Litomyšl diocese

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Litomyšl Diocese (dt. Litomyšl Diocese ) is a former diocese on the territory of today's Czech Republic . It was the second diocese in Bohemia after Prague . There was also the Diocese of Olomouc for Moravia .

history

Coat of arms of the Litomyšl diocese

When in 1344 Pope Clement VI. established its own church province for Bohemia and Moravia, Prague was elevated to an archbishopric and Litomyšl was founded as a suffragan .

The fact that the little important but centrally located East Bohemian Litomyšl was chosen as the bishopric was due to the ecclesiastical political intentions of Emperor Charles IV , who, after the incorporation of Silesia into the Crown of Bohemia, intended to also detach the diocese of Breslau from the ecclesiastical province of Gniezno Assigned to the ecclesiastical province of Prague. The Wroclaw Bishop Preczlaw von Pogarell , who supported Karl's plans, was therefore entrusted with organizational and administrative tasks in the establishment of the Litomyšl diocese.

From the Archbishopric of Prague, the East Bohemian deaneries were assigned to the Litomyšl diocese by the Prague Archbishop Ernst von Pardubitz in 1349 and 1350 :

  • Chrudim with 42 parishes and three subsidiary churches
  • Hohemauth with 36 parishes and three branch churches
  • Politschka with 15 (16) parishes and three subsidiary churches
  • Landskron with 16 parishes.

The Diocese of Olomouc became the Diocese of Litomyšl with 30 parishes from the North Moravian deaneries

The material basis of the newly founded diocese formed the properties of the Premonstratensian Monastery Litomyšl, which had existed since the 12th century , whose clerics formed the cathedral chapter and whose church was elevated to the status of cathedral . The first bishop was the abbot of the Premonstratensian Monastery of Klosterbruck near Znojmo , Johann I. His term of office was burdened by the unclear ownership structure, which resulted from the partial dissolution of the Leitomischler Premonstratensian Foundation in favor of the newly founded diocese. With the support of Preczlaw von Pogarell, who acted on behalf of the Pope, the ownership structure could be clarified and set down in 1347. At the same time, Emperor Charles IV confirmed the diocese free disposal over the episcopal possessions. The difficult negotiations with the dioceses of Olomouc and Prague, which had to cede areas from their territory to the diocese of Litomysl, could not be completed until 1350.

Although the diocese included numerous monasteries, it was located in an economically insignificant region. To stabilize their economic position, the bishops founded numerous other monasteries, for example for the Augustinian hermits in Litomyšl (1356), the Augustinian canons in Landskron (1371) and the Carthusian monastery of Tržek (1372), dedicated to "Maria Dornbusch" . Since the bishops were often in service at court, the administration of the diocese was neglected. A certain consolidation occurred during the episcopate of Bishop Albrecht von Sternberg . Under him in 1376 the bones of St. Viktorin brought to Litomyšl, who was appointed patron of the diocese.

During the long tenure of Bishop John IV of Bucca , church life slowly began to flourish. In 1391 he appointed a preacher who spoke the vernacular, in 1401 he held a diocesan synod and in 1406 a parish visitation. He also founded a cathedral school and a library. He was a supporter of Sigismund of Luxemburg and opponent of the teachings of Jan Hus and the Hussites . He took part in the Council of Constance as a delegate.

In contrast, Johann's successor Albrecht von Březí appeared as the protector of the Hussites. When they were besieged in 1421 under Jan Žižka , Litomyšl, which was owned by the bishop, surrendered voluntarily and the bishop fled the city. When the Taborites occupied the city again in 1425, the canons also fled to Zwittau , which belonged to the Diocese of Olomouc.

This effectively ended the existence of the Litomyšl diocese, although bishops and administrators continued to be appointed. With the victory of the Reformation in Zwittau in 1554 and the associated end of the Litomyšl cathedral chapter, the diocese also legally became extinct. The individual parishes were again assigned to the dioceses of Prague and Olomouc.

Today Litomyšl is a titular bishopric of the Roman Catholic Church .

See also

literature