Cyril
and Methodius were born in Thessalonika, Greece. The area was inhabited
by many Slavic people, and the brothers learned their language. They
eventually became priests and were sent to Moravia, a Slav-speaking
nation, to preach to people in their own language upon the request of
Prince Rostislav.
In 863, the brothers were part of a small group
of missionaries sent to Moravia. The group was led by Cyril, and they
took with them an invaluable tool: the holy Mass translated into Slavic
for the first time. The German-influenced clergy did not accept the
missionaries, distrusting the translated liturgy. Catholicism blossomed
in the foreign land, and the missionaries soon found themselves in need
of more priests. However, without the support of the local clergy, they
had no bishop to ordain new priests. They traveled to Rome to appeal to
Pope Adrian II, who officially approved the translated liturgy and
ordained them both bishops.
While still in Rome, Cyril died on
February 14, 869, passing leadership onto his brother. Methodius
returned to Moravia, bearing with him a letter of approval from the
Pope. However, since his departure, Rostislav had been driven out by his
nephew, Svatopluk, who had become an ally of Carloman of Bavaria. The
new prince stood against the missionaries. Methodius was imprisoned for
two years before the Pope, now John VIII, could procure his release.
Pope
John banned the use of the Slavonic language in the liturgy, yet
Methodius continued with his mission. His enemies also accused Methodius
of heresy. Later, before the Pope, the holy bishop was able to convince
him both of his orthodoxy and of the need for the use of Slavonic in
the liturgy, which John VIII reinstated with some reservations.
St.
Methodius spent the last four years of his life completing the Slavonic
translation of the Bible, which suggests that he was prevented from
fully exercising his missionary work by the continuous Germanic
opposition. Methodius died on April 6, 884, his body exhausted from his
apostolic efforts.
Photo by: Frettie
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