Etniczno-kulturowe styczności polskich i litewskich zwyczajów obrzędowych w pobożności do św. Kazimierza

Abstract

Traditional folk devotional practices in nowadays Lithuania are found in the Church calendar, among the prayers, hymns and songs of national feasts, memorable days or additional devotions (Hours of Our Lady, the Rosary of Our Lady and of Jesus' Name, performed orally or by singing, Samogitian Calvaries, Stations of the Cross, Lamentations on the Passions of Christ and Mourning Psalms in commemoration of the dead. Among them, there are special feasts of different Lithuanian saints and the blessed. In the course of centuries, Lithuania had a lot of prominent people, wise rulers, brave men or sages. Among them there are blessed archbishop George Matulaitis and Michael Giedraitis who are on the way to beatification, but so far not proclaimed as saints. The only Lithuanian saint is St. Casimir. There are quite a lot scientific theological, historical, art. research (iconographic) materials about the cult of St. Casimir either in Lithuania, or all over the world, but practically there no materials about the folk devotions and rituals, concerning St. Casimir. Historical sources claim the cult of St.Casimir to be of local origin, i.e., worshiped only in separate regions, having either historical or neighbouring contacts with Poland. Historical facts confirm that: Pope Clement VIII by his breve (1602 XI 07) raised the feast of St. Casimir in Lithuania and Poland to a higher liturgical degree (sub ritu dublici), in other words, proclaimed his cult as local, i.e., for Lithuania and Poland. His successor, Pope Paul V, made it universal and included St. Casimir's prayers into the Missal and breviary. In 1636 Pope Urban VIII proclaimed St. Casimir the patron of Lithuania, and allowed his feast to be celebrated with solemn liturgy. That is why he bears the name Magnus Ducatus Lituanus. As there are close Catholic contacts between Poland and Lithuania, the aim of the research is to reveal ethno-cultural contacts of St. Casimir's devotional practices in Poland and Lithuania.