200px, Nałęcz coat of arms used by Piotr Parczewski Piotr Parczewski ( be, Пётр Парчэўскі, translit=Petar Parcheўskі, lt, Petras Parčevskis; 1590 – 6 December 1658) was Roman Catholic

Bishop of Smolensk Bishops of Smolensk were the Catholic bishops of Roman Catholic Diocese of Smolensk, Smolensk diocese (formed in 1611, mostly liquidated in 1667, finally liquidated in 1809).{{clarify, date=November 2022 Diocesan bishops *Piotr Parczewski 1636� ...

in 1636 and Bishop of Samogitia (now Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas) since 9 December 1649, royal secretary and a Catholic convert from Orthodoxy.

Biography

Parczewski was born in an Orthodox family. After the adoption of Catholicism, he entered in the seminary of

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional u ...

and was later sent to the Papal Seminary in

Braniewo Braniewo () (german: Braunsberg in Ostpreußen, la, Brunsberga, Old Prussian: ''Brus'', lt, Prūsa), is a town in northern Poland, in Warmia, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, with a population of 16,907 as of June 2021. It is the capital ...

. He continued his studies at the

Vilnius University Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow an ...

where he received the master's degree in philosophy in 1622. Later, Parczewski earned a doctorate in theology and was ordained to the priesthood in 1628, became rector in Starodub. In 1630, became the administrator of the Diocese of Smolensk. During the

Smolensk War The Smolensk War (1632–1634) was a conflict fought between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia. Hostilities began in October 1632 when Russian forces tried to capture the city of Smolensk. Small military engagements produced mix ...

in 1632–1634, he remained besieged in Smolensk. In 1635, King Wladyslaw IV Vasa appointed him as the first bishop of Smolensk, and then Parczewski went to Rome to obtain the approval of the new diocese, which was received on September 1, 1636. On September 7 of the same year, he was ordained a bishop by Cardinal

Giovanni Battista Pamphili Pope Innocent X ( la, Innocentius X; it, Innocenzo X; 6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death in Januar ...

(future

Pope Innocent X Pope Innocent X ( la, Innocentius X; it, Innocenzo X; 6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death in Januar ...

). At the end of 1649, Parczewski became bishop of Samogitia. In 1651, carried out a visitation of the diocese. During the Swedish Deluge, on 18 August 1655, he signed the Treaty of Kėdainiai, an instrument of surrender to

Charles X Gustav of Sweden Charles X Gustav, also Carl Gustav ( sv, Karl X Gustav; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. Afte ...

. On October 20 of that year, he signed the Union of Kėdainiai which established the Swedish–Lithuanian union. Parczewski died on 6 December 1658.

Sources

* Henry Lulewicz, Peter Parczewski, in Polish Biographical Dictionary, Volume XXV, 1980, pp. 210–212. * Hierarchy medii Catholica et recentioris Aevi, Volume IV, Monasteri 1935, p 318 (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

). * Hierarchy of Catholica medii et recentioris Aevi, Volume IV, Monasteri 1935, p 304.

External links

Catholic-hierarchy.org
{{authority control 1590 births 1658 deaths Converts to Roman Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy Former Polish Orthodox Christians 17th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Bishops of Smolensk Ecclesiastical senators of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 17th-century Polish nobility Clan of Nałęcz Vilnius University alumni