The Roman Catholic Diocese of Smolensk was a Latin

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

, founded in 1636 and dissolved in 1818, initially located in the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

, and later on, in Czarist

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

History

The

Roman Rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while dist ...

bishopric was established in 1611 by King

Sigismund III Vasa Sigismund III Vasa ( pl, Zygmunt III Waza, lt, Žygimantas Vaza; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632 N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden and Grand Duke of Finland from 1592 to ...

. Its foundation was confirmed by the

Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The General Sejm ( pl, sejm walny, la, comitia generalia) was the bicameral parliament of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was established by the Union of Lublin in 1569 from the merger of the Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland and the Seim ...

in 1618, however the first bishop

Piotr Parczewski 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 in 1636 and Bishop of ...

was appointed only in 1636. The see rather often served as a stepping stone to be transferred to other bishoprics in the

. Initially, the territory of the diocese formed part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, however, after the

Truce of Andrusovo The Truce of Andrusovo ( pl, Rozejm w Andruszowie, russian: Андрусовское перемирие, ''Andrusovskoye Pieriemiriye'', also sometimes known as Treaty of Andrusovo) established a thirteen-and-a-half year truce, signed in 1667 bet ...

of 1667 it passed to

. On 15 April 1783, it lost much of its territory to establish the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mohilev. In 1818, it was suppressed and its territory merged into its Metropolitan and only daughter, the above Mohilev, which would be merged into the Diocese of Minsk and promoted to Metropolitan

Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

at the dismemberment of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, so as to cover independent

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

Episcopal ordinaries

(all

) ;''Suffragan Bishops of Smolensk'' *

(1636.09.01 – 1649.12.09), later Bishop of

Samogitia Samogitia or Žemaitija ( Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five cultural regions of Lithuania and formerly one of the two core administrative divisions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

(

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

) (1649.12.09 – death 1658.12.06) * Franciszek Dołmat Isajkowski (1650.02.14 – death 1654.05) * Hieronim Władysław Sanguszko,

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

(S.J.) (1655.05.31 – 1657.07); previously

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Modon (1644.12.12 – 1655.05.31) as Auxiliary Bishop 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 urb ...

(Lithuania) (1644.12.12 – 1655.05.31) *

Jerzy Białłozor Jerzy Białłozor (c. 1622-1665) was a Polish nobleman, bishop of Smoleńsk since 1658 and Wilno since 21 November 1661, secretary of the King. Son of Krzysztof Białłozor the Marshal of Upita and starost of Abele. References * Ryszard Mien ...

(1658.03.18 – 1661.11.21), next Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1661.11.21 – death 1665.05.17) *

Kazimierz Pac Kazimierz Pac (died 1696) was a Polish nobleman and bishop of Smoleńsk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, w ...

(1664.01.14 – 1667.10.03), next Bishop of

(Lithuania) (1667.10.03 – death 1695) * Gothard Jan Tyzenhaus (1668.09.17 – 1669), previously Titular Bishop of Modon (1661.04.05 – 1668.09.17) as Auxiliary Bishop of

(Lithuania) (1661.04.05 – 1668.09.17) * Aleksander Kotowicz (1673.02.27 – 1685.04.09), next Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1685.04.09 – death 1686.11.30) *

Konstanty Kazimierz Brzostowski Konstanty Kazimierz Brzostowski (1644–1722) was a Polish noble, count of the Holy See, and papal prelate. He was Grand Secretary of Lithuania from 1671, and shortly thereafter was Grand Writer of Lithuania. He was bishop of Smoleńsk from 1685 ...

(1685.04.30 – 1687.11.24), next Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1687.11.24 – death 1722.10.24) * Eustachy Stanisław Kazimierz Kotowicz (1688.05.17 – death 1704) * Jan Mikołaj Zgierski (1706.01.25 – 1710.07.21); previously Titular Bishop of

Martiria Martyropolis is a historical episcopal see of early Christianity, in what was the Roman province of Mesopotamia, now located in modern Turkey. It is now a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church. Historical diocese The diocese was centered on ...

