Násilná likvidácia Gréckokatolíckej cirkvi a tzv. „Prešovský sobor“ 28. 04. 1950

Submitted study concerns the course of liquidation of Greek Catholic Church  in Czechoslovakia in 2nd part of 40-ties of 20th century which resulted in so called „Prešov sobor“ on 28th April 1950. The process of liquidation of Greek Catholic Church deffinitely started above all after so called“Victorious February 1948“, when the Communist party came into absolute power. In power-political circles was action of liquidation of Greek Catholic Church being prepared in the frame of total liquidation of church. Not to show this atheist liquidational intention as apparent, this attack should have been carried in the form of ripping off the Greek Catholic Church from the Catholic Church and subsequently associate it with the Orthodox Church (action O = orthodoxiation). At the same time all action was being prepared by the party-state apparatus of the Communist Czechoslovakia in cooperation with hierarchy of Russian Orthodox Church. Greek Catholics were outlawed by this decision and it was despite the fact that there did not exist any law measure about dessolution of Greek Catholic Church. Totalitarian regime totally liquidated over 300,000 believers, 2 bishops and 241 perishes by this action. After all these events the Greek catholic Church had neccessarily change the form of its existence after the year 1950 from the form of church recognized by the state it became catacombal church, meaning outwardly silent church, which was also called underground church by the governmental regime.