Merkelis Giedraitis
Encyclopedia
Merkelis Giedraitis was Bishop of Samogitia from 1576 to 1609. He actively combated Reformation
implementing resolutions of Council of Trent
in Samogitia
.
Giedraitis was born into the Giedraičiai family of Lithuanian nobility. He studied at University of Königsberg
(1550), Universities of Wittenberg
and Tübingen (1560–1563), University of Leipzig
(1563). He was ordained as a priest in 1571 and soon became a member of the diocesan chapter
in Vilnius
. Bishop of Samogitia Jurgis Petkūnas died in 1574. Jakub Uchański
, Primate of Poland and Archbishop of Gniezno, attempted to promote his nephew to the vacancy. Walerian Protasewicz
, Bishop of Vilnius, protested this nepotism
and instead promoted Giedraitis, who had a clear advantage of speaking Lithuanian
and Samogitian. After a two-year political struggle Giedraitis prevailed and was consecrated bishop on January 16, 1576.
Giedraitis found parishes of Diocese of Samogitia either overtaken by Protestants or neglected. He worked hard to end clerical abuses, strengthen churches and schools, and increase number of priests. He sponsored education of 12 students at Vilnius Theological Seminary and sought to establish Kražiai Theological Seminary, which was accomplished after his death. Giedraitis also invited Jesuits to Kražiai
and Bernardines to Kretinga
to establish the first monasteries in Samogitia. He supported use of the Lithuanian language and encouraged all priests to use it for sermons. He sponsored Mikalojus Daukša
, who published a catechism
(1595) and a postil
(1599) in the Lithuanian language—the first Lithuanian books printed within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
. He also supported Maciej Stryjkowski
, author of the first printed history of Lithuania
.
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
implementing resolutions of Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
in Samogitia
Samogitia
Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...
.
Giedraitis was born into the Giedraičiai family of Lithuanian nobility. He studied at University of Königsberg
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as second Protestant academy by Duke Albert of Prussia, and was commonly known as the Albertina....
(1550), Universities of Wittenberg
University of Halle-Wittenberg
The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg , also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg within Saxony-Anhalt, Germany...
and Tübingen (1560–1563), University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
(1563). He was ordained as a priest in 1571 and soon became a member of the diocesan chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. Bishop of Samogitia Jurgis Petkūnas died in 1574. Jakub Uchański
Jakub Uchanski
Jakub Uchański , of Radwan Coat of Arms, was an archbishop of Gniezno and primate of Poland from 1562 to 1581, interrex from 1572 to 1573 and from 1574 to 1575....
, Primate of Poland and Archbishop of Gniezno, attempted to promote his nephew to the vacancy. Walerian Protasewicz
Walerian Protasewicz
Walerian Protasewicz was bishop of Lutsk and Vilnius . To combat Reformation he invited Jesuits to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He funded the Jesuit college in Vilnius and obtained Papal and Royal privileges to convert the college into Vilnius University in 1579...
, Bishop of Vilnius, protested this nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
and instead promoted Giedraitis, who had a clear advantage of speaking Lithuanian
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
and Samogitian. After a two-year political struggle Giedraitis prevailed and was consecrated bishop on January 16, 1576.
Giedraitis found parishes of Diocese of Samogitia either overtaken by Protestants or neglected. He worked hard to end clerical abuses, strengthen churches and schools, and increase number of priests. He sponsored education of 12 students at Vilnius Theological Seminary and sought to establish Kražiai Theological Seminary, which was accomplished after his death. Giedraitis also invited Jesuits to Kražiai
Kražiai
Kražiai is a town in Lithuania, located in the Kelmė district municipality, between Varniai and Raseiniai , on the Kražantė river. The old town of Kražiai is an archeological and urban monument....
and Bernardines to Kretinga
Kretinga
Kretinga is a city in the Klaipėda County, Lithuania. It is the capital of the Kretinga district municipality. It is located east of the popular Baltic Sea resort town of Palanga, and about north of Lithuania's 3rd largest city and principal seaport, Klaipėda.The population was listed as 21,423...
to establish the first monasteries in Samogitia. He supported use of the Lithuanian language and encouraged all priests to use it for sermons. He sponsored Mikalojus Daukša
Mikalojus Daukša
Mikalojus Daukša was a Lithuanian and Latin religious writer, translator and a Catholic church official...
, who published a catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
(1595) and a postil
Postil
Postil or Postilla: a medieval Latin term for a marginal note or a Biblical commentary affixed to a text, being an abbreviation of the phrase post illa verba textus...
(1599) in the Lithuanian language—the first Lithuanian books printed within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
. He also supported Maciej Stryjkowski
Maciej Stryjkowski
Maciej Stryjkowski was a Polish-Lithuanian historian, writer and a poet, notable as the author of Chronicle of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia and all of Ruthenia , amongst other aspects of this work considered the first printed book on the history of Lithuania.-Biography:Maciej Stryjkowski was...
, author of the first printed history of Lithuania
History of Lithuania
The history of Lithuania dates back to at least 1009, the first recorded written use of the term. Lithuanians, a branch of the Baltic peoples, later conquered neighboring lands, establishing the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in the 13th century the short-lived Kingdom of Lithuania. The Grand Duchy...
.