The Imperial Roman Catholic Theological Academy (russian: Императорская Римско-Католическая Духовная Академия) was an institution of higher education preparing

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

theologians in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. The Academy granted master's and doctorate degrees in

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and was designed to prepare clergy for senior positions in the

Catholic Church hierarchy The hierarchy of the Catholic Church consists of its bishop (Catholic Church), bishops, Priesthood (Catholic Church), priests, and deacons. In the Catholic ecclesiology, ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy or ...

. It originated 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 and ...

, but was transferred to

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

in the aftermath of the Uprising of 1831. The Tsarist authorities wanted to exercise greater control over the Academy and implement Russification policies. After the

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...

in 1917, the Academy was moved to Poland where it became the Catholic University of Lublin. A new theological seminary was established in Moscow in 1993; it moved to the premises of the historical Saint Petersburg Academy in 1995.

In Vilnius

The academy traced its roots to the Supreme Theological Seminary of

established in 1803–1808 in the

Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North A ...

monastery. After the Uprising of 1831, the University was closed leaving only two Academies – the Academy of Medicine–Surgery and the Theological Academy. Both of them were subordinated to the

Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

(as opposed to Ministry of Education or

Bishop of Vilnius Bishops of Vilnius (Vilna, Wilna, Wilno) diocese from 1388 and archdiocese (archdiocese of Vilnius) from 1925:

). Vilnius Theological Academy was officially established on July 1, 1833. Courses included theology, scripture,

homiletics In religious studies, homiletics ( grc, ὁμιλητικός ''homilētikós'', from ''homilos'', "assembled crowd, throng") is the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific art of public preaching. One who practices or ...

Biblical hermeneutics Biblical hermeneutics is the study of the principles of interpretation concerning the books of the Bible. It is part of the broader field of hermeneutics, which involves the study of principles of interpretation, both theory and methodology, for ...

and

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

history of Christianity The history of Christianity concerns the Christianity, Christian religion, Christendom, Christian countries, and the Christians with their various Christian denomination, denominations, from the Christianity in the 1st century, 1st century ...

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

, logic, ethics, classical, Polish, and Russian languages and literature, world and Russian history. The lectures were held in Latin and Russian languages. The Academy had about 40 students; the section devoted to the

Armenian Catholic Church , native_name_lang = hy , image = St Elie - St Gregory Armenian Catholic Cathedral.jpg , imagewidth = 260px , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Saint Elias and Saint Gregory the Illuminat ...

had 7 students. Its rectors were Alojzy Osiński (former lecturer at the

Liceum Krzemienieckie Krzemieniec Lyceum ( pl, Liceum Krzemienieckie; russian: Кременецкий лицей; uk, Крем'янецький ліцей); sometimes referred to as "the Volhynian Athens" and " Czacki's School") was a renowned Polish secondary school ...

; 1770–1842) and

Antoni Fijałkowski Antoni is a Catalan, Polish, and Slovene given name and a surname used in the eastern part of Spain, Poland and Slovenia. As a Catalan given name it is a variant of the male names Anton and Antonio. As a Polish given name it is a variant of the fem ...

(former professor at Vilnius University; 1797–1883). The Academy had 8 faculty members, who included philologist

Leon Borowski Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again f ...

, philosopher

Anioł Dowgird Anioł Dowgird ( lt, Angelas Daugirdas, link=no; 1776–1835) was a philosopher of Enlightenment in Poland, Polish Enlightenment and Lithuanian Enlightenment. Dowgird studied in Jesuit and Piarist schools, then joined the Piarist Order and took hol ...

, historian Paweł Kukolnik. The Academy closely cooperated with

Vilnius Priest Seminary The Vilnius St. Joseph Seminary is a Roman Catholic seminary in Vilnius, Lithuania. It traces its history to an institution founded by Cardinal Jurgis Radvila in 1582. After being closed and reopened several times, it was re-established in 1993 ...

. Around 1840, the Tsarist authorities suspected that the students were planning another uprising. Therefore, the academy, including its students, professors, and library, was moved to

in August 1842. The Academy of Medicine–Surgery was also closed, transferring its assets to the

University of Kiev Kyiv University or Shevchenko University or officially the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv ( uk, Київський національний університет імені Тараса Шевченка), colloquially known as KNU ...

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 ...

and Lithuania were left without an institution of higher education.

In Saint Petersburg

Teachers and students of the Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy in 1907

In Saint Petersburg, the Academy settled in the former palace of the

Russian Academy The Russian Academy or Imperial Russian Academy (russian: Академия Российская, Императорская Российская академия) was established in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1783 by Empress Catherine II of Russia ...

on the

Vasilyevsky Island Vasilyevsky Island (russian: Васи́льевский о́стров, Vasilyevsky Ostrov, V.O.) is an island in St. Petersburg, Russia, bordered by the Bolshaya Neva and Malaya Neva Rivers (in the delta of the Neva River) in the south a ...

in 1844. The purchase and reconstruction of the premises was financed with funds of closed Catholic monasteries. The consecration ceremony of the palace was attended by Emperor Nicholas I. On that occasion the Academy was granted the title "Imperial Academy". All other Catholic academies became its subordinates. The number of students was limited to 40; the limit was increased to 60 after the Roman Catholic Clerical Academy in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

was closed in 1867. From 1885 to 1917, the Academy published students' research papers in a yearbook. Most gifted students were sent for further studies to western universities. In 1906, the Academy had 13 faculty members. After the

in 1917, the Academy was closed and moved to Poland where it became the Catholic University of Lublin.

