Clement VIII

Clement dates the bull Magnus Dominus to the fourth year of his pontificate. In it he describes how the bishops Hypatius and Cyril came to Rome from the metropolitan of Kiev, made their profession of faith and obedience before him and the cardinals, and were received; he permits the Ruthenians their eastern rites, so long as these do not conflict with the Catholic faith or exclude communion with Rome (Clement VIII, Magnus Dominus in Theiner, vol. 3, pp. 240–245).

His later letters follow the union’s fortunes. In January 1597 he rejoiced that the synod of Brest had ratified it and regretted that some Ruthenian bishops had not (Clement VIII, letters, in Theiner, Vetera monumenta Poloniae, vol. 3, no. 198 (18 January 1597), pp. 269–270). In June 1597 he annulled the excommunication pronounced from Constantinople against those who had joined Rome (Clement VIII, letters, in Theiner, Vetera monumenta Poloniae, vol. 3, no. 199 (5 June 1597), pp. 270–271). In January 1605 he urged Konstanty Ostrogski to come over himself (Clement VIII, letters, in Theiner, Vetera monumenta Poloniae, vol. 3, no. 229 (15 January 1605), pp. 286–287). See the Union of Brest.