Franciszek Pawłowski (30 March 17746 July 1852) was a Polish prelate of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
who served as the bishop of
Płock
Płock (pronounced ), officially the Ducal Capital City of Płock, is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, in the Masovian Voivodeship. According to the data provided by Central Statistical Office (Poland), GUS on 31 December 2021, the ...
from 1836 to his death in 1852. He previously served as the coadjutor bishop within the same diocese from 1829 and as an
auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
...
in the
Archdiocese of Warsaw
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Warsaw (, ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Poland encompassing the Polish capital. It was erected on October 16, 1798 and was elevated to an Archdiocese on June 30, ...
, holding the office of the titular bishop of
Duvno
Tomislavgrad ( Cyrl, Томиславград, ), also known by its former name Duvno ( Cyrl, Дувно, ), is a town and the seat of the Municipality of Tomislavgrad in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosni ...
from 1827 to 1836.
Early life
Pawłowski was born in
Mokre near
Czersk
Czersk (; ; formerly , (1942-5): ) is a town in northern Poland in Chojnice County, Pomeranian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 9,844.
Today the center of the city of Czersk in is the Village Square. The infrastructu ...
in a family of a standard bearer Michał and his wife Jozefa née Łukowicz. He lived in the family estate, which was later expanded by his father in
Rulewo and
Buśnia, where he lived periodically. Pawłowski inherited the estates in 1813. Pawłowski started his education at the
Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
Junior High School in
Chojnice
Chojnice (; or ; or ) is a town in northern Poland with 38,789 inhabitants, as of June 2023, near the Tuchola Forest. It is the capital of the Chojnice County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.
Founded in , Chojnice is a former royal city of Poland ...
and continued in the
Nowe Szkoty
Nowe Szkoty (; ; ) is one of the neighbourhoods of the city of Gdańsk, Poland. It belongs to the administrative district of Wrzeszcz, Wrzeszcz Dolny since 2010.
History
Neu Schottland was a settlement between Kleinhammer and Młyniska, Schell ...
neighbourhood of
Gdańsk
Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg () was the university of Königsberg in Duchy of Prussia, which was a fief of Poland. It was founded in 1544 as the world's second Protestant Reformation, Protestant academy (after the University of Marburg) by Duke A ...
on 17 November 1796, where he studied philosophy and law. He also considered enrolling at the
Collegio Teutonico
The Collegio Teutonico (German College), historically often referred to by its Latin name Collegium Germanicum, is one of the Roman Colleges, Pontifical Colleges of Rome. The German College is the Pontifical College established for future ecclesi ...
in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
to become a priest, having obtained a letter of recommendation from the bishop in 1795.
After finishing his studies in 1799, Pawłowski worked as a court clerk in
Kwidzyn
Kwidzyn (; ; Latin: ''Quedin''; Old Prussian: ''Kwēdina'') is a town in northern Poland on the Liwa River. With a population of 36,731, it is the capital of Kwidzyn County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.
Geography
Kwidzyn is located on the L ...
. However, after lightning killed his companion during a walk, Pawłowski became a priest. On 27 April 1799, he entered the Theological Seminary in
Włocławek
Włocławek (; or ''Alt Lesle'', Yiddish: וולאָצלאַוועק, romanized: ''Vlatzlavek'') is a city in the Kuyavian–Pomeranian Voivodeship in central Poland along the Vistula River, bordered by the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park ...
, while
Feliks Łukasz Lewiński
Feliks Łukasz Lewiński, Brochwicz III coat of arms (24 October 1751 – 5 April 1825) was a Polish Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Podlachia from 1818 until his death in 1825. He previously served as the auxiliary bishop of the Di ...
, the
auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
...
of
Włocławek
Włocławek (; or ''Alt Lesle'', Yiddish: וולאָצלאַוועק, romanized: ''Vlatzlavek'') is a city in the Kuyavian–Pomeranian Voivodeship in central Poland along the Vistula River, bordered by the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park ...
, took care that he received his orders quickly. Pawłowski received
minor orders
In Christianity, minor orders are ranks of church ministry. In the Catholic Church, the predominating Latin Church formerly distinguished between the major orders—priest (including bishop), deacon and subdeacon—and four minor orders— acolyt ...
on 6 October 1799 and became a
subdeacon
Subdeacon is a minor orders, minor order of ministry for men or women in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed below the deacon and above the acolyte in the order of precedence.
