VILNA
432
VILNA
(1166), and Conrad de Seyne, who died Cardinal-
Bishop of Porto. Gradually the selection of the ab-
bots became the prerogative of the sovereign, and the
monastery suffered from the intrusion of unworthy
prelates; it also suffered from pohtical disorders, so
that at one time the entire community were obliged
to quit the abbey for nearly twenty years. In 1776
the community still numbered 54 monks and 11 lay-
brothers, but shortly afterwards (1796) the abbey fell
under the law of suppression. Later on the Belgian
Government purchased the ruins, restored them and
preserves them as a monument of the historic past.
Sanderus, Chorographia sacra BrabanticE, I (The Hague, 1726) ; Brasseur, Origines omnium hannoiii(e ctmobiorum (Mons, 1650) ; NiMAL, Villers et Aulne (Liege, 1896) : Idem, L'Eglise de Vitlers (Brussel8, 1904) : de Moread, UAbbaye de ViUers en Brabant (Brussels, 1909); Gallia Christiana, III; Manrique, Annates Cistercienses (Lyons, 1642); Mart^ne and Durand, Thesaurus novtis anecdotorum. Ill (Paris, 1717); Iv^M, Hist. Vil- lariensis monasterii (Paris, 1717); Idem, Veterum scriptorum et monumentorum ampHssima coUectio, V (Paris, 1729); Henriquez, Fasciculus sanctorum Ord. Cisterciensis (Brussels, 1623) ; Casarii Heisterbacensis Dialogus Miraculorum (Cologne, 1851) ; Ja- NAT78CHEK, Originum Cisterciensium, I (Vienna, 1877).
Edmond M. Obrecht.
Vilna, Diocese of (Vilnen.sis). — Vilna, the capital of Lithuania, is situated at the junction of the Rivers Vileika andVilja; population 16.5,000 in 1910. Its foundation is traced back to the twelfth, and even, by Polish writers, to the tenth century; but its his- torical origins must be referred to the year 1323, when Giedymin, Grand Prince of Lithuania, set up his capital there, wrote a letter to John XXII, and made treaty with the Brethren of the Sword. The German Crusaders partly devastated the city in 1383. When the Grand Prince JagicUo, in 1383, received baptism and married Hedwige, Queen of Poland, taking the name of Wladislaus 11, and uniting Poland with Lithuania, the rehgious and pohtical prosperity of Vilna began. In 1.577 it became the seat of a flourish- ing academy which gained a great literary reputation, especially under the Jesuits. In the later half of the seventeenth century and the earUer of the eighteenth it suffered much from war, fire, and jiestilence. United with Russia in 1794, it ceased to be the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Polish insur- rection of 1831 and 1863 exposed it to cruel reprisals; from 1870 it has developed industrially and commer- cially.
Bishops. — The Diocese of Vilna owes its founda- tion to Wladislaus II Jagiello (1383-1434), who was active in propagating Catholicism in Lithuania. In 1387 Jagiello sent Dobrogost, Bishop of Posen, as ambassador to Urban VI (1378-87) to petition for the erection of an episcopal see at Vilna and the appoint- ment of Andrew Wasilon (then Bishop of Ceretenska) to fill it. This was granted and the foundation of a collegiate church of ten canons authorized. Lender Wasilon's rule, the Churches of St. John, St. Martin, and St. Anne were built at Vilna. Upon his death, in 1398, he was succeeded by the Franciscan James Plichta (1398-1407), in whose time the cathedral was burnt down. Among his successors were: Peter of Kustynia (1414-21), whom Martin V invested with full powers to bring back the Orthodox of Lithuania to the bosom of the Catholic Church; Matthias of Trok (1421-.53), a Lithu.anian, who sent represent;i- tives to the Council of Basle and set up the Inquisition to coml>:it the Hussites, founded many churches and strenuously defended the rights and privileges of the Lithuanians. Under John Losowicz (14()7-81) many Ruthenians were converted to Catholicism and the Franciscans (Bernardines) were established at Vilna. Albert Tabor, a Lithuanian, invited the Dominicans to Vilna and entrusted to them the Church of the Holy Spirit; Albert Radziwill (ir)0S-19) died in the odour of sanctity; John the Lithuanian (1.519-37) held the first diocesan synod at Vilna in 1.526; Prince Paul Holszanski (1534^55) restored his cathedral in
the Gothic style and held a synod in 1555; Valerian
Protasewicz Suszkowski (1556-80) had to contend
for the cehbacy of the clergy and the use of Latin in
the Liturgy; he brought the Jesuits, among whom was
Peter Skarga, to Vilna.