(1696.01.02 – 1706.01.25) as Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1696.01.02 – 1710.07.21); later Bishop of

(Lithuania) (1710.07.21 – death 1713.12.06) * Aleksander Mikołaj Horain (1711.12.23 – 1716.12.07); previously Titular

Bishop of Tiberias The Diocese of Tiberias was a significant Latin Catholic bishopric in the Crusader state Principality of Galilee, a major direct vassal of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, with see in Tiberias.Richard, Jean (1999) ''The Crusades c. 1071-c 1291'', ...

(1704.09.15 – 1711.12.23) as Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1704.09.15 – 1711.12.23); later Bishop of Samogitia (Lithuania) (1716.12.07 – death 1735.12.07) * Ludwik Karol Ogiński (1717.11.22 – death 1718) * Karol Piotr Pancerzyński (1721.09.24 – 1724.09.11); previously Titular Bishop of

Hierapolis Hierapolis (; grc, Ἱεράπολις, lit. "Holy City") was originally a Phrygian cult centre of the Anatolian mother goddess of Cybele and later a Greek city. Its location was centred upon the remarkable and copious hot springs in classica ...

(1712.10.05 – 1721.09.24) as Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1712.10.05 – 1721.09.24), succeeded as Bishop of Vilnius (1724.09.11 – death 1729.02.19) Tymoteusz Gorzeński

Bogusław Korwin Gosiewski Bogusław Korwin Gosiewski ''de armis'' Ślepowron (November 1660 – 23 June 1744) – Bishop of Smolensk on 29 January 1725, Lithuanian Great (Clergyman) Quartermaster in 1720, Preceptor and Curator of Vilnius Cathedral, Vicar of Onikszty ...

(1725.01.29 – death 1744.06.24), previously Titular Bishop of Achantus (1722.04.20 – 1725.01.29) as Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1722.04.20 – 1725.01.29) * Jerzy Mikołaj Hylzen (1746.02.13 – 1763.07.17), died 1775 * Gabriel Wodzyński (1763.07.17 – death 1788.11.28), succeeded as previous

Coadjutor Bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

of Smoleńsk (1759.04.04 – 1763.07.17) and Titular Bishop of

Theveste Theveste was a Roman colony situated in the present Tébessa, Algeria. History In 146 BC, the Romans conquered the region, where existed an old city called " Tbessa". Theveste was founded by the Romans in 75 AD near an old Berber village locate ...

(1759.04.04 – 1763.07.17) *

Adam Naruszewicz Adam Stanisław Naruszewicz ( lt, Adomas Naruševičius; 20 October 1733 – 8 July 1796) was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, poet, historian, dramatist, translator, publicist, Jesuit and Roman Catholic bishop. Born in a szlachta family, he wen ...

, S.J. (1788.11.28 – 1790.11.29), succeeding as previous Coadjutor Bishop of Smoleńsk (1775.03.13 – 1788.11.28) and Titular Bishop of

Emmaus Emmaus (; Greek: Ἐμμαούς, ''Emmaous''; la, Emmaus; , ''Emmaom''; ar, عمواس, ''ʻImwas'') is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before tw ...

(1775.03.13 – 1788.11.28); later Bishop of

Łuck Lutsk ( uk, Луцьк, translit=Lutsk}, ; pl, Łuck ; yi, לוצק, Lutzk) is a city on the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the Capital city, administrative center of the Volyn Oblast (oblast, province) and the administrative center o ...

(

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

) (1790.11.29 – death 1796.07.08) * Tymoteusz Paweł Gorzeński (1790.11.29 – 1809.03.27), later Bishop of

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...

(Poland) ( 806.09.091809.03.27 – 1821.07.16), Metropolitan Archbishop of

Gniezno Gniezno (; german: Gnesen; la, Gnesna) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. One of the Piast dynasty's chief cities, ...

(Poland) and

(Poland) (1821.07.16 – death 1825.12.20)

References

External links

GigaCatholic with incumbent biography links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smolensk, Roman Catholic Diocese Former Roman Catholic dioceses in Ex-Soviet Europe Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 17th century 1636 establishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1818 disestablishments in the Russian Empire Former Roman Catholic dioceses in Poland Suppressed Roman Catholic dioceses