ST. JEROME IN THE HERITAGE AND TRADITION OF THE OLD CHURCH SLAVONIC LITURGY

The figure of St. Jerome had left traces in the history of Old Church Slavonic Liturgy and places where the Roman Rite in the Old Church Slavonic Language was celebrated. From 13th century St. Jerome became the Patron saint of Croatian Glagolitism due to the developed cult of his sainthood. During the Pontificate of Pope Innocent IV, Glagolitism was enculturated into the Catholic Church in such a manner that it was placed under the patronage of Saint Jerome. This refers to a spiritual culture from Croatian territory, whereby the Roman Rite could be performed in the Church Slavonic language with exclusive use of the Glagolitic script. Through this act, Saint Jerome became the author of the Glagolitic script and protector of the Roman Rite in Church Slavonic. Earliest records of reverence of Saint Jerome have been found on Glagolitic territory, dated to the period even before Glagolitism was enculturated into the Roman Catholic world, in continental Istria in particular, which was considered Saint Jerome’s homeland. The worship of Saint Jerome enhanced in the Humanism and Renaissance period, when the Croats started regarding Saint Jerome as their national saint, reflected in Croatia by numerous monasteries, churches, chapels and altars erected in his honour. The worship of Saint Jerome is also evident in numerous Croatian Glagolitic missals and breviaries containing liturgical services honouring Saint Jerome. This paper explores the extent to which Saint Jerome was worshipped in the heritage and tradition of Glagolitic liturgical manuscripts, which are typologically classified as liturgy books »according to the use of the Roman Curia«.