Prince George Radziwill (1581-91) fostered the Academy of Vilna, founded a seminary, under the direction of the Jesuits, introduced the regulations of the Council of Trent, and, having been made a cardi- nal, was transferred to the Diocese of Cracow in 1591. The chapter then entrusted the administra- tion of the diocese to the suffragan bishop, Ciprian. At his death, in 1594, the clergy were divided into factions on the choice of a successor, until Sigismund III nominated Benedict Woina (1600-15), who exerted himself efficaciously for the canonization of St. Casimir of Poland, in whose honour the first stone of a church was laid at Vilna in 1604. He succeeded in his efforts to have St. Casimir regarded as patron of Lithuania. His successor, Eustachius Wollowicz (1616-30), founded hospitals, invited the Canons Regular of the Lateran to Vilna, and energetically combated the Protestants and the Orthodox. Abram Wojna (1631-49) introduced the Fatebene Brethren and strenuously opposed Calvinism. George Tysz- kiewicz (1650-6) annexed the whole of Courland to his diocese. Alexander Sapieha (1666-71) founded the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, taking St. Peter's for his model. The diocese then comprised 25 deaneries with 410 churches. Constantius Casimir Brzostow- ski (1687-1722) brought the Piarists to Vihia and encouraged the development of the religious orders. In the episcopate of Michael Zienkowicz (1730-62) there arose sad conflicts between the Jesuits and the Piarists, resulting in the closing of the Piarist schools. Prince James Massalski (1762-94) encour- aged the reform of the clergy, and devoted his immense fortune to the churches of his diocese.
After the annexation of Lithuania by Russia, the Diocese of Vilna no longer enjoyed freedom of rela- tions with the Holy See. In 1795 the chapter nomi- nated David Pilchowski vicar in spiritualibus. Livo- nia was added to the diocese, and Jolm Nepomucene Kossakowski (1798-1808) was appointed bishop. He did much for the prosperity of the seminary. After his death the chapter became involved in a conflict with Siestrzencewicz, the Catholic Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, who usurped rights exclusively belong- ing to the Holy See. Siestrzencewicz forced upon the chapter, as administrator of the diocese, Geronimo Strojonowski (1808-15), upon whose death he arro- gated to himself the government of the diocese with the t it le of Primate of Lithuania. In 1827, after Siestrz- encewicz's death, the vicar Capitular, Milucki, ruled the diocese for a short time. In 1S28 Andreas Kla- giewicz was appointed administrator; he was sent to the interior of Russia during the Pohsh insurrection of 1831, and returned to Vilna in 1832, was preconizcd Bishop of Vilna in 1839, and took possession of the see on 28 June, 1841. He died the same year, after witnessing the ruin of the Ruthenian Uniat Church in his diocese and a most ferocious persecution of Cathohcisni. The chapter elected John Cj'winski as vicar suffragan; he had the grief of seeing the Univer- sity of Vilna closed, the clergy and churches of his diocese comi)letely despoiled of their i)roperty, and died on 17 Nov., i,S46. In 1848 he was succeeded by Wenceslaus Zylinski, who was transferred in 1856 to the metropolit:in See of Mohilov, but continued to govern his former dioco,';e milil 1S.5S. .Adam Stanis- laus Krasinski was expelled from tlio diocese in con- sequence of the Polish insurrection, hut nrvcrtlieless continued to govern the diocese until 1SS3, wlicn he withdrew to Cracow. His successor, Charles Hrynie- wcki, was exiled to Jaroslav after two years of the episcopate, and in 1890 al)dicated and withdrew to Galicia. During his exile Ludovic Zdanowicz gov-