Subdeacons in ...
on 19 January 1800. On 2 February 1800, he became a
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions.
Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...
and was ordained to the priesthood on 12 April. He received all of his orders in the
Włocławek Cathedral
The Basilica Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption is a large Gothic architecture, Gothic building situated in the Polish city of Włocławek located near to the Vistula, Vistula River. Construction on the cathedral began in the 1340s, and it was ...
, except for priesthood, which he received in the Church of St. Vitalis, the oldest church in Włocławek. He celebrated his first mass in the
Bernardine
Bernardine is a Latinate diminutive of the given name "Bernard". It can be applied to men, notably Saint Bernadine, but is now much more often a female name. Bernadine and Bernadene are variant spellings of the female name.
The nickname '' B ...
friary in
Skępe
Skępe is a town in Lipno County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 7790 inhabitants (2012). It is the main sanctuary of Dobrzyń Land, with image of Our Lady crowned officially in 1755.
History
Skępe developed from a medieval Slav ...
.
Pawłowski's first post was the vicariate in the parish of St. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in
Tuczno
Tuczno (, earlier ''Tietz'') is a town and former pre-diocesan Catholic see in Wałcz County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland, with 1,900 inhabitants (2010).
It is the home of the restored Tuczno Castle, which is a popular p ...
, in the
Inowrocław
Inowrocław (; , ) is a city in central Poland with a total population of 68,101 (as of December 2022). It is situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is one of the largest and most historically significant cities within the historic re ...
deanery, where he stayed for four months, since in July 1800 he became a parish priest in the joint parish of
Lubień and
Bzów
Bzów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zbuczyn, within Siedlce County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Zbuczyn, east of Siedlce, and east of Warsaw.
The ''Janotowie Bzowsc ...
, which today belong to the
Diocese of Pelplin. In 1802, Pawłowski became a parish priest in
Tczew
Tczew (, formerly ) is a city on the Vistula River in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland, with 59,111 inhabitants (December 2021). It is the capital of Tczew County and the largest city of the ethnocultural region of Kociewie within th ...
and the parish of St. Holy Trinity in
Lubiszewo. All of the posts were located near his family estate. In 1804, he was appointed a
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western canon, th ...
of the Diocese of Włocławek, which necessitated the approval from the
Prussian
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...
government, received on 18 June 1805. In 1804, he received a doctorate in theology from
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...
.
Bishop
Józef Ignacy Rybiński of Włocławek promoted fast advancement in his career. On 12 April 1805, he appointed Pawłowski to the office of Pomeranian and Gdańsk official, entrusting him with the court matters through the duty of a court official and entrusting him with the duties of a deputy bishop. Since the Diocese of Włocławek was divided politically between the
Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw (; ; ), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a First French Empire, French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. It initially comprised the ethnical ...
and
Prussia
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
, with the entire Pomeranian archdeaconry remained with Prussia, this time with Gdańsk, the Gdańsk official administered the detached parts. Pawłowski held the office for seven years, hearing mostly the clergy's complaints about the lack of discipline among the priests and the lack of authority and discernment among the faithful. At the same time, he was appointed as the parish priest of the parish of St. Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary in
Miłobądz in 1806. Pawłowski mostly lived in
Lubiszewo Tczewskie
Lubiszewo Tczewskie is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Tczew, within Tczew County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Tczew and south of the regional capital Gdańsk. It is locate ...
. He held the office until 1812, when he was replaced. The reason for Pawłowski's dismissal from the function of a Gdańsk official was discontent with the Prussian authorities, who complained twice to the diocese's administrator, the auxiliary bishop Lewiński, demanding his dismissal since "he doesn't deserve the government's recognition".
Pawłowski gradually left his pastoral duties for the diocesan ones. At first, in 1814, he gave up the parish in Tczew and Lubiszew and, in 1819, resigned from the parish in Miłobądz. He was a parish priest in
Izbica
Izbica ( ''Izhbitz, Izhbitze'') is a town in the Krasnystaw County of the Lublin Voivodeship in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina administrative district called Gmina Izbica. It lies approximately south of Krasnystaw and south-east of ...
for a short period. On 16 November 1821, Pawłowski became the dean of the Włocławek cathedral, the most crucial step in his career. He owed this appointment to Bishop
Andrzej Wołłowicz
Andrzej is the Polish form of the given name Andrew.
