“No Such Thing as Greek Catholic Slovaks:” The GCU's Polemic

In my post "The Question of Slovaks and Magyars/Hungarians in the Story of Rusyn Pennsylvania" I included a passage from the 1902 almanac of the Greek Catholic Union of Russian Brotherhoods (today known simply as GCU). This passage, in the Eastern Slovak dialect of the "Slavonian" version of the almanac, presents arguments of history, and basic logic, against the existence in the then-Hungarian Kingdom (Austria-Hungary) of so-called "Greek Catholic Slovaks." For further interest, here is the entire portion of the article that deals with this topic, in the original language and in English translation. (Note: where the original text used an adjectival form of Rusyn with two s's, e.g., russky, one could translate it as Russian, Rusyn, or perhaps Ruthenian. However, since the forms rusky and rus'kyj -- the latter of which should only be translated as Rusyn or Ruthenian -- were not used at the time by the Greek Catholic Union, nor by most other Rusyn organizations in the U.S., and the text speaks about Rusini (Rusyns) and not Rossijane/Russkie (Russians) we have translated russky here as Rusyn. Furthermore, in this text itself, the author translated "lingua ruthenica" as jazyk russky. Also, the term slovacky applied to language here is translated as Slovak, while slovensky is rendered as Slavonic.)

Uhorskí Rusini odže buli všitki jednej viery i všitki hutoriľi jedným jazykom russkym, no co do viery i jazyka, to ñe aby buľi množiľi še, no nasledkom cudzoho, veľo raz aj nasilnoho vlivu, už od 14. stoletia začali še meñšic. Treba znac, že v 14. i 15. stoletiu rimokatolicke duchovenstvo bulo veľmi vlivne, ba aj v političných i vladnych dielach, i že ono tento svoj veľký vliv upotrebilo aj ku nasilnomu rozšíreniu medzi inovercami viery rimo-katolickej, i k tomu ku veľkej pomoci buľi mu zoz častky vláda, zoz častky že i veľmoži (zemni panove), kteri buli rimokatoliki. I hľa tento nasilný vliv rimo-katolickoho duchovenstva spovodovalo to, že osobitno v stolicach: Ungvarskej, Zemplinskej, Abaujskej, Šarišskej, Spišskej, Gemerskej i Boršodskej, veľo Rusinov buli prinucení priñac latinsky obrjad a s tym ztracili aj svoju narodnosc, bo od tych časov už ñerachovaľi ich Rusinami, aľe Slovakami. Latinizácia medzi uhorskými Rusinami napevno bula by calkom zvitažila, ked ñe javí še protestantism. Jak je to znamo, to majže cala uhorska Rusj, odže stolici: Marmaroš, Ugoča, Bereg, Ung, Zemplin, Abauj, Šariš, Satmár, Sabolč i Bihar, po nesčastnej bitky pri Mohaču v 1526 roku až do tak zvanoho Rakóciovoho upadku, ktere nastupilo 1711 roku, nachodzili še pod panovaniem Sedmohradských-Erdelyskych vojevodov, kterí buli protestantmi, i tak rimokatolicke duchovenstvo ñeredzilo v tych to stolicach takými vlivnými právami, jak redzili v druhých stranách v Uhorsku, kterí nachadzali še pod panovaniem čisarov i kraľov Haubsburgov, který buli tvardými ochrancami rimokatolicismu. Odže dzekujúc panovaniu nad uhorskou Rusjou protestantov, latinske duchovenstvo prinuceno bulo zastanovic svoju propagandu v cieľu prevedzenia Rusinov na latinstvo.

Odže nasledkom cudzoho nasilnoho vlivu behom časov veľo Rusinov prišlo, abo o svoju vieru i o svoju narodnosc, abo ľem o svoju narodnosc, i stali še zoz častky rimo-katolikami i Slovakami, abo stali še Maďarami, no jednak jako Madjari zachranili vieru i obrjad, jak na priklad v stolicach: Boršod, Sabolč, Satmar, Bihar, Hajdu itď.

