THE LIFE AND ACTIVITY OF BISHOP SOFRON MUDRYI (1923-2014): A REVIEW OF HISTORIOGRAPHY

Abstract

The aim of the work. Analysis of historical and historiographical sources to clarify the state of scientific development of the problem of the life and work of Bishop Sophron the Wise (1923–2014), a Basilian monk, rector of the Ukrainian Pontifical College of St. Josaphat, employee of the Ukrainian section of Vatican Radio, rector of the Ivano-Frankivsk theological and catechetical spiritual institute (hence the theological academy), bishop of the Ivano-Frankivsk Diocese of the UGCC. The results. The article examines the process of creation and development of historiographical sources about the life and activities of the UGCC bishop Sofron the Wise, outlines the main achievements of historians and promising directions for further research. Conclusions: The authors justify the opinion that the study of the problems of the national and religious identity of Ukrainians requires turning to the biographies of famous figures of the Church. The historiographical analysis of the problem was carried out using two approaches: «consecutively chronological» (three conditional periods are distinguished: 1923–1994, 1994–2014 and after 2014) and «cone principle» (with division into three groups of historiographical sources). As a result, it was established that the life and activity of Bishop Sofron the Wise in historiography is gradually becoming the subject of attention of researchers, primarily historians, religious scholars and theologians. The main emphasis in the writings of modern researchers is on the activities of Bishop Sofron the Wise as rector of the institution of higher theological education and ordinary bishop of the UGCC in Ivano-Frankivsk. However, many more pages of his biography await future researchers.