JOSEPHINISTIC SPIRIT AND CATECHISMS FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY IN DALMATIA

Drugu polovinu 18. stoljeća i prvu polovinu 19. stoljeća obilježava jozefi nističko-prosvjetiteljski duh, koji Crkvu podređuje državi, a svećenicima nameće ulogu lojalnih državnih službenika, čiji je zadatak vjernike poučavati temeljnim moralnim vrednotama u svrhu očuvanja stabilnoga društvenog i političkog poretka. Istodobno, Crkva prolazi kroz drugo razdoblje katoličke obnove, koje rezultira ne samo obnovljenim vjerskih zanosom već i većim brojem publikacija vjerskog i duhovnog sadržaja, osobito molitvenika, katekizama i pastoralnih pisama. Ove će publikacije iskoristiti i država za promicanje vlastitih ciljeva. Ovaj se rad ograničava na razdoblje prve polovine 19. stoljeća (1815.-1850.). Tada se jozefi nizam već nalazi na svom zalasku, no, unatoč tome, njegov se trag posvuda osjeća. Rad ukazuje na način na koji su publikacije duhovne provenijencije bile korištene u svrhu promidžbe vjerskog i političkog poretka u doba restauracije.Second half of the eighteenth century and the fi rst half of the nineteenth century are marked by the spirit of Josephinism and Enlightenment that subordinated Church to state. By the same token, in this period clerics practically became state offi cials whose major task was to tutor worshippers the basic morale principles. Thus, Josephinistic reforms, which had to assure stable social and political order, transformed Church into ethical and educational institution, while Church’s chief mission of preaching the Gospel was put aside. Therefore, under the pressure of dynasty Church became its supporter, whose task became to ensure obedient subordinates through spiritual care. This spirit of Josephinisam came to Dalmatia after this province became part of the Austrian Empire (1815). This was mostly upheld through usage of catechisms as one of the most important factors regarding the preservation of the offi cial religious and political order during the restoration. Namely, secular authorities maintained that catechisms are proclaiming the true, which was also offi cial stand point of the Church. Moreover, they supported education which advertised acceptance of knowledge without asking any additional (unwanted) questions. Structure of catechisms, containing questions and (all) the answers, supported this kind of educations. One has to state that in that time catechism were mostly the only books that ordinary people came across at all during their lives. At the same time, one has to bear in mind that this period is time of the second Catholic restoration that resulted, not only with renewed religious enthusiasm but also with enlarged number of newly printed religious literature (gospels, breviaries, catechism and pastoral letters). These publications undoubtedly supported some of the political goals of the Austrian Empire. The analysis of the catechisms, which were printed in Dalmatia during the fi rst half of the nineteenth century (1815-1850), proved that the state tried to justify restoration of ancient regime through the image of divine authority of the »Father« and social hierarchy. For example, these catechisms often contain chapters about obligations of each subordinate towards the emperor, teaching at the same time that all the citizens have to be loyal Christians, useful to the state. Since Church depended on state authorities, catechisms in this period changed their usual content and methodology. Thus, catechistic literature of this period became basic promoter of the stability, order and peace within the borders of the Empire