(Saint Hieronymus – Circumstances of the Origin of the Legend About the Authorship of the Glagolitic Alphabet)

Abstract: After the expulsion of the disciples of Sts. Cyril and Methodius from the territory of Great Moravia, the Slavonic liturgy also reached the area of the Western Balkans. This area is considered the birthplace of the Church teacher and saint, St. Hieronymus. Over the centuries, a thesis has emerged according to which St. Hieronymus was considered the author of the Slavonic script known as Glagolitic in the Middle Ages, due to the ecclesiastical-political situation and the efforts of the local clergy to preserve the Slavonic liturgy. After several local synods or decisions of popes that were not favorable to the Slavonic liturgy, it was finally approved by Pope Innocent IV in the thirteenth century. This opened the way for the further development of the Slavonic liturgy in the Balkans, specifically in Dalmatia. Although the Slavonic liturgy in this area has survived to the present day, the idea of the authorship of Glagolitic by St. Hieronymus was criticized and refuted in the nineteenth century, but the circumstances of its origin clearly show the seriousness of the situation in which this thesis was born.

Authors: Ďatelinka, Anton – Judák, Viliam

DOI: 10.17846/CL.2023.16.1.34-46

Publication order reference: ThDr. Anton Ďatelinka, PhD.; Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology of Cyril and Methodius, Kapitulská 26, 814 58 Bratislava, Slovakia; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7264-4954,  SCOPUS Author ID: 57436998100

prof. ThDr. Viliam Judák, PhD.; Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology of Cyril and Methodius, Kapitulská 26, 814 58 Bratislava, Slovakia; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4415-4776, SCOPUS Author ID: 57352912000

Source: Konštatínove listy, 2023, vol.: 16, issue: 1, pages: 34-46 (PDF file)

Keywords: STS CYRIL AND METHODIUS, ST JEROME, GLAGOLITIC SCRIPT, DALMATIA, SLAVONIC LITURGY

Language: SLOVAK

Recommended Citation:
Ďatelinka, Anton – Judák, Viliam. 2023. Svätý Hieronym – okolnosti vzniku legendy o autorstve hlaholiky [Saint Hieronymus – Circumstances of the Origin of the Legend About the Authorship of the Glagolitic Alphabet]. In Konštantínove listy [Constantine’s Letters] 16/1, 34-46.