Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/525

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CRACOW


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CRACOW


towards the south, in 1880 and again in 1886. In 1889 it was made a prince-bishopric, and a year later Prince-Bishop Dunajewski was raised to the cardinal- ate. John Puzyna de Koziel was made Prince-Bishop of Cracow in 1S95, and Anatole Nowak auxiliary bishop in 1900. The diocese nmnbers 197 parishes, 181 vicariates, 457 diocesan and 223 regular priests, 850,000 Catholics, 4000 Protestants, and 60,000 Jews. The Emperor of Austria has the privilege of appoint- ing the prince-bishop, after consulting with the bishops of Galicia. The cathedral chapter includes 3 prelates (dean, scholasticus, and custos) and 6 canons. The most important educational institution in the diocese is the Cracow University ( Uniwersitet Jagiellon- ski), founded by Casimir the Great in 1364 and ap- proved by Pope Urban V the same year. The dio- cese has also an ecclesiastical aeminarj', various colleges, and minor institutions of learning. The cathe- dral of Cracow is one of the most venerable struc- tures in Europe. Here lie buried most of the Polish kings, the two national heroes, Kosciusko and Ponia- towski, the greatest Polish poet, Mickiewicz, and many other noble sons of Poland; here also are preserved the relics of St. Stanislaus (see above). It is of Gothic architecture, originally built probably by Mieceslaw I about 966, where now stands the church of St. Michael and where St. Stanislavis suffered mar- tyrdom ; rebuilt on its present site by Ladislaus Her- man, King of Poland (10S3-1102); restored by Nan- ker Oksza, Bishop of Cracow (1320-132?); rebuilt in the eighteenth century in barocco style; and renov- ated from 1886-1901. It contains the beautiful chapel of Signiund, the best specimen of the Renais- sance style in Flostern Europe, built by Bartolonuneo da Firenze in the sixteenth century and renovated in 1894. The Church of St. Mary, a Gothic structure built 1226-1.397 and restored in the fourteenth cen- tury, has on its high altar a large Gothic wood-car\'ing representing the death of the Blessed Virgin, the masterpiece of Veit Stoss.

The chief charitable institution is the Archconfra- ternity of Mercy, founded by the Jesuit Peter Skargo (d. 1618), which distributes alms to the poor and is the owner of a mo»/-dr-/)!'((('. There are also: another nont-de-pii tc ; an asyhun for old men and women, three orphan asylums, an insane asylum, various hos- pitals and workhouses. All these establishments are iubject to the diocesan authorities. The Catholic press is represented by two dailies, two weeklies ed- ited by priests, three monthlies published by religious, ind two monthly magazines of high literary standard. Ihey are all in Polish.

The following religious orders and congregations of men are engaged in parish, educational, or charitable K'ork: .\ugustinians, Brothers of Mercy, Camaldolese, [Canons Regular of the Lateran, Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, Carmelites, Discalced Carmelites (2 bouses). Capuchins, Cistercians (.\bbey of Mogila), [Conventual Franciscans, Observant Franciscans (hei'e jailed Bemardines (3 houses). Reformed Franciscans '3houses), Dominicans, Hermits of St. Paul, Jesuits (2 louses), Lazarists (3houses), Piari-sts, Resurrectionists. rhe religious orders and congregations of women are represented by the following: Augu.stinians, Benedic- tines, Bemardines, Canonesses of the Holy Ghost de 3axia, Discalced Carmelites, Clarisses, Daughters of Divine Love, Dominicans, Franciscans, Premonstra- tensians, Re.surrectionists, Sale.sians, Servite Ter- tiaries, Ursulincs, Sisters of St. Albert, Sisters of St. Dharles Borromeo, .Sisters of St. Felix. Sisters of the Holy Family, Sisters of the Mother of Mercy, Sisters of ^faza^eth, Sisters of the Presentation, Vincentian Si.s- ters, Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Mimum'-nin Pnlnniir hint. rrtti«ti<<n:ma (I,pml>ore. 1872'>, II. 189an.l (Cracow. IM-S), III. (l.t-STR; Mmkiki, Th,- Oriainni Scde.tin.iUail Cnnditinrui nf fohnrl (l.prnljeri;. lS7r,1. in P..li...h: Jtarowolski. Fi/<c anlisliUim Crtienyirnsitim (Cmrow. Ifi.';.')): ^t.rt:iA,, Ge-tchichir Piilcns (Hamburg. 1840); Chotkowski in IV.— 30


