Alexander Rudnay

Alexander Rudnay, lithograph by Friedrich Lieder , 1829

signature

Cardinal's coat of arms

Alexander Rudnay (Hungarian Rudnay Sándor) (born October 4, 1760 in Svätý Kríž nad Váhom (Vágszentkereszt; German at that time Heyl-Creütz), Neutra county ; † September 13, 1831 in Gran (Esztergom), Hungary ) was a Hungarian cardinal and Archbishop of Esztergom of Slovak ethnicity .

Life

Rudnay attended high school in Nitra and studied theology and philosophy in Pressburg ( Bratislava ), Tyrnau ( Trnava ) and Ofen ( Buda ). In 1784 he became a doctor of theology and a year later he was ordained a priest . First chaplain in Schattmannsdorf ( Častá ) and actuary of the archbishop's vicariate general in Tyrnau, Rudnay was also chaplain in St. Benedikt ( Hronský Beňadik ) in 1786, archivist in 1787, later secretary, and in 1789 chancellor of the vicariate general in Tyrnau. In the same year he became pastor in Koros ( Krušovce ). In Tyrnau Rudnay was canon in 1805 , rector of the seminary in 1806 , abbot , vicar general of the Archbishop of Gran in 1808 , titular bishop and member of the Hungarian Lieutenancy, and in 1809 provost and councilor of the Hungarian court chancellery. On September 25, 1815 Rudnay became the Bishop of Transylvania appointed, his confirmation was made on March 8, 1816. The episcopal ordination donated to him on April 21, 1816 in St. Stephen to Vienna the Viennese Archbishop Sigmund Anton von Hohenwart ; Co-consecrators were Bishop Adeodatus Papikian , abbot of the Mechitarist monastery in Vienna , and Johann Nepomuk von Dankesreither , auxiliary bishop in Vienna. In 1819 Alexander Rudnay became Archbishop of Gran (Esztergom) and thus Prince Primate of Hungary. He also held the political functions of a secretary of the Hungarian court chancellery , of the secret council and a member of the September viral table. In 1825 he crowned Empress Carolina Auguste as Queen and in 1830 Crown Prince Ferdinand as King of Hungary.

Pope Leo XII. appointed him cardinal in pectore on October 2, 1826 , this was publicly proclaimed in the consistory of December 15, 1828. However, he never traveled to Rome to receive the cardinal's hat and a title. Therefore, he did not take part in the 1829 conclave , which Pope Pius VIII elected, nor in the 1830–1831 conclave , which Gregory XVI. elected to the Pope, part.

plant

In 1820 Rudnay moved the seat of the Gran Archdiocese and Chapter from Tyrnau back to Gran (Esztergom) and founded the Tyrnau Chapter . In 1822 he began building the cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace in Gran. His efforts to reverse the reforms of Joseph’s church policy, for which purpose he convened a national synod in Pressburg in 1822, met with resistance from the Hungarian government.

Gran Cathedral

Rudnay played an important role in the modern national development of the Slovaks. He supported Bernolák's work to establish the West Slovak dialect for the Slovak literary language and took part in the publication of his dictionary. He also promoted the creation of a Bible edition in Slovak. In addition, he was a member and sponsor of the Slovak Academic Society (Slovenské učené tovarišstvo). Social and charitable foundations made it possible for gifted people to study. He was made by his saying: I am a Slovak, and even if I were to sit in the chair of [Saint] Peter, I will remain a Slovak.

• Erköltsi Keresztény Oktatások különösen a fenyitö házakban raboskodónak remélhetö megjobbitásokra (Christian moral lessons especially to improve the prisoners). 1819
• Kázne príhodné, ai iné, to gest: 82 reči duchownich… (occasional and other sermons, that is: 82 spiritual speeches…). 1833
• various pastoral letters , speeches and sermons in separate editions

Afterlife

In 2002 the Slovak Post dedicated a special postage stamp and a stamp pad to Rudnay.

literature

• Constantin von Wurzbach : Rudnay de Rudna and Divék-Ujfalú, Alexander . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 27th part. Imperial and Royal Court and State Printing Office, Vienna 1874, pp. 223–225 ( digitized version ).
• Miklós Lackó: Rudnay, Alexander . In: Biographical Lexicon on the History of Southeast Europe. Vol. 4. Munich 1981, p. 60 f.
• I. Chalupecký:  Rudnay von Rudna and Divékujfalu Alexander. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 9, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1988, ISBN 3-7001-1483-4 , p. 314 f. (Direct links on p. 314 , p. 315 ).

Web links

Commons : Alexander Rudnay  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Rudnay Divékújfalusi, Alexander. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website), accessed March 19, 2017.
• Entry on Alexander (Sandor) Rudnay Divékújfalusi on catholic-hierarchy.org ; Retrieved March 19, 2017.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Postage stamp with Alexander Rudnay

predecessor	Office	successor
Karl Ambrosius of Austria-Este	Archbishop of Gran 1819–1831	József Kopácsy
József Mártonfi	Bishop of Transylvania 1815–1819	Ignác Szepessy