Poñeže v behu časov Rusini prišli bližajše do potyku s inými národnoscami, jak Slovakami a Maďarami, to nasledkom toho aj ich jazyk podpadol veľkým premenam. Tak na priklad na týchto stranach, dze hraničilí še s Maďarami, to veľo maďarských slov prijali v svoj jazyk, no pri tom jednak dosc zachrañila še čistota originalnoho russkoho jazyka, bo jazyk maďarský, buduc dľa Rusina calkom cudzí, jazyka russky ñemohol calkom zopsuc. No inač bulo to na tych stranach, dze Rusini hraničili še, abo mešano žili so Slovakami, kterých jazyk, budúc jazykom slavianskym odže russkomu jazyku rodinným, veľmi škodlivo poučinkoval na čistotu russkoho jazyka a to nateľo, že u Rusinov v južných štranách stoľic: Ung, Zemplin, Abauj i Šariš, jazyk russky premenil še jak by v nové náriečie, no jednak v nariečie russké, ktere potom poučinkovalo aj na ich sušedov Slovákov, presťahovavších še v russke stolici zoz zapadných stolíc: Liptov, Trenčín itď. bo aj týto utracili svoj originalny slovensky jazyk i načali hutoric týmto novým nariečiem russkym, ktere nasledkom toho pravom mož nazvac nariečiem russko-slovenskym. Že jazyk, který narod hutorí z vekšej častky v stolicach: Ung, Zemplin, Abauj i Šarišu je novým nariečiem russko-slovenským, dokazuje še už aj z toho, že národ rimo-katolicky, choc hutorí nariečiem russko slovenskym, jednak modlitby i kostelne svojo piesne má na originalnom slovackom jazyku, to je na tom jazyku, jak hutorili ich predkovia, prestahovavší še medzi Rusinov, kteri v behu časov v každodennom upotrebeniu calkom ztraciľi, podpadši vlivu v tych stranach silñejšoho jazyka Rusinov, utvorivše vjedno s tymi nove nariečie russke, a svoj jazyk potrimaľi ľem v kostelu. No o tom, že jazyk, ktery hutorí vekša čast Rusinov v vyšše spomenutých stolicach, odže po russko-slovensky, je jazykom russkym a ñe šlovackym, javno svedča „Šematismy” obidvoch gr. kat. russkych eparchij, Munkačovskej i Prešovskej, v ktorych „Šematismach”, jazyk ten menuje še: „lingua ruthenica”, — jazyk russky, abo „lingua slavo-ruthenica”, odže russke, narečia russko-slovenskoho. No eklatantno svedčí o tom aj sam ten jazyk, ktery ľem ked malo očiscime od cudzich form, to predstaví še nam čistý russky jazyk, nariečia malorusskoho.

Nasledovno je dielom nevyvratitelným, že v stolicach: Ung, Zemplin, Abauj i Šariš zoz častky že aj v Spišu, narod slaviansky, či menuju ho Rusinom, abo Slovakom, abo Sloviakom, hutora zoz častky jazykom russkym, zoz častky že russko-slovenskym, no jednak ľem zavše russkym a ñikda ñe slovackym.

Teraz eščig jedna otazka: Ci žiju na Uhorsku gr. kat. Slovaki?

Povyše okazaľi my, a to na historičných datach, že do 13. stoletia v pomenutých stolicach žili ľem samí Rusini i až potom začali nasledkom rozličných pričin presťahovavac še v tyto stolici Slovaki po viery rimo-katoliki, abo protestanti. Teraz treba znac, že Rusini, zavše buľi rozličnými sposobami uhñetovaní, ba ñeraz aj prenasledovaní, i oñi bidñaki tešili še už i tomu, keď sami mohli potrimac i zachrañič svoju vieru, a o tom ani dumac ñebulo možno, aby Rusini mohli provadzic propagandu medzi inými s nimi mešano žijúcimi narodnoscami, aby týto narodnosci prijaľi ich vieru; no protivno, zastupcovia týchto narodnoscov prinucovaľi Rusinov, aby vyrekľi še svojej viery i prijali ich vieru, jak to robilo latinske duchovenstvo, kteremu na mnohych mestach to aj udalo še, bo veľo Rusinov prinuceno bulo prijac rimo-katoľicku vieru s obriadom latinskym. I tak ñe aby Slovaki prijali buli vieru greko katoličku, no protivno, Rusini buľi prinucení prijac vieru rimo katolicku. Nasledovno Slovaki na Uhorsku od 13 stoletia až do teraz, ñikda neprijaľi vieru gr. katolicku, i tak na Uhorsku ñikda ñebulo i ñe je Slovakov greko-katolíkov, i tak všitki v týchto stolicach žijúci gr. katoliki sú korenní Rusini a ñigda ñe Slovaki.

