the Holy See from 1612 and 1622 are examined, in which he informes about the situation in the diocese and about the achieved results. In the second report, he presents to the Holy See his ideas about the transformation of his diocese into an archdiocese.

Keywords:

Peter Solinat, church organization, Catholic diocese, Sacred Congregation, Apostolic See, Franciscans, ethno-confessional, Paulician, conversion to Catholic faith.

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