Michał Franciszek Karpowicz

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Michał Franciszek Karpowicz (Lithuanian: Mykolas Pranciškus Karpavičius; 4 October 1744 – 5 November 1803) was a professor of the Vilnius University, participant of the Kościuszko Uprising (1794), and Roman Catholic bishop of the diocese of Wigry.[1][2] Karpowicz is regarded as the most famous preacher of the Age of Enlightenment in Lithuania and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.[1][2] He delivered sermons for ~20 years to the noble participants of the sessions of the Lithuanian Tribunal.[1] His ancestors were Lithuanian nobles which are known since the 15th century.[1]

Biography

Karpowicz was born in Kamyenyets, in the Brest Litovsk Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[2] He was educated between 1757 and 1761 by the Jesuits,[2] entering a Vincentian seminary in Warsaw on 26 July 1761. He was ordained a priest in 1767 and continued to learn philosophy at the Vincentian seminary between 1767 and 1771, after which he taught theology at a seminary in Kraków until 1772.[3] Karpowicz graduated from Vilnius University with a doctorate in theology on 5 August 1774,[4] and was made archdeacon of Smolensk in 1776.[5]

On 22 November 1783, Karpowicz was made professor of dogmatic theology at Vilnius University.[4][6] He was also made a canon of Poznan the same year.[5] Karpowicz was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Wigry on 5 April 1799.[7] He was consecrated on 30 March 1800 in Holy Cross Church by John Baptist Albertrandi,[8] co-consecrated by Tomasz Ostaszewski and Adam Michał Prażmowski.[9] He died on 5 November 1803 in Berżniki and was buried on 12 December 1803 at the monastery in Wigry.[10][11]

References

  1. 1.[1.2][1.3][1.4]Kuolys, Darius. "Mykolas Pranciškus Karpavičius". Šaltiniai.info (in Lithuanian). Vilnius University, Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  2. 2.[2.2][2.3][2.4]Mačiulytė, Kristina. "Mykolas Pranciškus Karpavičius". Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  3. 3.Nowodworski 1877, p. 116.
  4. 4.[4.2]Ritzler, Remigius (1958). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentioris aevi (in Latin). Vol. VI. p. 446.
  5. 5.[5.2]Mačiulytė, Kristina (2011). "Mykolas Pranciškus Karpavičius". Senosios Lietuvos literatūra, 1253-1795 (PDF) (in Lithuanian). pp. 338–344.
  6. 6.Chełmicki 1910, p. 369.
  7. 7.Nowodworski 1877, p. 118.
  8. 8.Sawicki, Ryszard (2017). "Diecezja wigierska i jej dziedzictwo historyczno-pastoralne". Studia Ełckie (in Polish) (19): 369.
  9. 9.Prokop, Krzysztof (2010). "Sakry i sukcesja święceń biskupich pasterzy diecezji Wigierskiej, Sejneńskiej (Augustowskiej) oraz Łomżyńskiej" (PDF). Studia Teologiczne – Białystok, Drohiczyn, Łomża (in Polish) (28): 336.
  10. 10.Chełmicki 1910, p. 370.
  11. 11.Nowodworski 1877, p. 120.