The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Warmia ( pl, Archidiecezja warmińska, german: Erzdiözese Ermland) is a Metropolitan
archdiocese
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 ...
of the
Latin Rite
Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church ''sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...
of the
Roman Catholic Church
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 ...
in the
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship,
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 ...
.
The archbishop has his
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
archiepiscopal see: Bazylika Archikatedralna Wniebowzięcia NMP i św. Andrzeja Apostoła, in the town of
Frombork
Frombork (; german: Frauenburg ) is a town in northern Poland, situated on the Vistula Lagoon in Braniewo County, within Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, it has a population of 2,260.
The town was first mentioned in a 13th-centur ...
, and a
co-cathedral Bazylika Konkatedralna św. Jakuba Apostoła, in the city of
Olsztyn
Olsztyn ( , ; german: Allenstein ; Old Prussian: ''Alnāsteini''
* Latin: ''Allenstenium'', ''Holstin'') is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with county rights. ...
. Both are
minor basilica
In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...
s, and the archdiocese has six more : Bazylika Najświętszego Zbawiciela i Wszystkich Świętych, in
Dobre Miasto
Dobre Miasto (; german: Guttstadt ; literally Good City) is a town in Poland, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship with 9,857 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is situated in the northwestern part of the Masurian Lake District in the heart of th ...
; Bazylika Narodzenia NMP, in
Gietrzwałd; Bazylika Nawiedzenia NMP, in
Matki Jedności
''Vigna aconitifolia'' is a drought-resistant legume, commonly grown in arid and semi-arid regions of India. It is commonly called mat bean, moth bean, matki or dew bean. The pods, sprouts and protein-rich seeds of this crop are commonly consu ...
; Bazylika Sanktuarium Matki Pokoju, in
Stoczek Klasztorny; Bazylika św. Jerzego, in
Kętrzyn and Bazylika św. Katarzyny, in
Braniewo.
The
Archcathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Andrew in Frombork is listed as a
Historic Monument of Poland.
The current archbishop is Józef Górzyński, who was appointed by Pope Francis in 2016.
History
Founded as 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 ...
in the region of
Warmia on 29 July 1243, it was one of the four bishoprics of the
State of the Teutonic Order in
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
. The first bishop Heinrich von Strateich never actually took his office. His successor
Anselm of Meissen
Anselm of Meissen (german: Anselm von Meißen, died no later than 1278 in Elbing (Elbląg)) was a priest of the Teutonic Order and the first actual Also online anewadvent.org/ref> Bishop of Warmia (Varmia, Ermland, or Ermeland).
As his name sugg ...
, officiating between 1250 and 1274, became the first bishop active in Warmia. In 1253, after
Albert Suerbeer finally achieved his long disputed
investiture
Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian k ...
with the newly elevated
Archbishopric of Riga, Warmia - like a number of other Baltic dioceses - became Riga's
suffragan
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...
. Warmia's first bishops were appointed by Polish and
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
' officials and were mostly
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
, however, unlike the other Prussian bishoprics (
Culm (Chełmno),
Pomesania, and
Samland (Sambia)), Warmia's diocesan
chapter, established in 1260, maintained independence. Its members were not simultaneously members of the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
, as was the case in the other Prussian chapters since the 1280s. Thus the chapter could repel influencing by outside powers.
In 1356 the
Golden Bull of Emperor
Charles IV designated the bishop as Prince-Bishop of Warmia, a rank not awarded to the other Prussian bishops with their dependent chapters. By the double function of
prince-bishops they officiated as spiritual leader in the diocese and as secular prince in the
Prince-Bishopric of Warmia, a semi-independent state comprising about a third of the actual diocesan territory, first as part of Teutonic Prussia.
In February 1440 the nobility of Warmia and the town of
Braniewo co-founded the
Prussian Confederation
The Prussian Confederation (german: Preußischer Bund, pl, Związek Pruski) was an organization formed on 21 February 1440 at Kwidzyn (then officially ''Marienwerder'') by a group of 53 nobles and clergy and 19 cities in Prussia, to oppose the a ...
