Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/789

 CHRISTIAN

705

CHRISTIAN

then solemnly baptized by Innocent III. Soon after Christian's return to Prussia the pagans rose against the foreign Christians who had settled there, de- stroyed their fortifications, and compelled many of the newly converted to return to paganism. With the permission of Pope Honorius III, Christian gath- ered an army of crusaders who, however, were too few ti. gain a decisive victory. The bishop was even forced to leave Prussia. In a contract made with Duke Conrad of Masovia and Bishop Gedeon of Plock, in 11222. Christian received rich possessions and incomes as well as episcopal jurisdiction in Culmer- land. He, therefore, decided to erect his episcopal see at Culm, and from there direct the affairs of the Prussian missions. But soon the Prussians invaded Culmerland also. In his extremity Christian founded the Order of the Knights of Dobrin, which was ap- proved by Pope Gregory IX about 1228. When these knights were unsuccessful Christian and Duke Con- rad of -Masovia applied for assistance to Herman of Salza, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order in Pal- est inc. In 1228 Conrad entered into a contract with the Teutonic Order, by virtue of which his posses- sions in Culmerland became the property of the order. In 1230 Bishop Christian added to this grant all his own possessions in Culmerland and, a year later, one-third of his possessions in Prussia, retaining, however, for himself ecclesiastical jurisdic- tion both in Culmerland and in Prussia.

Under the leadership of Herman Balk the Teu- tonic ( trder began the great conflict which after more than half a century of bloodshed dealt the death-blow to paganism in Prussia and made the Teutonic Order one of the greatest powers in Europe. When Chris- tian asked for the assistance of the German Knights he was determined to keep the ecclesiastical adminis- tration of Prussia under his control. Soon, however, he became aware that the order laid claim to the spiritual as well as the temporal management of the conquered territory. Up to the year 1227 none but ( listercians assisted Christian in his apostolic labours; but with the arrival of the German Knights, the Dominicans, who were favoured by the order and by Pope Gregory IX, took a strong foothold in Prussia, while Christian and his Cistercian colabourers were thrown into the background. William of Modena, who had been appointed papal legate for Prussia, dis- regarded the rights of Christian and proceeded as if there were no Bishop of Prussia. In addition to these misfortunes, Christian was captured and his attendants slain by some pagan Prussians who pre- tended to have been converted and to desire the Sacrament of Baptism from the bishop. During the us of bis captivity (1233-39) the Teutonic I trder and the papal legate did nothing for his release. In 12:i(> Gregory IX, who, it appears, considered the liberation of ( 'hristian impossible, empowered William oi Modena to divide Prussia into three dioceses. The bishops for these new sees were, in accordance with the wish of the Teutonic Order, to be selected from the Dominican Order, while no provision whatever was made for the imprisoned Bishop Christian.

Finally, in the winter of 1239—40, Christian ob- tained his liberty. He was obliged to give hostages, whom he afterwards ransomed for a sum stated as of eight hundred marks (at that time a large amount), which was granted him by Pope Oregon,'. Immedi- ately upon his liberation Christian complained to the pope that the Teutonic (trder refused baptism to the catechumens who desired it. oppressed the newly con- verted, claimed episcopal rights, and refused to restore property which belonged to the bishop. The first two accusations may have been wrong or exag- gerated, but the last two were founded on truth. In 1240 the pope instructed Bishop Henry and two provosts of Meissen to induce the Teutonic I 'rder to satisfy the demands of Christian. The legate's in- III.— 45

tended division of Prussia into three dioceses did not take effect, and after Gregory's death (22 Aug., 1241) Christian and the Teutonic Order agreed that two- thirds of the conquered territory in Prussia should belong to the Order, and one-third to the bishop; that, moreover, the bishop should have the right to exercise in the territory belonging to the order those ecclesiastical functions which only a bishop can per- form.

William of Modena, the papal legate, did not give up his plans of dividing Prussia into various dioceses. He finally obtained from Pope Innocent IV permis- sion to make a division, and on 29 July, 1243, Prussia was divided into the four dioceses: Culm, Pomerania, Ermland, and Samland. The only recognition which Christian received for his apostolic labours of more than twenty years consisted in the privilege to select for himself any one of the four new episcopal sees. When Christian refused to make a selection he was severely reprimanded by the pope. Despite numer- ous petitions sent by Cistercian abbots in favour of Bishop Christian, the pope in a Brief of 6 Feb., 1245, threatened to deprive him of all episcopal jurisdic- tion unless he selected one of the new Prussian dio- ceses within two months. In the spring of the same year, probably before the two months had passed, Christian died.

Plixsky in Sdrai.ek's KirchgeschichUiche Abhandhinam, 1902, I. 151-249; Kktrzynski. Deutschorden and Konrad nm Ma.^irirn (I.embers, 1904'; Haih-k, K i/r/u m;t silnvhtv Dtutsch- Umda (Leipzig, 1903). IV, 643 sqq.; Prctz, Preussisch* Gc.icliichte (Stuttgart, 1900), I. 42 sqq ; Michael, Grsrhtchtr dc.i deutschen Volkes (Freiburg im Br., Isq7). I. 10S sqq,; Felten, Papst Gregor IX (Freiburg im Br.. 1886). 124 -27, 230-32; Wolkt in ZeUsehrifi Im- die Geschichte krmlands (Leipzig, 1S78), VI, 289 sqq.

Michael Ott.

Christian Archaeology. — Christian archaeology is that branch of the science of archaeology the object of which is the study of ancient Christian monu- ments. The modern historian who endeavours to reconstruct the life of the primitive Christians has two sources of information to draw upon, namely: literary and monumental sources. By literary sources is commonly understood the existing re- mains of early Christian literature; monumental sources consist of the various classes of objects of a material character surviving from antiquity, which were produced by Christians or under Christian in- fluence, sepulchral inscriptions, paintings, sculptures, churches, and the products of the minor arts. The principal aim of Christian archaeology, as indicated, is to ascertain all that is possible relative to the manners and customs of the early Christians from the monuments of Christian antiquity. Any at- tempt to determine the date when the period loosely designated "Christian Antiquity" gave place to the medieval period must of necessity be more or less arbitrary. As a consequence of this difficulty, differ- ences of opinion exist among archaeologists as to the chronological limits to be assigned to Christian arch.Tology. However, such authorities as De Rossi and Le Blant regard the beginning of the seventh century, or the death of Gregory the Great (604), as a date which marks sufficiently well the end of the ancient, and the beginning of the medieval, period. In Gaul and Germany Christian monu- ments preserved much of their ancient character till a century later.

I. Summary of its History. — The honour of inaugurating the scientific study of Christian an- tiquity belongs to an Augustinian monk, Onofrio Panvinio, who in 1554 and 1508 published two im- portant works on the basilicas of Rome (De praeci- puis urbis Romas sanctioribus basilicis) and on the cemeteries and sepulchral rites of the early Chris- tians ("De ritu sepeliendi mortuos apud veteres Christianos et de eorum muneteriis"). Ten years after the publication of the latter work, some la-