Keď je tomu tak, ta či mož hutoric to, že v Ameriky je Slovákov gr. katolíkov?

Ñe, určiteľno ñe! Bo týto gr. katoliki pochadzajú z Uhorska, zoz stolic: Ung, Zemplin, Abauj, Šariš i Spiš, v kterých gr. katoliki sú korenní Rusini a ñe Slovaki; nasledovno Slovakov gr. katolikov ñemože buc añi v Amerike. Keď že jednak nektorí tak menuju še, ta to je resultatom — výsledkom špekulacii cudzích faktorov, kteri s naším narodom gr. Katolickym russkim chceľi by povekšic svojo riady i napoľñic svojo kešeñe......

V Uhorsku ñit Slovakov gr. katolíkov, nasledovno nemože buc ich aj v Amerike, chyba tak keď Slovaki prejdu na gr. katolicku vieru.

Ultimo analysi, to je po krajñomu rozberatelstvu skorej i pravom mož by zkazac, že v Uhorsku a tak i v Ameriky je Rusinov rimo-katolikov, bo zoz Rusinov veľo ich stali še rimo katolikami, jak to že v Uhorsku tak aj v Amerike je Slovakov gr. katolikov, bo zo Slovakov ñikda nestali še gr. katoľiki.

Odporučame tyto riadky do zakladnoho rozsudzenia týmto cudzím faktoram tu v Amerike, kterí náš národ gr. katolicki russky, pochadzajúci zoz stolicoch: Zemplin, Abauj, Šariš, Spiš, tak rado menujú ,,gr. katolickymi Slovakami”, no odporučame aj tym naším, kteri pošedľi týmto cudzím faktoram i navzdor všitkej historičnej pravdy, ku veľkomu škandalu (ad absurdum) menuju sebe gr. katolickimi Slovakami, jakých na švece ñikda ñe bulo i ñe je!

 And now in English translation:

The Hungarian Rusyns were of one religion and they all spoke one language… Rusyn. Regarding their religion and their language, they were unable to increase their numbers, because of foreign, and frequent forced domination, beginning in the 14th century their ranks began to diminish. We should be aware that in the 14th and 15th centuries the Roman Catholic clergy were very dictatorial and influential, not only in political and governmental affairs, but they used this powerful influence for the enforced propagation of the Roman Catholic religion on people of other religious beliefs. They were also strongly supported by the government and by the landowners who were Roman Catholic.

This brutal effect, by the Roman clergy, coerced many Rusyns to adopt the Latin religion, especially in the counties of Už/Ung, Zemplyn/Zemplén, Abov/Abaúj, Šaryš/Sáros, Spiš/Szepes, Gemer/Gömör, and Borsod, and in doing so, they lost their own nationality, for from that time they were not counted or identified as Rusyns, but Slovaks. Latinization would have completely triumphed over the Hungarian Rusyns if it were not for the arrival of Protestantism. It is well documented that almost all of Uhro-Rus’, especially the counties of Maramoroš/Máramaros, Ugoča/Ugocsa, Bereg, Už, Zemplyn, Abov, Šaryš, Szatmár, Szabolcs, Bihar, following the disastrous and bloody Battle of Mohács in 1526 and up to the so-called decline of the Rákóczi era beginning in 1711, found themselves under the rule of Transylvanian lords, who were Protestants, and so the Roman clergy had little bearing on the laws in those counties. They were not as powerful there as they were in other parts of Hungary, which were under the administration of the Habsburg rulers and kings, who were strong followers of Roman Catholicism.

Gratitude is due to the Protestant rulers of Uhro-Rus’ who forced the Latin clergy to terminate their deliberate indoctrination of trying to convert Rusyns to Latin Christianity.

Following that forced alien indoctrination, many Rusyns, for either personal religious or nationality reasons, became Roman Catholics and thereby Slovaks, and some became Hungarians. Nevertheless, even as Hungarians they preserved their religion and rite, as for example in the counties of Borsod, Szabolcs, Szatmár, Bihar, Hajdú, and others.