, which opposed Teutonic rule, and most towns of Warmia joined the organization in May 1440. In February 1454, the organization asked Polish King
Casimir IV Jagiellon to incorporate the region to the
Kingdom of Poland, to which the king agreed and signed the act of incorporation 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 ...
on 6 March 1454, and the
Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466) broke out. During the war Warmia was partly recaptured by the Teutonic Knights, however, in 1464 Bishop Paweł Legendorf vel Mgowski sided with Poland and the Prince-Bishopric came again under the overlordship of the Polish King. In the
peace treaty of 1466 the Teutonic Knights renounced any claims to the prince-bishopric, and recognized it as part of Poland. It administratively remained a prince-bishopric with several privileges, part of the larger provinces of
Royal Prussia and
Greater Poland Province. When King
Casimir IV attempted to reduce the prince-episcopal autonomy this caused the
War of the Priests.
Prince-Bishop
Lucas Watzenrode
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (sometimes ''Watzelrode'' and ''Waisselrod''; german: Lucas Watzenrode der Jüngere; pl, Łukasz Watzenrode; 30 October 1447 – 29 March 1512) was Prince-Bishop of Warmia (Ermland) and patron to his nephew, astr ...
, officiating between 1489 and 1512, aimed at
Warmia's exemption from Riga in order to establish a Warmian
metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
, comprising the dioceses within Teutonic Prussia, part of Poland as a
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...
since 1466, as suffragans. The plans failed, but Watzenrode reclaimed the exemption after ca. 1492. In the
Second Treaty of Piotrków Trybunalski
The Prince-Bishopric of Warmia ( pl, Biskupie Księstwo Warmińskie; german: Fürstbistum Ermland) was a semi-independent ecclesiastical Sovereign state, state, ruled by the List of bishops of Warmia#Prince-Bishops of Ermland / Warmia, incumbent ...
(December 7, 1512) Warmia conceded to King
Alexander Jagiellon a limited right to propose four candidates to the chapter for the election, who however had to be residents of the province of
Royal Prussia.
Under Watzenrode's successors changing suffraganship from Riga to
Gniezno did not materialise. The diocese
de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...
remained a suffragan of Riga until its dissolution in 1566. Thereafter Warmia was an
exempt diocese.
In 1569, Warmia was united more directly with the Kingdom of Poland within 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 ...
. In this period the chapter mostly elected bishops of Polish nationality. The faithful in the northern part of the diocese were by large majority
ethnic Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
, while in the south the large majority were ethnic
Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
. Following King
Sigismund III
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 ...
's Prussian regency contract (1605) with
Joachim Frederick of Brandenburg
Joachim Frederick (27 January 1546 – 18 July 1608), of the House of Hohenzollern, was Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1598 until his death.
Biography
Joachim Frederick was born in Cölln to John George, Elector of Brande ...
, and his Prussian enfeoffment contract (1611) with
John Sigismund of Brandenburg
John Sigismund (german: Johann Sigismund; 8 November 1572 – 23 December 1619) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He became the Duke of Prussia through his marriage to Duchess Anna, the eldes ...
these two rulers guaranteed free practice of Catholic religion in all of prevailingly Lutheran
Ducal Prussia, a vassal duchy of Poland. In practice, however, the ducal government obstructed Catholic exercise in many ways.
But based on these contracts the prince-bishops gradually extended their de facto competence beyond the territory of their proper prince-bishopric of secular rule. As a result, the see regained jurisdiction in the two thirds of its diocesan territory outside its secular prince-bishopric and beyond into the diocesan areas of the dissolved former neighbour dioceses such as Sambia and Pomesania, and Warmia became the diocese competent for all of Ducal Prussia. This development was recognised by the Holy See in 1617 by de jure extending Warmia's jurisdiction over Sambia's former diocesan territory. After the
First Partition of Poland in 1772, Warmia was annexed by the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...
, forming part of its newly formed province of
East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
in the following year.
By the bull ''De salute animum'' (July 16, 1820) the Catholic Church in Prussia was reorganised. However, the diocesan territory was not adapted to the new provincial borders established in 1815. Since most inhabitants of East Prussia had become Lutherans, the diocesan territories of the former bishoprics of Pomesania (partially) and Samland with its few remaining Catholics were part of the Diocese of Ermland (Warmia), thus territorially comprising all of the Prussian
province of East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871 ...
except the southwestern corner (main part of Pomesania diocese around
Marienwerder (Kwidzyn), which had become the
Deanery
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...
of Pomesania within Culm (Chełmno) diocese). In 1901, the total population in the area of the diocese was about 2,000,000, among them 327,567 Catholics.