Notable individuals with the given name Andrzej
* Andrzej Bartkowiak (born 1950), Polish film director and cinematographer
* Andrzej Bobola, S.J. (1591–1657), Polish saint, missionary and m ...
, a close associate of King
Stanisław August Poniatowski
Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, and as Stanisław August Poniatowski (), was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuani ...
and the first bishop of the diocese after its reorganisation by the pope within its new borders. Besides managing the cathedral chapter, Pawłowski received the post of a member of the Catholic clerical section in the Government Commission for Religious Denominations and Public Enlightenment (KRWRiOP). The KRWRiOP, established in 1815, oversaw all religions and denominations in Poland, including supervising and nominating the clergy, matters of religious orders, property issues, and remuneration. This enabled Pawłowski to become a high state official with political influence.
Episcopate
After
Mikołaj Jan Manugiewicz
Mikołaj Jan Manugiewicz (1754 – 25 June 1834) was a Polish Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Augustów.
Biography
Manugiewicz was born in 1754. He was first taught by Jesuits in Zolochiv and Zamość, later going to Rome to stu ...
, an auxiliary bishop of the
Archdiocese of Warsaw
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Warsaw (, ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Poland encompassing the Polish capital. It was erected on October 16, 1798 and was elevated to an Archdiocese on June 30, ...
, was translated to the office of the bishop of
Sejny
Sejny (; ) is a town in north-eastern Poland and the capital of Sejny County, in Podlaskie Voivodeship, close to the northern border with Lithuania and Belarus. It is located in the eastern part of the Suwałki Lake Area (), on the Marycha river ...
in 1825, Archbishop
Wojciech Skarszewski chose Pawłowski as a new auxiliary bishop, and on 9 April 1827, he was appointed the titular bishop of
Duvno
Tomislavgrad ( Cyrl, Томиславград, ), also known by its former name Duvno ( Cyrl, Дувно, ), is a town and the seat of the Municipality of Tomislavgrad in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosni ...
. Pawłowski was consecrated in the
Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist on 27 May 1827 with Skarszewski as the principal consecrator and Bishop
Adam Michal Prażmowski of
Płock
Płock (pronounced ), officially the Ducal Capital City of Płock, is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, in the Masovian Voivodeship. According to the data provided by Central Statistical Office (Poland), GUS on 31 December 2021, the ...
and Bishop
Józef Marcelin Dzięcielski of
Lublin
Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...
as the co-consecrators.
Pawłowski soon became Prażmowski's
coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese.
The coa ...
on 21 May 1829, and with Prażmowski's death on 6 February 1836, Pawłowski became the diocesan bishop of Płock. Nevertheless, he continued to live in Warsaw, from where he administered the diocese of Płock until 22 May 1836, when he took over the diocese. Pawłowski was awarded the
Order of Saint Stanislaus
The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...
with the Star in 1929 by Emperor
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I, group=pron (Russian language, Russian: Николай I Павлович; – ) was Emperor of Russia, List of rulers of Partitioned Poland#Kings of the Kingdom of Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 18 ...
, while he received the Order with the Grand Ribbon in 1835. Zdzisław Ossowski suggests that Pawłowski was awarded for his work in the KRWRiOP. He was awarded the
Order of Saint Anna
The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hono ...
1st Class in 1840. During his four-month stay in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
in 1842, where he arrived at the special invitation of the Emperor, Pawłowski received the Order of Saint Anna with the Imperial Crown. Jan Ziółek wrote that the award was, among other intentions, the Emperor's message to the
Holy See
The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
of how much the representatives of the Catholic Church are respected in Russia.
Pawłowski died in Warsaw, and the funeral was held on 10 July 1852 in Płock.
Footnotes
References
Books
*
Journals
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pawlowski, Franciszek
1774 births
1852 deaths
People from Chojnice County
University of Königsberg alumni
Polish Roman Catholic titular bishops
Auxiliary bishops
Bishops of Duvno
Bishops of Płock
Bishops appointed by Pope Leo XII
Bishops appointed by Pope Pius VIII
Bishops appointed by Pope Gregory XVI
19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Bosnia and Herzegovina
19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Poland
Order of Saint Stanislaus
Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class