Polish C hristianity

Abstract

Abstract The history of Polish Christianity began in 966 when Duke Mieszko was converted through his wife, a Bohemian princess, and the first bishopric was established in Poznan in 968. The faith grew and flourished under Mieszko's son, Boleslaw I the Brave, who gained recognition as king from Emperor Otto III. The expansion of Christianity owed much to the work of missionaries from the German Empire, as well as the legacy of St. Adalbert of Prague, who was martyred at the hands of the Prussian pagans. In 1000 Gniezno, Adalbert's burial place, was made an independent archepiscopal see with three suffragan bishoprics, and Boleslaw promoted the church's organizational structure in his expanding realm. The death of Boleslaw ushered in a period of turmoil, in which the church began to disintegrate along with the kingdom. Pagan attacks on churches brought the deaths of Christians, and later conflicts between king and church led to the death of Bishop Stanislaus of Cracow. The church reestablished itself in the late 11th century, but it was not until the late 14th century that Christianity achieved the status of a national faith under King Casimir III the Great. The church was reorganized in conformity with canon law and in 1364 the University of Krakow was established. The pagan Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila became the ruler of both Lithuania and Poland following his baptism and the conversion of the Lithuanians to Roman Catholicism in 1386. At this time, German Catholics had also begun to migrate to Poland as settlers. The dynastic union of Poland and Lithuania thus created not only one of the largest states in European Christendom but also one of the most religiously diverse, with Polish, German, and Lithuanian Catholics, Slavic and Lithuanian Orthodox, as well as Jews. Polish Roman Catholicism's Golden Age encompassed both the 15th and 16th centuries. The 15th century was known as the Century of Saints. After the Confederation of Warsaw in 1573, the Church, led by St. Hosius, increased its influence by judicious reforms. In 1595 the Ruthenian Church left the Orthodox fold and submitted to Rome. The Jagiello regime was overthrown in 1572, the throne became elective and a parliament was established. In 1587 the Catholic Church was given official recognition and Protestantism was restricted. Nicholas Copernicus was among the scientists and scholars who contributed to a rebirth of learning.