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 POLAND

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POLAND

and the Government, compelled by necessity, some- what mitigated the existing hardships.

III. EccLEsi.\STic.\L History. — Even before Po- land became Christian under Prince Mieczyslaw I (962-92), there were Christians in Polish territorj'.

ment of tithes, and the masses attacked the churches and the estates of the aristocracy. Bishops and priests were massacred, and the cathedrals of Gnesen and Posen were destroyed.

After six years of such disturbances Casimir I ( 1 040-

This explains the comparatively peaceful acceptance 58), having ascended the throne, restored Christianity

by the people of a new faith and a new code of morals, and respect for the clcrgj-; he also built churches and

It may be assumed that the Faith reached Poland convents. Hisactivity was continued by Boleslaw II

from the neighbouring country of Moravia when, after the Bold (1058-80), so persistently that the number of

the Hungarian invasion, numerous Christians found a Polish bishoprics had risen to fifteen by the 3-ear 1079.

refuge in Poland, so that there must have been a AsearlyasthisreignnativePolesattaiiiedtheepiscopal

certain number of Christians among the heathen Poles, dignity. The question of heathen marriages, which

though no organized Church existed. Definite con- clusions, however, as to the progress of Cliristianity before the accession of Mieczyslaw I are impossible. This prince, having married the Catholic Dabrowka, a daughter of the King of Bohemia, embraced Chris- tianity, with all his subjects, in 966. He did this partly because he wished to protect himself against the Germans. Priests for the new Christian parishes were obtained from Bohemia and Germany. As early as 970 a PoUsh bishopric was established at Posen, under the jurisdic- tion of the Arch- bishop of Magde- burg. In 1000 the Emperor Otto III and Pope Sylvester II erected the me- tropolis of Gnesen for the bishoprics of Posen, Plotsk. Cra- cow, Lebus, Breslau, and Kolberg.

The formation of this ecclesia.stical hierarchy for Poland was effected by a clever political move on the part of Boles- law the Great (992- 1025), and had im- portant results. For since' that time tlie Church of Poland

Greek (Kulheniant Uniat

were condemned by Bishop Stanislaus of Cracow, gave rise to a quarrel between the king and the bishop. The latter, ha\-ing formed a conspiracy with the magnates, who were incensed at the despotic rule of the king, was slain by the king himself. A revolt, caused by this act, drove Boleslaw to seek an asylum in Hungary. The church thereupon gained in esteem and influence even in political matters. Bishops were elected by the chapters, and consecrated by the arch- bishops of Gnesen as metrojiolitans. Under the next ruler, W 1 a d i s 1 a w Herman (lOSO- 1102),theclergj'took a lively interest in public affairs. Boles- law Krzywousty (1102-39) showed his great concern for the welfare of Church and clergy by vari- o u s benefactions, founding new con- vents and embellish- ing those already in existence. .\t this period, too. Count Piotr Wlast Dunin (d. 1153) is said to liave built forty places of worship. All of these works perished when Boles- law's will stirred up

has ceased to be dependent on Germany, and has a series of terrible wars that raged for almost two

been under the protection and patronage of the hundred years throughout Poland. (See above:

PoUsh princes, with whose history its own is most II.) During these stniggles the Church alone pre-

intimately connected. The Polish ruler thus obtained served the national homogeneity, and this circum-

the right to found and endow churches, to take the stance, more than any other, increased the influence of

same important part in the establishment of dioceses the clergy in political matters. It was at this time

and the appointment of bishops as the emperor took in that Henry, Duke of Sandomir, with a numerous

Germany. Poland did not cease to be a German fief, retinue of Polish nobles undertook a crusade to the

but in ecclesiastical matters it became absolutely in- Holy Land and spent an entire year there. Upon

dependent. Henceforth Boleslaw the Great assumed their return to Poland these pilgrims introduced the

the supervision of the Polish church, and the Church, knightly orders of the Templars, of St. John, and of

founded and organized with the co-operation of the the Holy Sepulchre. The clergy, now more numerous,

rulers, was placed in the service of the State. Al- held synods in which, among other matters, education

though Boleslaw exercised his right of supervision was dealt with. .\t the instance of the bishops,

rather arbitrarily, he nevertheless always entertained schools were established in connexion with the

a great respect for the clergy. The first bishops were churches and convents. The first provincial synod of

appointed by the pope; canons regular were ap- this kind, at Leczyca (1180), decreed excommunica-

pointed to assist them. The Camaldolese Order also tion as the punishment for the robbery of church

came (997) and settled in Great Poland, but being property.

attacked by robbers, who expected to obtain a large The clergy now began more and more to rarry into

amount of booty from them, they came to a terrible effect the plans of the murdered Bishop Stanislaus by

end in 1005. In 1006 the Benedictines came to Poland their efforts to secure the supremacy of the Church,

and settled in three places. They cleared forests and The Church succeeded in freeing itself from the fetters

spread religion and civilization. Boleslaw granted the with which the temporal rulers had bound her. For

churches tithes, which the nobility were unwilling to the reform for which Gregory had striven had not been

pay; the resulting disturbances (1022) were soon carried out in Poland. While it had long been cus-

suppressed. The king also procured for the churches tomary in the West for cathedral chapters to elect the

valuable gifts, such as ves.sels of silver and gold. After bishops, so that the Church was in this respect no

the death of his son Mieczyslaw II (102.5-34), a strong longer dependent on the temporal power, in Poland

feeling against Christianity and its teachers mani- the bishops were still appointed by the sovereign, who

fested itself among the people; many even relapsed furthermore claimed for the state treasury certain fecE;

into paganism. The nobility discontinued the pay- from the lands held by the clergy. The pope's de-