Erazm Ciołek (1474–1522) was a Polish diplomat and writer,

Bishop of Płock A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

from 1504 to his death. He was also the author of '' Ciołek's Missal'', one of the oldest works of

Polish literature Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland over the centuries have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Latin, ...

, and patron of the artists.

Biography

Born in 1474 to a

burgher Burgher may refer to: * Burgher (social class), a medieval, early modern European title of a citizen of a town, and a social class from which city officials could be drawn ** Burgess (title), a resident of a burgh in northern Britain ** Grand Bu ...

family in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, Ciołek graduated from the

Kraków Academy The Jagiellonian University (Polish: ''Uniwersytet Jagielloński'', UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and the 13th oldest university in ...

with the

Master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in 1491.Katolicka Agencja Informacyjna (2007)
Biskup płocki, bp Erazm Ciołek.
Retrieved . He is not to be confused with Erazm Ciołek from the same family, who received his Master's in 1512. In 1494 Erazm Ciołek (future Bishop of

Płock Płock (pronounced ) is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, in the Masovian Voivodeship. According to the data provided by GUS on 31 December 2021, there were 116,962 inhabitants in the city. Its full ceremonial name, according to th ...

) became the secretary of

Polish king Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th ...

Alexander Jagiellon Alexander Jagiellon ( pl, Aleksander Jagiellończyk, lt, Aleksandras Jogailaitis; 5 August 1461 – 19 August 1506) of the House of Jagiellon was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and later also King of Poland. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV Jag ...

and one of his favorite courtiers. In 1501 he left on a diplomatic mission to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, where he received Holy Orders. In Rome, Ciołek discussed Alexander's marriage and possible divorce from

Helena of Moscow Helena Ivanovna of Moscow (russian: Елена Ивановна; lt, Elena; pl, Helena Moskiewska; 19 May 1476 – 20 January 1513) was daughter of Ivan III the Great, Grand Prince of Moscow, and an uncrowned Grand Duchess of Lithuania and Quee ...

, who was an

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...

. Helena's father,

Ivan III of Russia Ivan III Vasilyevich (russian: Иван III Васильевич; 22 January 1440 – 27 October 1505), also known as Ivan the Great, was a Grand Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of all Rus'. Ivan served as the co-ruler and regent for his blin ...

, accused Alexander of religious intolerance and used it as a pretext for the renewed Muscovite–Lithuanian War (1500–1503). In 1503, with support of the king, he became the

bishop of Płock A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, where he became known as a good administrator, protector of peasants. He became the

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

of many artists (like Mikołaj Hussowczyk), and amassed a large book collection. He was also a writer and poet himself and his '' Ciołek's Missal'' is considered to be one of the oldest works of

. He funded many

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

es and supported educational institutions (particularly monasteries), Ciołek enforced high standards of education and activity among his priesthood. He renovated the Cathedral of Płock, as well as many other churches. Active in politics, due to intrigues by his opponents, he lost the favor of king Sigismund I the Old, and did not succeed in his goal of becoming a cardinal. He died in Rome in 1522.

Members of family

Another member of the Ciołek family known by the same name, entered

in 1507, and upon graduation joined the Cistercian Monastery in Mogiła near

where in 1522 he became an abbot. Erazm Ciołek of Mogiła restored the Monastery to its former glory, and served as ambassador to King Sigismund I. He was appointed Canon of Kraków in 1536 and the Suffragan Bishop in 1544. He died at the Mogiła Abbey on December 6, 1546.

References

External links

Works by Erazm Ciołek
in digital library

Polona Polona is a Polish digital library, which provides digitized books, magazines, graphics, maps, music, fliers and manuscripts from collections of the National Library of Poland and co-operating institutions. It began its operation in 2006. Colle ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ciolek, Erazm Ecclesiastical senators of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1474 births 1522 deaths Bishops of Płock Diplomats of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Canons of Kraków 16th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Poland