Stanisław Bohusz Siestrzeńcewicz (Belarusian: Станіслаў Богуш-Сестранцэвіч, 1731–1826) was a Polish clergyman who became the first

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mohilev The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mohilev (or Mogilev or Mahilyow) was a territorial Latin rite division of the Roman Catholic Church, covering a significant western proportion of the territory of the Tsarist Russian empire. History It was er ...

(

Mogilev Mogilev (russian: Могилёв, Mogilyov, ; yi, מאָלעוו, Molev, ) or Mahilyow ( be, Магілёў, Mahilioŭ, ) is a city in eastern Belarus, on the Dnieper River, about from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from the bor ...

), an

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

from 1784 and a prominent member 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 ...

(1807), who had earlier converted from

Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

Biography

Stanisław Bohusz Siestrzeńcewicz was born in Zanki, Troki Province (now

Svislach Svislach or Śvislač ( be, Свiслач, ; russian: Сви́слочь, Svisloch; pl, Świsłocz; yi, סיסלעוויטש or ''Sislevitch''; lt, Svisločius) is a town in the South-West of Grodno Region, Belarus, an administrative center of ...

District

Grodno Region Grodno Region ( pl, Grodzieńszczyzna) or Grodno Oblast or Hrodna Voblasts ( be, Гродзенская вобласць, ''Hrodzienskaja vobłasć'', , ''Haradzienščyna''; russian: Гродненская область, ''Grodnenskaya oblast' ...

). His father was a

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

. Stanisław studied at the , and later at the University of Frankfurt. After traveling through Europe, he visited

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

and

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, and served in the Prussian Infantry and the Lithuanian Cavalry. In 1761, he retired with the rank of captain. He then worked as a tutor for the Radziwiłł family, at which point he converted to Catholicism. In 1762, Siestrzeńcewicz developed a course of theology 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 ...

. In 1763, he received holy orders. He served as rector in

Gomel Gomel (russian: Гомель, ) or Homiel ( be, Гомель, ) is the administrative centre of Gomel Region and the second-largest city in Belarus with 526,872 inhabitants (2015 census). Etymology There are at least six narratives of the ori ...

and

Bobruisk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 2 ...

and later, a canon in

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 ...

. On 2 July 1773, he was appointed

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 ...

Mallus Mallus may refer to: *Mallus (Cilicia), an ancient city in Cilicia, Anatolia * Mallus (Pisidia), an ancient city in Pisidia, Anatolia * Mallus (''Legends of Tomorrow''), a mysterious entity in the American superhero television series * Marco Mallu ...

. On 3 October 1773, Monsignor Gyultsen, representing the Bishop of Smolensk, officially consecrated him as a bishop. After that, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Vilnius, which was ceded to Russia. In early December 1773,

Catherine II , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anha ...

announced the creation of a Belarusian Catholic diocese with headquarters in

and Siestrzeńcewicz's appointment as Belarusian bishop. The newly appointed bishop observed all Latin Rites in Russia (including Moscow and Saint Petersburg). In 1774, Siestrzeńcewicz brought a printing press to Mohilev in order to publish spiritual and secular literature. On 14 February 1782, Catherine II transformed the diocese to the Belarusian Archdiocese of Mohilev and Siestrzeńcewicz became Archbishop. He took office after a ceremony on 20 February 1782. From this year until the end of the century, he lived in Mohilev. His appointment was made without the consent of Pope

Pius VI Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799. Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...

, and in 1783 an extraordinary ambassador of 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 ...

Giovanni Andrea Archetti Giovanni Andrea Archetti (11 September 1731 – 5 November 1805) was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal. Biography Born in Brescia, Lombardy, Archetti studied canon and civil law in La Sapienza University of Rome. He was ordained priest on 10 ...

, was sent to Saint Petersburg settle the conflict. Following the talks, in exchange for certain concessions, the pope approved Siestrzeńcewicz's nomination and the post of archbishop and handed him the

pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : ''pallia'') is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolit ...

on 22 February 1784. In 1783, he founded the theater in Mohilev. From 1798 to 1800, he chaired the collegium of the Catholic Justice Department. From 1801 to 1810 he was Chairman of the Catholic Theological Board. He died in 1826 at the age of 95. He was buried in

St. Stanislaus Church, Saint Petersburg The St. Stanislaus Church (russian: Храм Святого Станислава) is a Catholic church in neoclassical style in Saint Petersburg in northwest Russia. The church was built by Bishop Stanisław Bohusz Siestrzeńcewicz (1731–1826), ...

Honours

Order of the Russian Empire *

Order of St. Andrew The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called (russian: Орден Святого апостола Андрея Первозванного, translit=Orden Svyatogo apostola Andreya Pervozvannogo) is the highest order conferred by both the ...

Order of St. Alexander Nevsky The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia. History The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Empero ...