With the passing of time the Rusyns were coming into contact with other nationalities, such as Slovaks and Hungarians, so it followed that their language became subject to great changes. For example, in those areas where they neighbored Hungarians, they acquired many Hungarian words into their language. Nevertheless, somehow they preserved the purity of the original Rusyn tongue, because the Hungarian language was an entirely alien language, it could not entirely destroy the Rusyn language. However, it was different in those areas where the Rusyns were in contact with Slovaks, whose language was also a Slavic language, and related to the Russian language, it was very damaging to the purity of the Rusyn tongue to such an extent that the Rusyns in the southern parts of the counties of Už, Zemplyn, Abov, and Šaryš experienced such changes as to a new dialect. The Rusyn dialect also had an effect on its neighbors who migrating into the Rusyn counties from the western counties of Liptov, Trenčín, and others. These too were losing their original Slavonic tongue and beginning to speak in the new Rusyn dialect, which now could truly be called Russo-Slavonic. Now the language spoken by the majority of the people in Už, Zemplyn, Abov, and Šaryš is the new Russo-Slavonic, but the Roman Catholics nevertheless preserve their original Slovak in their prayers and church hymns, just like their ancestors. However, in time, they lost out to the influence, in these areas, of the more dominant Rusyn language, and together they formed a new Rusyn dialect, but retained their own only in their churches. The language spoken by the majority of the Rusyns in the previously mentioned counties, although called Russo-Slavonic, is a Rusyn language and not Slovak. This is attested to in the schematisms of the two Greek Catholic eparchies, Mukačevo and Prešov, in which reference is made to lingua ruthenica, the Rusyn language, also lingua slavo-ruthenica – Slaveno-Rusyn, also Rusyn, a dialect of Russo-Slavonic. It can be proven that this language, with just a bit of purging of the foreign elements, would result in a pure Rusyn language, the Little Russian dialect.

It is irrefutable that in Už, Zemplyn, Abov, Šaryš, and a part of Spiš, the Slavs, whether they are called Rusyn, or Slovak, or Slovjak, speak some Rusyn and partly Russo-Slavonic, but still Rusyn and never in Slovak.

There still remains the question: “Are there Greek Catholic Slovaks living in Hungary?”

We have shown, with historical data, that up to the 13th century, the mentioned counties were inhabited only by Rusyns. Later, for various reasons, there was an inflow of Slovak Roman Catholics and/or Protestants into those counties. Now it must be understood that the Rusyns were always oppressed, even persecuted, by various means… yet the poor wretches were pleased that they were able to sustain and preserve their beliefs. They gave no thought to converting their neighbors into the Rusyn religion, while agents of these other religions were imposing their dogmas on the Rusyn, that he abandon his religion for theirs. This was being done by the Latin clergy, who were quite successful in many villages forcing many Rusyns to accept the Roman Catholic faith and the Latin Rite. There was no adoption of the Greek Catholic faith by Slovaks, but the reverse, that Rusyns were pressured to accept the Roman Catholic faith. Thus Slovaks in Hungary from the 13th century to the present never adopted the Greek Catholic faith, and so in Hungary there have never been and are not Greek Catholic Slovaks, and so all of the Greek Catholics living in these counties are originally Rusyns and not Slovaks.

If this is so, can we say that there are Slovak Greek Catholics in America?

No, absolutely not! For these Greek Catholics coming from Hungary, from the counties Už, Zemplyn, Abov, Šaryš, and Spiš, in which the Greek Catholics are originally Rusyns and not Slovaks, thus there cannot be Slovak Greek Catholics in America, either. If some still call themselves that, that is the result of the efforts of outside forces which want to increase their ranks at the expense of our Rusyn Greek Catholic people and line their own pockets.

In Hungary there are no Slovak Greek Catholics, thus there cannot be any in America, unless Slovaks convert to the Greek Catholic faith.

In the final analysis, after the details presented above we may more rightly say that in Hungary and in America there are Rusyn Roman Catholics, because many Rusyns became Roman Catholics, than that there are in Hungary as well in America Slovak Greek Catholics, since Slovaks have never become Greek Catholics.

We close this article with the basic judgment of these outside forces here in America, which our Greek Catholic Rusyn people coming from the counties of Zemplyn, Abov, Šaryš, and Spiš like to call themselves “Greek Catholic Slovaks” but we close also to these of ours who fell prey to these outside forces and notwithstanding all historical truth, to great scandal (ad absurdum) call themselves Greek Catholic Slovaks, which have never existed in the world and do not exist!

(From Amerikánsky Russko-Slovenský Kalendár na zvyčajný rok 1902 (100-103), published by the Greek Catholic Union. Translated by John E. Timo and Richard D. Custer.)

Original material is © by the author, Richard D. Custer; all rights reserved.