Uniate Movement in Elbasan during the Years 1928-1938

Abstract

The paper aims to highlight aspects of the Uniate movement in Elbasan during its second phase. Uniatism represented the Byzantine Catholic Church with the rites of orthodoxy among its believers, dependent on the Vatican. The first phase of the movement in Albania coincides with the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The second phase was marked during the years `20-`30 of the 20^th century and the third phase was marked during the years 1939-1943. The movement in its beginnings was not a purely religious one but it had political and national significance supported by the Elbasan higher social classes (known as Paria) of different faiths. It also had the support of Austria-Hungary. The second phase of Uniatism in Elbasan encountered difficulties, as the movement took place secretly due to the fact that it was not allowed to exercise its activity even the only Uniat church in it was not allowed to open. There is a great correspondence between the Elbasan prefecture of that time and the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the secret activity of Uniatism and the efforts to spread the Uniat faith among the inhabitants of Elbasan. Government pressure, the influence of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, did not favour its movement and spread in the country. Therefore, the paper aims to identify the causes and people that influenced the reappearance of uniatism during these years and the situation created by the movement in Elbasan. The methodology in conducting this research is scientific, comparative and analytical research. The literature is based on the archival documents.