Order of St. Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir (russian: орден Святого Владимира) was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptize ...

, 1st degree *

Order of St. Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holst ...

, 1st degree *

Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller The Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller is a collection of charitable organisations claiming continuity with the Russian Orthodox grand priory of the Order of Saint John. The order emerged when Malta was captured by Napoleon in 1798 dur ...

(1798) Order of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth *

Order of the White Eagle (Poland) The Order of the White Eagle ( pl, Order Orła Białego) is Poland's highest order awarded to both civilians and the military for their merits. It was officially instituted on 1 November 1705 by Augustus II the Strong, King of Poland and Elect ...

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Ponia ...

Works

* ''Ustawy cesarzowej Katarzyny na gubernije'' (Mogilev, 1777) * ''Gocya W Taurydzie, tragedyja wierszem polskim'' (Mogilev, 1783) * ''On Western Russia'' (in Polish ) (1793) * ''Diarium congregationis Synodalis utriusque Cleri Romani Catolici in Imperio Rossico'' (Mogilev, 1794) * ''History Tavrii'' (1800) * ''On the origin of the Slavs, and Sarmatians'' (1812)

Sources

* Amara M. Buan-Ambassador of His Holiness. St. Petersburg, ''The verb'', 1996, . * Nadtoka GM ''Roman Catholicism in Ukraine at the end of XVIII — early XXI century: church-state, inter-denominational and ethnic aspects'' - Gilea: Research Journal of Scientific Papers — Issue 65 (2012). * Lyudmila Novikova ''Crimean factor in the history of the Cossacks in the image historians of the first half of the nineteenth century. - Black Sea past. Memoirs of the history of the Cossacks in the south of Ukraine'' Scientific Research Institute of the Cossacks of the Institute of History of Ukraine: Proc. Science. etc. - Vyp.5. - A.: SAP Brovkin OV-2010. - 180 c. * Piotr Nitecki, ''The Bishops of the Church in Poland in the years 965-1999''. Biographical Dictionary, Oxford University Press "Pax", Warsaw 2000. * Christopher R. Prokop ''Suksceja ordination and episcopal ordination of Pastors Vilnius with the second and third period of the eighteenth century'', the Catholic Theological Yearbook Vol V, Bialystok 2006, ISSN 1644-8855, pp. 240. * ''Hierarchy of Catholica medii et recentioris'' Aevi, Volume VI, Patavii 1958, p 274 (Latin). * Prokop, 2006, p 224. *
Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland
' and other Slavic countries, Volume XIV (Worowo — Żyżyn) of 1895. * ''Hierarchy medii Catholica et recentioris Aevi'', Volume VI, Patavii 1958, p 293 (Latin). * Paul Czerwinski, ''The Order of Malta and its relations with the Polish over the centuries'', p 163. * Zbigniew Dunin-Wilczynski, ''Order of Saint Stanislaus'', Warszawa 2006, p 181. * ''Knights and the statutes of the Order of the White Eagle'', 1705–2008, 2008, p 222. * Ivanovsky, Eustace
Rozmowy o polskiéj koronie
Kraków 1873, on page 677 Siestrzeńcewicz a philosopher and a broken spirit; Protestant brash, immoral man, the enemy of the Church, has been completely removed. * Kochanowski, Gennady, Bogush-Sestrentsevich Stanislav Ivanovich ''Encyclopedia of History of Belarus''. At 6 vols 2 Belitskaya — Anthem / Belarusian. Encyclopedia.; Editorial Board.: BI Sachenko (ed.). Etc..; Sett. EE Zhakevich. - Mn.: BelEn, 1994. S. 52.

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...

, 13 December 2005. * Kochanowski, ''Archaeologists and local history of Belarus in the 16th-19th centuries''. - Mn., 1984. - S. 11–22. * Philippovich I. ''Myths and truths about Mogilev''. - Mogilev, 1993. - S. 77–79. * ''Encyclopedia''. At 6 vols 2 Belitskaya — Anthem / Belarusian. Encyclopedia.; Editorial Board.: BI Sachenko (ed.). Etc..; Sett. EE Zhakevich. - Mn.: BelEn, 1994. - 537 p., k: ill. . * Jackiewicz S. ''Stanislav Bogush-Sestrentsevich'' / "Bulletin of Mogilev," 11 December 1992.

External links

Catholic hierarchy

* ttp://belchrist.narod.ru/pages/2_cark_lid/use/19-20/bogush.htm Станіслаў Богуш-Сестранцэвіч
Первый Митрополит Могилевский Архиепископ Станислав Иоанн Сестренцевич-Богуш

{{DEFAULTSORT:Siestrzencewicz, Stanislaw Bohusz 1731 births 1826 deaths Belarusian Roman Catholic archbishops Converts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the Russian Empire 18th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the Russian Empire