Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/788

 MAETmUZZI

735

MAETIMUZ2I

gation administers also in 26 incorporated parishes, with seventy-five daughter churches and forty-four chapels; serving a population of nearly 18,000 souls; it has the supervision oesides of five convents of nuns; its high schools, "gymnasia majora'' are attended by alM)ut 1200 boys, its lesser seminaries by over 500. The monks of St. Martin's have contributed largely to the modern theological, scientific and historical literature of their country, and have given many dis- tinguished men to the Church. Cardinal Claud Vas- zary, Archbishop of Gran, and Bishop Kohl, his auxil- iary, are perhaps the best known representatives of the Hungarian Benedictines at the present day.

Album Benedictinum (St. Vincent's Abbey, Pennsylvania, 1880); SS. PatriarefuB Benedicti famUa eonfcedtrata (Rome» Vatican Press, 1905); Scriptorea Ord. S. Benedidi, qui lySO- 1880 fuerufU in imprrio AiMtriaco-Hungarico (Vienna. 1880).

John Gilbert Doian.

Martmuud, George, monk, bishop, cardinal, b. at Kamicac, Dalmatia, 1482; d. 16 December, 1551. His real name was George Utjesenovic. His mother, a native of Venice of the name of Martinuzzi, had a brother who was a bishop, and, out of regard for his mother and uncle, George preferred to be called Marti- nuzzi (I^atin Martinuzius), His father died in battle against the Turks. At the age of eight, George came to the court of Duke John Corvinus, in whose service he remained at the Castle Hunyad 15 years under hard conditions. Then he entered the service of the Duch- ess Hedwig, the widow of Count Stephan Zapolya, by whom he was well treated. A year later (1504), at the age of 22, he entered the Pauline monasterv of St. Laurentius near Of en, whore his unusual intellectual gifts soon attracted attention. A monk taught him writing and reading; later, he studied philosophy and theologv' and was ordained priest. Owing to his tal- ent, slull, and zeal, his superiors appointed him prior of the monastery of Czenstochau in Poland, and later of the monastery of Sajolad, near Erlau in North Hun-

?;ary. Here the Hungarian pretender, John Zapolya, ound him, when, after the battle of Kashau, 1527, he was compelled to fiee before King Ferdinand, and discovered in the prior **Frater Georgius'*, an ac- quaintance from the court of his mother Hedwig. Kecognizing the prior's ability and energy, the prince requested him to enter his service. Moved by ambi- tion as well as patriotism, Martinuzzi left his monas- tery to go with the fugitive prince to Poland, and to de- fend with tact and energy the prince's cause. During the unfortunate troubles brought upon Hungary by the war between the two pretenders, John Zapolya and Ferdinand of Austria, and by the Turkish con- quests, Martinuzzi was prominent in Hungarian poli- tics. He went from Poland to Hungary, organized the adherents of Zapolya, secured financial support from Magyar nobles, and niised an army which de- feated Ferdinand's general, Ravay (1528). In 1529. Zapolya entered Ofen. He appointed Martinuzzi royal counselor and treasurer, and in 1534 conferred on him the diocese of Grosswardein, though the newly nominated bishop did not receive papal approbation until five years later. Meanwhile, he ruled his dio- cese, but not being consecrated bishop, all the episco- pal functions were performed by auxiliary bishops.

John Zapolya died 21 July, 1540. He left oijy one young son, John Sigmund, who was bom nine dajrs before Zapolya's death. The deceased monarch m his will had appointed Martinuzzi and Peter Petrovich guardians of the child. They proclaimed him king and the Sultan Suleiman promised to recognize him. But Ferdinand, who had the support of several Mag- yarian nobles, demanded the f uinllment of an agree- ment concluded between him and John Zapolya, ac- cording to which, Hungary after the Latter's death, was to oe ceded to him. His demand proving ineffeo- tual, Ferdinand sent a new arm^ to Hungary which •ccupied several cities and laid aiege to Ofen. In the

meantime, he negotiated with Isabella, to whom Mar- tinuzzi was chief adviser. On one occasion Marti- nuzzi even placed himself at the head of an army and repulsed an attack on his city. Meanwhile, the Sul- tan Suleiman declared war against Ferdinand, and in person led a formidable army into Hungary. He oc- cupied Ofen, and turned the lands along the Danube into a Turkish province. But he respected the terri- tory of Isabella and her son which was to be governed during the latter's minority by Martinuzzi and Petro- vich. The war between Ferdinand and the Sultan continued, while Isabella governed the principality of Siebenbtirgen for some years in peace. There was a powerful cabal among the nobles vehemently hostile to Martinuzzi, who governed with an autocractic firm- ness that brought him many enemies. He had also disagreements with Isabella, who permitted herself to be swayed by his opponents. Martinuzzi now began secretly negotiating with King Ferdinand, and in 1549 an agreement was come to by which Isabella had to give up Siebenbtirgen. In return she was to receive the pnncipaUty of Opelln in Silesia, and in addition all that had been left her by her husband. Ferdinand was also to provide for her son John Sigmund, and later to marry him to his daughter. Martinuzzi was to be made Archbishop of Gran, and to receive the car- dinal's hat. As soon as this contract became known, a quarrel broke out between Isabella and the minister. The latter, however, had the upper hand, and the queen was compelled to come to an agreement (1551); this agreement however did not alUy the mistrust between the two.

In the meantime the astute Martinuzzi treated with the Sultan, and succeeded for a time in deceiving him regarding the fate of Siebenbiirgen and his own rela- tions with King Ferdinand. Ferdinand sent his gen- eral, Castaldo, Margrave of Cassiano, with an army to Siebenbiirgen to discuss the agreement made witn Martinuzzi. Castaldo was told to keep on good terms with the minister; but having little faith in Martinuzzi, he was eager to settle the matter with Isabella as soon as possible. In accordance with a previous arrange- ment made with Martinuzzi, a treaty was conclucied by which Isabella agreed to give up, under certain conditions, Hungary and Sielx^nbUr^en, and to hand over to Ferdinand the crown and insignia of the King- dom. When the Sultan learned this, he sent a new army against the king. Castaldo at once suspected that M^inuzzi was in secret alliance with the Turks, and that the negotiations were directed against him and king Ferdinand. Castaldo told the king of his suspicion and was told to deal with Martinuzzi in such a way as he thought the country's need and the wel\ bein^ of its people demanded. Whether Castaldo's suspicion was well founded, or whether he wished to rid himself of a rival is a difficult question to decide Older historical authority considered Martinuzzi 's se- cret negotiations with the Sultan as treason against Ferdinand. Modern historical research, however, scouts these accusations, and maintains that Marti- nuzzi cannot be con\icted of any treason against Fer- dinand. (Danko in the ** Kirchenlex ", s. v.) Castaldo brought about the assassination of Martinuzzi. The order was executed on the night of December 16th

1551, by Sforza Pallavicini and several accomplices. The body remained unburied until February 25th,

1552, when it was interred in St. Michael's church at Karlsburg. Although Ferdinand and Castaldo en- deavored to justify themselves to the pope, Julius III excommunicated the murderers and instigators of the crime. In 1555 however the punishment was with- drawn. Though Martinuzzi's lame lies mainly in the political sphere, he was also largely occupied with ec- clesiastical affairs. He exerted himself greatly in re- sisting the invasion of Protestantism. But a measure with the same object which passed the legislative as- eembly of Siebenbiirgen in 1544 had little result, for