Dir knIhoUshe Kirche unsercr Zcit und ihre Dirner (^lunich, 1900), II, 527-533; Neheb in Kirchenkx. s. v. Krakau.

Michael Ott.

The University of Cracow. — The first document- ary evidence regarding the scheme that King Casimir the Great conceived of establishing a university dates from 13()2. Urban V favoured the plan, and King Casimir issued the charter of the imiversity, 12 May, 1364. It was modelled after the schools of Padua ami Bologna, consequently the faculty of law and the study of Roman law held the first place. The pope gave his approval, 1 September, 13t)4, but excluded theologj'. Casimir's school, however, was refoimded during the reign of Jagiello and Hedwig of the house of Anjou. The consent of Boniface IX was given, H February, 1397, and King Jagiello signed the charter, 26 July, 1400. The university now included all four faculties and was, therefore, patterned on that of Paris. The first chancellor was Bishop Peter ^^■ysz of Cracow, who also gave the opening lecture. The first professors were Bohemians, Germane, and Poles, most of whom had been trained at Prague. In the first year the number of matriculated students was 205; in the course of the fifteenth century it rose to 500.

The university took an active part in the ecclesias- tical controversies of the fifteenth century and showed itself a strong supporter of the coneiliar doctrine: concilimn supra pajiani (i. e. a council is above the pope). It maintained nevertheless a strictly Catholic position during the Hussite troubles. In the struggle between the Nominalists and Realists it took but little part. Realism having almost exclusive sway at the school. Still the effect on the university of the active intercourse with the ^^"est was, at the time, but slight and transient. King Jagiello died in 1434; in the period following, the vmiversity was controlled by its powerful chancellor, Zbigniew Olesnicki, who was also Bishop of Cracow from 1423 to 1455. A circle of learned men who followed the new tendencies gath- ered around him. Among these scholars was Po- laml's great historian, Dlugozs. At the time of the Council of Basle the university and its chancellor were partisans of the council, and Olesnicki even accepted the cardinalate from Felix V. After the Union of Flor- ence Olesnicki went over to the side of Nicholas V, but the university did not submit to the control of the Church until 1449. The age of Olesnicki was one of great scholars, among whom were: the physician and astronomer, Martin Krol; the decretalist, Johann Elgot; the theologians, Benedict Hesse and Jacobus of Parady^. St. John Cantius, student and later pro- fessor of theologj', was distinguished for virtue even more than for learning. He was born at Kenty, 1397 ; died, 1473; was canonized by Clement XIII, 1767; his feast is observed 20 October. Olesnicki showed favour to men who were not Poles, suppressed the Hussite tendencies with a firm hand, and was very generous to the university. He died in 145.5.

The causes which finally brought the university into line with the new tendencies were various. Poland was then the great power of Eastern Europe, the court of Casimir of the Jagellon dynasty was a brilliant one, and Cracow was a very rich city. It was, therefore, not surprising that many famous men were drawn to this centre. From 1470 to 1496 (.'alliniachus w.-is preceptor in the royal household. Attracted by the fame of Callimachus, Conrad Celtes, the celebrated Humanist, made his appearance at Cracow before the end of the century. Printing also soon had its repre- .sentatives here; towards the clo.se of the fifteenth cen- turj' Haller estalilished his press in Cracow and began his patronage of art and letters. In this way the num- ber of those who followed the new humanistic tenden- cies of the West continually incre.a.sed, but unfortu- nately there w:ls also an increase in profligacy. In 1492, John I Albert, the pupil and friend of Callim- achus, ascended the throne of Poland; he did not,