Historical Context of the Cuman Catholic Bishopric Foundation in 1227
Oundation of the Cuman Catholic Bishopric in 1227 represented the conclusive result of chain reaction consisted of a sequence of historical events that had been initially provoked by the increased conflict within Western Europe between the secular institution of the Holy Roman Empire and the spiritual authority of the Latin Church. The relevant elaboration of ideological basis for the Roman Curia’s political ambitions both strengthened the Holy See’s control over the Catholic Church and contributed to the pontifical claims to immediate subordination addressed to the Eastern Christian communities. In that policy the Holy See’s protectorate provided for the Latin Empire of Constantinople was considered a suitable instrument of political pressure on the Greek Church. However, further weakening of the Catholic empire on the Bosphorus occurred in 1230s in connection with the aggression of the Bulgarian Tsar, Ivan Asen II, drew the Holy See’s attention to the religious situation in the Balkans, where its main ally and plenipotentiary was the Hungarian king, Andrew II, who acted as an actual executor of the Papal political resolutions. Bilateral cooperation between Hungary and the Holy See was also strengthened by the Andrew II’s loyal implementation of the internal religious reform of the Catholic community considered by the Roman Curia as integral part of the European spiritual revival program. As a consequence, subsequent appearance of the new Dominican preachers in Hungary led to the parallel development of Catholic missionary work among the nomads of Eastern Europe, which resulted in the conversion to Christianity of a substantial part of the Cumans and in the foundation of the new Catholic Bishopric in 1227.