Circumstances, Sources and Achievements of Kani？li？’s Catechisms

Sa？etak Kani？li？ published two catechisms. Though each of them was written in different circumstances and had different destinies, their role and value in the religious and cultural life of Slavonia in that period was the same. The paper explains and offers new information concerning the circumstances, sources and achievements of Kani？li？’s catechisms. The first of the two catechisms, entitled Obilato duhovno mliko. To jest Nauk krstjanski iliri？koj iliti slovinskoj di？ici darovan (Zagreb 1754), was written on the occasion of a series of missionary’s visits organised by the Zagreb Bishop Franjo Thauszy in 1753 in the Po？ega area. A year before that, he elected Kani？li？ President of the Diocesan Consistorium in Po？ega, and thus the catechism was published under the Bishop’s name. It includes an inspired and stimulative foreword written by the Bishop. The structure of the book follows Peter Canisius’s great catechism. Its content is profoundly theological, organised in 25 chapters in the form of questions and answers; it is explained why the book is intended for parish priests and teachers, and why no further editions were published. The second catechism was entitled Mala i svakom potribna bogoslovica. To jest Nauk kerstjanski u tri skule razdiljen. The first edition was probably published in 1760. There had been seven editions until the year 1818. The book includes catechism, prayers and poems. It was written at the time of the action against illiteracy launched in the Po？ega area in 1752 by Josip Milunovi？, the first elementary schools opened in this region, and the Fraternity of Christian Study, organised and led by the Jesuits since 1760. Thus, this catechism is in fact rewritten German catechism originally written by Ignatius Parhammer, initiator and promoter of this catechist movement in Austria, which by method follows Canisius’s tradition. Furthermore, in 1761, a catechism with identical content was published in Zagreb under the title Nauk karstjanski sverhu pet poglavjah Petra Canizija Dru？be Isusove na tri skule razdiljen... The title itself indicates that in addition to catechism, prayers and poems, the book includes instructions for the Fraternity of Christian Study as well. It was the Jesuit Petar Lipov？i？ who was distributing it during his missions among the Croats in the Ba？ka region. Joseph Báttyany, Archbishop of Kalocsa, wrote a comprehensive foreword thereto. He stated that on his visits, he distributed more than 2,000 copies of the catechism and instructions for illiterate persons. The same catechism was again published in Kalocsa in