JУZEF BILCZEWSKI — ARCHAEOLOGIST, RECTOR OF LVIV UNIVERSITY, SAINT

Abstract

The scientific achievements of the outstanding cultural person, Lviv Roman Catholic Archbishop in 1900—1923, Professor and Rector of Lviv University, and saint of the Roman Catholic Church Jуzef Bilczewski are described in the paper. The author focuses on the scholar’s contribution to the development of antique archaeology, popularization of the latest discoveries in the Roman catacombs in publications and pastor serve, and the spread of new methods, including photography, in the research and teaching. The author analyses the heritage of Jуzef Bilczewski and its significance for the history of archaeological science and popularization of antique archaeology among the Galicia people. All publications of Jуzef Bilchevski show that their author used the information from the latest German and French publications, both Catholic and Protestant ones. Jуzef Bilchevski was well aware of sources, both written and archaeological, epigraphic and pictorial. This is impressive because he wrote in a country where at that time there was neither Christian archaeology, nor an advanced school of research as well as access to museum collections. The important scholar’s contribution was also the compilation of the first textbook on Christian archaeology — «Christian archaeology in the context of church history and dogma» (Archeologia chrześcijańska wobec historyi Kościoła i dogmatu) although from the point of view of modern pedagogy it is difficult to call a textbook. The work containing the study of the Holy Eucharist should be considered the result of his archaeological and theological research. Jуzef Bilchewski was the first who collected all evidence about the celebration of the Eucharist, starting with Jewish ones, then the evidence of iconography and epigraphy, and finally discussed Eucharistic practices in the light of archaeological sources. The archbishop’s activities are a good example of innovation in science - we mean the use of photography, the formation of a diverse critical analysis of disparate sources, the branching of Christian archaeology and art history, and delivering reports at various congresses even after being elected archbishop.