Title Parish clergy in the diosesis of Vilnius and Samogitia in the 15th – 3rd quarter of the 16th century /
Translation of Title Vilniaus ir Žemaičių vyskupijų parapinė dvasininkija XV–XVI a. trečiajame ketvirtyje.
Authors Bružaitė, Reda
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Pages 32
Keywords [eng] diocese of Vilnius ; diocese of Samogitia ; clergy
Abstract [eng] The thesis aims to research and produce the group portrait of parish clergy of Vilnius and Samogitia dioceses in the 15th – 3rd quarter of the 16th century. The analysis of almost all known sources and even occasional references provides possibility to reveal whether there were priests of local descent; representatives of which social strata opted for ecclesiastical career; how many of them performed the function of pastoral care effectively – resided in the area and were ordained; how many of them observed celibacy and other requirements for priesthood. The study also aims at establishing the degree of cohesion between parish clergy and hierarchically superior clergymen as well as other factors influential of the formation of common social identity. Already in the 15th century the diocesan clergy in the dioceses of Vilnius and Samogitia was an integral part of the universal Church. Main characteristics of examined parish clergy were common to all pre-Trent clergy in Europe: an absence of appropriate training; a lack of attitude to the requirements for priesthood of both clergyman and civics, an issue of residence, differences between high clergy and usual parsons. The late baptism and the social structure of the GDL were influential to some specific features of parish clergy in dioceses of Vilnius and Samogitia: a number of clergy in parishes was low; a diversity of parish clergy was also rather low; clergymen were representatives of the nobility; priests of Polish origin made up almost half of the parish clergy.
Type Summaries of doctoral thesis
Language English
Publication date 2012