1. Roman Catholics. — Ihitil 1G42 no provision had been made for the few Roman Catholics living in the Russian dominions. In 1642 the Italian embassy to Moscow was attended bj' a Jesuit, who was followed bj' twenty Capuchin monks and a prefect. From 1705 to 1715 several other Jesuits were sent to Russia, and a college was established by them at Minsk. Pius VI sent a legate to St. Petersburg, and placed under his ju- risdiction the missions of that city, Moscow, Riga, and Reval. As the provinces which were incorporated with Russia at the first partition of Poland contained a con- siderable Catholic population, Catharine II concluded to erect a bishopric of the Latin rite for her Catholic subjects. This led to the establishment of the arch- bishopric of Mohilev, which was confirmed in 1783 by Pius VI. By the second and third partitions of Poland, a number of episcopal sees fell under Russian rule, all of which, except that of Livonia, were abolished by Catharine II, who, instead, erected two new ones. Paul I came to an understanding with the pope about a reor- ganization of the Catholic Church in the new Russian provinces, and accordingly, in 1797, the following dio- ceses were organized: Moliilev, archbishopric; and Sa- mogitia, Wilna, Luzk, Kaminiec, and Minsk, bishoprics. All these dioceses received a new circumscription by the concordat of Aug. 3, 1847. Bj' the same concordat a sixth episcopal see of Kherson, or Tiraspol, was erected for the Catholics in the southern provinces of European Russia and in the Caucasus. The archbishop of Mohi- lev is president of the Roman Catholic academy, a kind of central or general seminary for all the Catholic dio- ceses above referred to. The constitution of this acad- emy is almost the same as that of the four academies of the Orthodox Russian Church already referred to. The diocese of Mohilev embraces all those parts of Rus- sia proper (exclusive of the former kingdom of Poland) which do not belong to one of the six dioceses which have been mentioned, also the Catholics of Finland. Besides the archbishopric of Mohilev, Russia has in the former kingdom of Polanil the ecclesiastical province of Warsaw, embracing the archbishopric of Warsaw and the bishoprics of Cracow, Lublin, Yanov or Podlachia, Sendomir, Seyna or Augustovo, and Vladislav-Kalish or Kuyavia. This ecclesiastical organization of Poland dates from the papal bull of June 30, 1818, and was con- firmed by another concordat concluded in 1847. The Rus- sian government has pursued, with regard to the Cath- olic Church of Poland, the same policy as thatwith regard to the Russian State Church. The Church property was confiscated, and, in return, the clergy were paid and the buildings maintained by the government. The number of convents was greatly reduced, and the remaining ones placed under almost the same regulations as those of the Orthodox Russian Church. As the Russian government, in many cases, carried through new regulations in re- gard to the Roman Catholic Church without having come to a previous understanding with the pope, fre- quent conflicts between Russia and the pope have been the consequence. In 1878 the diplomatic relations be- tween Russia and Rome were still interrupted. The active part which a numl)er of the Catholic clergy in the Polish districts have always taken in the national movements of the Poles against the Russian rule has naturally added to the unfriendly feelings which have generally prevailed between Russia and the Roman Catholic Church. Notwithstanding these incessant con- flicts, the immense majority of the total population of the former kingdom of Poland has remained in connec- tion with the Roman Catholic Church. In 1878 the Roman Catholics there were reported as niunbering 4,597,000 in a total population of 5,210,000, while the Orthodiix Russian Church had oidy a population num- bering 34,185 souls.
Exclusive of the kingdom of Poland, Russia proper
in Europe had a Roman Catholic population of 2,898,000 souls; in Caucasia, 25,916; in Siberia, 24,316; in Cen- tral Asia, 1316. Only in two governments did they form a majority of the total population — in Kovno, where they constitute 79.5 per cent., and in Wilna, where they constitute 61 per cent.
Besides the Roman Catholic population of the Latin rite, the Polish provinces had formerly a large popula- tion belonging to the United Greek Church. Nearly the whole of this population has been induced by the Russian government, in the manner already referred to, to unite with the Russian Church, and to sever its con- nection with Rome. The Russian government in 1879 reported the Church as nearly extinct. The United Armenians are estimated at about 33,000. They have no bishops of their own, but are under the jurisdiction of the Catholic bishops of the Latin rite.
2. Protestants. — By far the most numerous among the Protestant sects represented in Russia are the Lu- therans, who, in the Baltic provinces, constitute a con- siderable majority of the entire population ; besides them, there are Reformed, Mennonites, Moravians, and Bap- tists.
(1.) The Lutherans. — Until Peter the Great, Russia had no Protestant congregation outside of Moscow. By the acquisition of the Baltic provinces and of Finland, a numerous Lutheran population was placed under Rus- sian rule. The Russian government did not interfere with their Church constitution. The affairs of the Lu- theran Church were superintended by the St. Peters- burg College of Justice, and the administration of the several sections was carried on bj' consistories. In 1810 the Lutheran, with all other non-Russian churches, was placed under the Ministrj- of Ecclesiastical Alfairs; in 1832, under the Ministry of the Interior. In 1829 a committee was appointed in St. Petersburg to draft a new Church constitution, with the greatest possible re- gard for the existing institutions of the Church. As a fruit of the activit}' of this committee, a law was pub- lished in 1832 for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Russia, an instruction of the clergy and Church boards, and an agenda for the congregations. All these laws, however, w^ere only intended for Russia proper, not for the grand-duchy of Finland. The clergy and the teach- ers of theology and religion have to bind themselves by an oath to adhere to the symbolical books. The mem- bers of the Church are required to go at least once a year to the Lord's supper. Marriages with pagans are forbidden, but with Jews and Mohammedans permitted. Candidates for the ministry have to pass two examina- tions— one before the theological faculty at Dorpat, and the other before the consistory — ere they are allowed to preach. A third examination has to be passed before they can be appointed. The appointment is at first for only one, two, or three years; after the expiration of which a new colloquium is required. A number of parishes are imited into a district, at the head of which is a pi-ubxt (provost). There is no difference of degree between the titles of superintendent and superintendent- general, but the name of superintendency- general is given to the larger consistorial districts. The title of bishop, which was introduced in 1819, is only honorary, and does not denote a distinct office. The superintend- ents are the organs of the consistories: thej' examine the candidates, ordain the preachers, and visit the prov- osts; only in exceptional cases the pastors. For this office of a provost all the preachers of a district propose two candidates, and the appointment is made by the State ministry upon the recommendation of the con- sistory. For the superintendent's office two candidates are presented : in Riga and Reval by the magistrate, in Moscow and St. Petersburg by the General Consistory, in the other consistories by the nobility. The appoint- ments are made by the emperor. There are eight con- sistories: St. Petersburg, Livonia, Courland, Esthonia, Moscow, Oesel, Riga, and Reval. The consistories are composed of an equal number of clerical and lay mem-