Sts. Cyril and Methodius

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(Or CONSTANTINE and METHODIUS).

These brothers, the Apostles of theSlavs, were born inThessalonica, in 827 and 826 respectively. Though belonging to a senatorialfamily they renounced secularhonours and becamepriests. They were living in amonastery on the Bosphorous, when the Khazars sent to Constantinople for aChristian teacher. Cyril was selected and was accompanied by his brother. They learned the Khazar language andconverted many of the people. Soon after the Khazar mission there was a request from theMoravians for a preacher of theGospel. German missionaries had already laboured among them, but without success. TheMoravians wished a teacher who could instruct them and conductDivine service in theSlavonic tongue. On account of their acquaintance with the language, Cyril and Methodius were chosen for their work. In preparation for it Cyril invented an alphabet and, with the help of Methodius, translated theGospels and the necessaryliturgical books intoSlavonic. They went toMoravia in 863, and laboured for four and a half years. Despite their success, they were regarded by theGermans with distrust, first because they had come from Constantinople whereschism was rife, and again because they held theChurch services in theSlavonic language. On this account the brothers were summoned toRome byNicholas I, who died, however, before their arrival. Hissuccessor,Adrian II, received them kindly. Convinced of theirorthodoxy, he commended their missionary activity, sanctioned theSlavonic Liturgy, andordained Cyril and Methodiusbishops. Cyril, however, was not to return toMoravia. He died inRome, 4 Feb., 869.

At the request of theMoravian princes, Rastislav and Svatopluk, and theSlav Prince Kocel of Pannonia,Adrian II formed an Archdiocese of Moravia and Pannonia, made it independent of the GermanChurch, and appointed Methodiusarchbishop. In 870 King Louis and the Germanbishops summoned Methodius to a synod atRatisbon. Here he was deposed and condemned to prison. After three years he was liberated at the command ofPope John VIII and reinstated asArchbishop ofMoravia. He zealously endeavoured to spread the Faith among theBohemians, and also among the Poles in NorthernMoravia. Soon, however, he was summoned toRome again in consequence of the allegations of the Germanpriest Wiching, who impugned hisorthodoxy, and objected to the use ofSlavonic in the liturgy. ButJohn VIII, after an inquiry, sanctioned theSlavonic Liturgy, decreeing, however, that in theMass theGospel should be read first inLatin and then inSlavonic. Wiching, in the meantime, had beennominated one of the suffraganbishops of Methodius. He continued to oppose hismetropolitan, going so far as to produce spuriouspapal letters. Thepope, however, assured Methodius that they werefalse. Methodius went to Constantinople about this time, and with the assistance of severalpriests, he completed the translation of theHoly Scriptures, with the exception of theBooks of Machabees. He translated also the"Nomocanon", i.e. the Greek ecclesiastico-civil law. The enemies of Methodius did not cease to antagonize him. His health was worn out from the long struggle, and he died 6 April, 885, recommending as hissuccessor Gorazd, aMoravianSlav who had been his disciple.

Formerly thefeast of Saints Cyril and Methodius was celebrated inBohemia andMoravia on 9 March; butPius IX changed the date to 5 July.Leo XIII, by hisEncyclical "Grande Munus" of 30 September, 1880, extended thefeast to the universalChurch. [Note: Thefeast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius is currently celebrated on February 14 in theLatin Church.]

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