Ritus romanus slavonico idiomate : the Cyrillo-Methodian tradition in the conception of Josef Vajs and the restitution of the Old Slavonic liturgy in the Czech Lands atthe beginning of the 20th century

The study concerns the restitution of the Glagolitic liturgy (the Old Slavonic Western Rite liturgy) in the Czech lands, which appeared in 1920. The objects of the investigation are mainly the philological, publishing and organisational activities of priest and Slavicist Josef Vajs (1865 – 1959). It is possible to interpret these activities as some of the last great renewal conceptions of the end of 19th century, based on the activities of the Christian Academy (Akademie Křesťanská) and the General Cyrillian Union (Obecná Jednota Cyrilská). In this case, these conceptions lead up to the revival of the Cyrillo-Methodian tradition and to the restitution of the Old Slavonic liturgy in Moravia and in the Czech lands, including the creation of its sung form. J. Vajs helped to prepare the way for the renewal of liturgical privilege for Croatian Dalmatia in 1901 and its ensuing expansion to historical sites in Czechoslovakia in 1920. Vajs’ edition of liturgical texts led to a music tradition in which resituated Old Church Slavonic became the model for liturgical and oratorio compositions of the 20th century.