Development of Competences of the Primate of Poland and the President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference

Abstract

The rights and privileges of the primates of Poland were considerable. Polish primates crowned Polish kings, blessed royal marriages, and presided over the funeral rites of Polish kings. They were the first senators of the Kingdom, and in the king’s absence they acted as his governor and interrex. They had the right to convene the Sejm, Senate councils and order general mobilisation; they were members of governmental bodies, had precedence before princes and dukes, sat before cardinals, had a princely title and a coat of arms, and wore purple robes. A turning point for the hierarchy came with the new legislation of the universal Church. Canon 438 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law expressly regulates that, apart from the prerogative of honour, the primate no longer has any power of governance, unless otherwise stated for some of them by apostolic privilege or approved custom. Canon 452 prescribes the election of the president of the bishops’ conference. Currently, Primate of Poland is an honorary title for the metropolitan archbishops of Gniezno. The privileges inherent in the functions of the primate are precedence during liturgical celebrations, a permanent place in the Permanent Council of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, the right to wear purple and to have 30 tassels in his coat of arms.