Situation of Vilnius diocese according to the Visitation of 1522

The article examines the Visitation carried out in 1522 in Vilnius diocese and what this document reveals about the situation of Vilnius diocese at that time and the roots of Catholicism in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The article examines the role of the grand dukes of Lithuania in the time of Visitation, drawing conclusions about the role of the dukes in the establishment of new churches and the inadequate provisioning of the different rulers. The churches are compared according to the wealth of the noble funders. An analysis of the material well-being of the churches is made according to the recorded wealth, and the fundamental differences between poorer and richer churches are defined, the reasons for such differences are presented. The article conducts a study of the veneration of saints and the pastoral care of the churches - based on the visitation, the most popular intentions of the mass are reviewed, and the essential pastoral features of the Vilnius diocese are defined. From the data provided by the Visitation, conclusions are drawn about the development of Catholicism in the Grand Duchy and the development of the prerequisites for the Reformation in the 15th -16th centuries.