People

The Academy continued to prepare theologians for western provinces of the Russian Empire. The students were mostly Polish and Lithuanian, with some Belarusians, Latvians, Germans. In 70 years, the academy prepared more than 1,000 students. Its famous alumni and faculty included

Fabijan Abrantovich Fabian Ivanovich Abrantovich (Fabijan Abrantovič; russian: Фабиан Иванович Абрантович, be, Фабіян Янавіч Абрантовіч, pl, Fabian Abrantowicz; September 14, 1884 – January 2, 1946) was a prominent ...

Antanas Baranauskas Antanas Baranauskas ( la, Antonius Baranovski, pl, Antoni Baranowski; 17 January 1835 – 26 November 1902) was a Lithuanian poet, mathematician and Catholic bishop of Sejny. Baranauskas is best known as the author of the Lithuanian poem '' An ...

, Mgr. Konstanty Romuald Budkiewicz, Archbishop Jan Cieplak, Antoni Czerwiński, saint

Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński (1 November 1822 in Voiutyn, now Ukraine – 17 September 1895 in Kraków) was a professor of the Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy, Archbishop of Warsaw in 1862-1883 (exiled by Tsar Alexander II to Y ...

, Romuald Jałbrzykowski,

Vladas Jurgutis Vladas Jurgutis (17 November 1885 in Joskaudai near Palanga – 9 January 1966 in Vilnius) was a Lithuanian priest, economist, and professor. As the first chairman of the Bank of Lithuania he is unofficially considered to be the "father of the ...

Aleksander Kakowski Aleksander Kakowski (; 5 February 1862 – 30 December 1938) was a Polish politician, diplomat, a member of the Regency Council and, as Cardinal and Archbishop of Warsaw, the last titular Primate of the Kingdom of Poland before Poland fully r ...

Josef Alois Kessler Joseph Aloysius Kessler (german: Josef Alois Kessler, russian: Иосиф Алоиз Кесслер; August 12, 1862 – December 10, 1933) was the last bishop of the Diocese of Tiraspol (Russia) and the last Volga German bishop till Bishop Jose ...

Mykolas Krupavičius Mykolas Krupavičius (1 October 1885, Balbieriškis, Lithuania – 4 December 1970, Chicago, U.S.) was a Lithuanian priest and politician. He is best known for his involvement with the land reform in the interwar Lithuania. In 1900 Krupavič ...

Zygmunt Łoziński Zygmunt Łoziński (5 June 1870 – 26 March 1932) was a Polish Roman Catholic bishop who served as the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev that later was aggregated to the Diocese of Pinsk. Soviet authorities arrested him on ...

Maironis Maironis (born Jonas Mačiulis, ; – 28 June 1932) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and the greatest and most-known Lithuanian poet, especially of the period of the Lithuanian press ban. He was called the Bard of Lithuanian National Revi ...

, blessed

Jurgis Matulaitis-Matulevičius Jurgis Matulaitis-Matulevičius, also known as Jerzy Bolesław Matulewicz-Matulaitis (13 April 1871 - 27 January 1927) was a Latin Church Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Vilnius from late 1918 until his resignation in 1925. Matulaitis ...

Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas Vincas Mykolaitis, known by his pen name Putinas (literally '' Viburnum'') (6 January 1893 in Pilotiškės, Suwałki Governorate – 7 June 1967 in Kačerginė), was a Lithuanian poet and writer. He was also a priest, but renounced his priesthoo ...

Justinas Pranaitis Justinas Bonaventura Pranaitis or Pronaitis''Scapegoat on Trial: The Story of Mendel Beilis - The Autobiography of Mendel Beilis the Defendant in the Notorious 1912 Blood Libel in Kiev'', Beilis, Mendel, Introd. & Ed. By Shari Schwartz, CIS, New Yo ...

Mečislovas Reinys Mečislovas Reinys (1884 in Madagaskaras, Kovno Governorate – 1953) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic archbishop, a professor at Vytautas Magnus University, a Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mečislovas Reinys was imprisoned by the Sovie ...

Franz Anton Schiefner Franz Anton Schiefner (June 18, 1817 – November 16, 1879) was a Baltic German linguist and tibetologist. Schiefner was born to a German-speaking family in Reval (Tallinn), Estonia, then part of Russian Empire. His father was a merchant who had e ...

Juozapas Skvireckas Juozapas Skvireckas (1873–1959) was a Lithuanian archbishop of Kaunas (1926–1959). In 1911–1937 he translated the Bible into the Lithuanian language; it was published in six volumes by the Society of Saint Casimir. During the occupation ...

, Boļeslavs Sloskāns, Julijans Vaivods,

Motiejus Valančius Motiejus Kazimieras Valančius ( pl, , also known by his pen-name ''Joteika'' and ''Ksiądz Maciek''; 1801–1875) was a Catholic Bishop of Samogitia, historian and one of the best known Lithuanian/Samogitian writers of the 19th century. Biogr ...

Rectors

The Academy rectors were: * Ignacy Hołowiński (1842–1855) * Wincenty Lipski (1855–1857) * Antoni Jakubielski (1857–1860) * Aleksander Kazimierz Bereśniewicz (1860–1864) * Dominika Stacewicza (1864–1876) * Szymon Marcin Kozłowski (1877–1880) * Antoni Franciszek Audziewicz (1880–1884) * Franciszek Albin Symon (1884–1897) * Karol Niedziałkowski (1897–1901) * Longin Żarnowiecki (1901–1910) *

(1910–1913) * Idzi Benedykt Radziszewski (1914–1917)

References

External links

Official website of the present-day Theological Seminary in Saint Petersburg
{{authority control 1833 establishments in the Russian Empire 1917 disestablishments in Russia Universities and colleges in Saint Petersburg Former Catholic universities and colleges History of education in Lithuania Defunct universities and colleges in Russia Educational institutions established in 1833 Educational institutions disestablished in 1917