On 28 October 1925 the Holy See - by the Bull ''Vixdum Poloniae unitas'' - seceded the Pomesania deanery from the
Diocese of Chełmno
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 ...
and assigned it to Ermland,
[Cf. .] while
Memelland was dissected from the diocese, so that it territorially comprised all the Prussian
province of East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871 ...
in its altered borders of 1922. In 1930 the diocesan exemption ended and Ermland, then led by Bishop
Maximilian Kaller
Maximilian Kaller (10 October 1880 – 7 July 1947) was Roman Catholic Bishop of Ermland ( pl, Warmia) in East Prussia from 1930 to 1947. However, ''de facto'' expelled from mid-August 1945, he was a special bishop for the homeland-expellees unt ...
, became part of the
Eastern German Ecclesiastical Province under the newly elevated
Archdiocese of Breslau (Wrocław).
Following the defeat of Germany in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Warmia became again part of Poland, although with a
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
-installed
communist regime, which stayed in power until the
Fall of Communism in the 1980s. Bishop Kaller resigned from jurisdiction in the Polish-held diocesan area, retaining the title bishop, and was expelled by communist authorities in mid-August 1945.
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
then appointed him the "Bishop of the
Expellees". The diocese was then claimed by the Polish Catholic Church, supported by the communist state.
August Hlond had appointed Teodor Bensch as
Apostolic Administrator
An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
superseding the still existing
capitular canons, who otherwise could have elected a new bishop candidate. The
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
, however, regarded the post-war territorial changes not yet contractually confirmed. So the see with its traditional cathedral in
Frombork
Frombork (; german: Frauenburg ) is a town in northern Poland, situated on the Vistula Lagoon in Braniewo County, within Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, it has a population of 2,260.
The town was first mentioned in a 13th-centur ...
remained vacant after Kaller's death.
In 1972 - in response to West Germany's change in
Ostpolitik with the
Treaty of Warsaw - the Holy See re-established a new Polish Diocese appointing
Józef Drzazga
Józef Drzazga (1914–1978) was a Polish Catholic priest, bishop of Warmia from 1972 to 1978. He was the first post-World War II bishop on that post. He has been a titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in ch ...
, who was then a suffragan to the
Archdiocese of Warsaw. Drzazga relocated the actual see to
Olsztyn
Olsztyn ( , ; german: Allenstein ; Old Prussian: ''Alnāsteini''
* Latin: ''Allenstenium'', ''Holstin'') is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with county rights. ...
.
On 25 March 1992 Warmia was elevated to a
metropolitan
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a typ ...
archdiocese
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 ...
and given two new suffragans, the
Diocese of Ełk and the
Diocese of Elbląg.
The Diocese of Ełk comprised territory taken from the dioceses of Warmia and
Łomża
Łomża (), in English known as Lomza, is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) to the north-east of Warsaw and west of Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river as part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship si ...
. The Diocese of Elbląg comprised territory taken from Warmia and the former dioceses of Chełmno (now
Diocese of Pelplin) and Gdańsk (now
Archdiocese of Gdańsk
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 ...
).
Today the see comprises an area of 12,000 km² with 694,000 Catholics, 33
deans, 260 church districts, 422 diocese
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
s, 124 order priests, and 244 order nuns.
Ordinaries
The following is a list of the bishops and archbishops since the
episcopal see
An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...
was re-established in 1972. For earlier bishops and prince-bishops, see
List of bishops of Warmia
This is a list of Bishops and Prince-Bishops of the Diocese of Warmia ( pl, link=no, Diecezja warmińska, la, link=no, Dioecesis Varmiensis, german: link=no, Bistum Ermland), which was elevated to the Archdiocese of Warmia in 1992.
The Bishop ...
.
:TO ELABORATE
See also
*
List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Poland
The Roman Catholic Church in Poland comprises mainly sixteen Latin ecclesiastical provinces, each headed by a Metropolitan, whose Archdioceses have a total of 28 suffragan Dioceses, each headed by a bishop. They are all members of the Episcopal Co ...
*
Duchy of Warmia
The Prince-Bishopric of Warmia ( pl, Biskupie Księstwo Warmińskie; german: Fürstbistum Ermland) was a semi-independent ecclesiastical state, ruled by the incumbent ordinary of the Warmia see and comprising one third of the then diocesan area ...
References
Sources and external links
Official Website
Memorial website, listing names of the dead
{{authority control
Warmia
1243 establishments in Europe
Religious organizations established in the 1240s
Roman Catholic dioceses established in the 13th century