Luka Lev Kiszka ( be, Леў Кішка, uk, Лев Кишка, pl, Leon Kiszka) (1663—1728) was the " Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia" of the

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , native_name_lang = uk , caption_background = , image = StGeorgeCathedral Lviv.JPG , imagewidth = , type = Particular church (sui iuris) , alt = , caption = St. George's C ...

from 1714 to his death in 1728. He was also a writer, and

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

Life

Luka Lev Kiszka was born in

Kovel Kovel (, ; pl, Kowel; yi, קאוולע / קאוולי ) is a city in Volyn Oblast (province), in northwestern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kovel Raion (district). Population: Kovel gives its name to one of the oldest runi ...

, in

Volhynia Volhynia (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. Th ...

, from a

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Great B ...

family in the year 1663. Still young he joined the

Order of Saint Basil the Great The Order of Saint Basil the Great ( uk, Чин Святого Василія Великого, translit=Chyn Sviatoho Vasyliia Velykoho; la, Ordo Sancti Basilii Magni, abbreviated OSBM), also known as the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat, is ...

and he studied in Byten (

Ivatsevichy Raion Ivatsevichy (Ivacevičy) District is an administrative subdivision, a raion A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a ...

). On 6 December 1687, already ordained a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

, he entered in the

Pontifical Urbaniana University The Pontifical Urban University, also called the ''Urbaniana'' after its names in both Latin and Italian,; it, Pontificia Università Urbaniana. is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of People ...

, in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, where he studied till 1691. Returned in his country, he served as

hieromonk A hieromonk ( el, Ἱερομόναχος, Ieromonachos; ka, მღვდელმონაზონი, tr; Slavonic: ''Ieromonakh'', ro, Ieromonah), also called a priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church and E ...

in various Basilian

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

. In 1697 he became

Hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen ( el, ἡγούμενος, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called a hegumenia ...

of the monastery of the Holy Trinity in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

and in 1699 he was appointed

Archimandrite The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") who ...

of the monastery of

Polotsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Distr ...

. In 1698 he was elected secretary of the Basilian Order, of which he became Proto-Archimandrite (i.e.

Superior general A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of a religious institute in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The superior general usually holds supreme executive authority in the religious community, while t ...

of the whole Order) in September 1703 for his first four-years term. Kiszka ruled the Basilian Order in a very difficult period, during the

Great Northern War The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...

(1700-1721), and under the persecutions of

Peter I of Russia Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...

against the

Greek Catholic Church The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...

, as the murder of

Basilian monks Basilian monks are Roman Catholic monks who follow the rule of Basil the Great, bishop of Caesarea (330–379). The term 'Basilian' is typically used only in the Catholic Church to distinguish Greek Catholic monks from other forms of monastic li ...

on 11 July 1705 by the Tsar's own hand at

.See Mord bazylianów w Połocku and He settled a

typography Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line-spacing ( leading), and ...

and worked at printing religious and liturgical books. Kiszka was re-elected Proto-Archimandrite of the Order and in 1611 he was appointed bishop of the eparchy of

Volodymyr Volodymyr ( uk, Володи́мир, Volodýmyr, , orv, Володимѣръ) is a Ukrainian given name of Old East Slavic origin. The related Ancient Slavic, such as Czech, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, etc. form of the name is Володимѣръ ...

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress *Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria *Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France **Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Brest, ...

. Accordingly, he was consecrated bishop 15 March 1711 by the hands of Metropolitan

Yurij Vynnyckyj Gabriel Yurij Vynnyckyj ( uk, Юрій Винницький, be, Юры Віньніцкі, pl, Jerzy Winnicki) (1660—1713) was the Administrator of Kiev–Galicia from 1708 and the "Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia (Ruthenian Uni ...

Sambir Sambir ( uk, Самбір, pl, Sambor, yi, סאמבאָר, Sambor) is a city in Sambir Raion, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Sambir Raion (district) and is located close to the border with Poland. Sambir hosts t ...

. At the death of Metropolitan Vynnyckyj in September 1713, Kiszka became administrator of the Church, and on 17 September 1714 he was formally confirmed Metropolitan of Kiev by

Pope Clement XI Pope Clement XI ( la, Clemens XI; it, Clemente XI; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721. Clement XI w ...

. Kiszka died in the village of Kupieczow, near

, where he was buried, on 19 November 1728.

Synod of Zamość

Kiszka's more important result as Metropolitan of Kiev was the

Synod of Zamość The Synod of Zamość was a Ruthenian Uniate Church, Ruthenian Uniate synod held in 1720 in Zamość. It is considered a crucial event that stabilised the Uniate liturgy and organisation after this Sui iuris, Church had managed to gain the upper ha ...

, opened on 26 August 1720, in which were codified the canons of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The synod issued nineteen chapters, concerning the faith (1), the predication (2), the

sacraments A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the real ...

(3), the

diocesan In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

organization (4 to 10), the

(11, 12), the ecclesiastic estates (13, 14), the

liturgical year The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and whi ...

and the

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

s (16, 17), and the promulgations of the canons (18, 19). The acts of the synod were approved by

on 5 December 1722.For details on the synod, see

Works

Kiszka was a prolific writer. Among his works we remember: * ''About the Sacraments'', in

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

, 1697 * ''The see of grace, or of the miracles of the Virgin Mary'', in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

, 1714 * ''Sermons of Metropolitan

Ipatii Potii Hypatius Pociej ( be, Іпацій Пацей), pl, Hipacy Pociej, uk, Іпатій Потій) (12 April 1541 – 18 July 1613) was the Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus', Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia in the Ruthenian Uniate ...

'', 1714 * ''Instruction for parish priests and catechism for people'', 1722 * ''Manuscript with various historical notes'', which includes an Ecclesiastic History of the South of Russia from the original documents, lives of notable Basilian monks, a political history of Europe.

Consecrations

* Hennadiy Bizantsiy (

Greek Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo The Greek Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo is an eparchy (diocese) associated with the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church under an unidentified status and territory located in the west of Ukraine, roughly equivalent with Zakarpatska Oblast. The epar ...

)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiszka, Lev 1663 births 1728 deaths Eastern Catholics from the Russian Empire People from Kovel People from Volhynian Voivodeship Ruthenian nobility of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Order of Saint Basil the Great Metropolitans of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia (Holy See) Ukrainian male writers Bishops of Przemyśl Leaders of the Ruthenian Uniate Church