Proselytism of the Catholic Clergy in the Western Russian Dioceses of the Russian Empire (on the Example of the Activities of Father Andrei Verzhbitsky)

The Western Russian region of the Russian Empire has been, for most of its history, the epicenter of confessional confrontation between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. This was due to the political confrontation between the Moscow and Polish states, exacerbated by conflicts based on national identity. The Manifesto “On the Strengthening of the Principles of Religious Tolerance” of April 17, 1905, in the Western Russian region of the Russian Empire, provoked a resurgence of confessional and national confrontations. This article attempts to shed light on the proselytizing activities of the Catholic clergy using the example of Father Andrei Verzhbitsky.