Slavic-language publications by the Propaganda Fide in Rome during the 17th and 18th centuries

Abstract

The present contribution aims to offer a comprehensive account of the publications in Slavic languages by the Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide in Rome during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The books were printed in both the Glagolitic, Cyrillic, and Latin alphabets, and texts include Catholic liturgical books such as, for example, breviaries and missals, alphabet books, and works
by important theologians: Robert Bellarmine, Juan de Polanco, Juan de Jesús María, and others. The Propaganda Fide also published a few multilingual titles for special occasions such as the visit of the Swedish king Gustav III to Rome or the burial of Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska, with texts in Slavic and many other languages. The publishing activities of the Propaganda Fide in Slavic languages played an important role for the development of particularly the South Slavic written languages, and the publications constitute a significant part of the European cultural heritage.