Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz
Encyclopedia
Archbishop
Monsignor
Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz ' onMouseout='HidePop("85234")' href="/topics/Hrodna">Odelsk
, Hrodna Raion
, Belarus
) is the Belarusian
Roman Catholic
Archbishop
of Minsk and Mahilyow, Belarus
and Apostolic Administrator
of Pinsk
.
Born as Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz to an ethnic Polish family, he was the elder of the two children of Ignacy Kondrusiewicz (1906–1985) and his wife Anna (née Szusta; 1911–1999). His sister was the late Maria Kondrusiewicz Buro (1949–1997). In 1962, after completing his secondary schooling, he entered the Department of Physics and Mathematics at the Hrodna Pedagogical Institute (teachers' training college), which he had to leave a year later because of his practice of Catholicism.
In 1964, he entered the Department of Energetics and Machinery Construction at the Leningrad Polytechnical Institute (now known as the Saint Petersburg Polytechnical University
. He graduated in 1970, becoming a mechanical engineer. He worked in Vilnius
, Lithuania
(then part of the USSR
).
In 1976, aged 30, he entered Kaunas Priest Seminary
and was ordained as a priest on May 31, 1981. He served as (assistant) curate
in a number of parishes in Lithuania
. On February 13, 1988 he was appointed parish priest of the parishes of Our Lady of Angels and St. Francis Xavier
in Hrodna
, Belarus
.
In 1989 Pope
John Paul II
appointed him Apostolic Administrator
of Minsk
, Belarus
and Titular Bishop
of Hippo Diarrhytus. On October 20 he was ordained
bishop
by the Pope
at St. Peter's Basilica
in Rome
, with Cardinals
Edward Idris Cassidy and Francesco Colasuonno
as co-consecrators.
During his service as a bishop he has founded the Senior Hrodna Seminary, managed to return and reopening of about 100 churches in Belarus. He initiated translation and publication of Catholic religious literature in the Belarusian language
. http://catholic.by/2/en/conference/bishops/43-kkbb/100066-kondrusievich-biogr.html
On April 13, 1991 two Apostolic Administrations
were erected in Russian Federation: that of Russia Europea (European part of Russia) and of Siberia
, Msgr. Kondrusiewicz being appointed to head the former and Msgr. Joseph Werth
SJ to the latter. Moscow, the Russian capital, was chosen as the cathedral city for European Russia.
In 1999 this Apostolic Administration
was divided in two (Russia Europea Settentrionale in the north and Russia Europea Meridionale in the south, with Saratov
as its cathedral city), Msgr. Kondrusiewicz remaining in Moscow. Finally, on February 11, 2002 the Pope
elevated the four Apostolic Administrations
of Russia
to Diocese
s united in an ecclesiastical province
. The Apostolic Administration of Moscow
now became the Diocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, and Msgr. Kondrusiewicz was named Archbishop and Metropolitan
.
Between 1999 and 2005 Msgr. Kondrusiewicz spent two three-year terms as chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Russia, being then succeeded by Msgr. Joseph Werth
. From 1994 to 1999 he was a member of the Pontifical Congregation for the Oriental Churches
, and since 1996 of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care (see Roman Curia
).
Msgr. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz is seen by many as a moderate conservative
, being hostile towards the traditionalist
movement and the restoration of the Tridentine Mass
, but at the same time disallowing or discouraging many of the excesses of theological and liturgical liberalism in his diocese
. Without any doubt, he has been instrumental in the reestablishment of the Roman Catholic Church
in Russia
after the collapse of the Communist regime.
On September 21, 2007, Msgr. Kondrusiewicz was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Minsk-Mahilyow by Pope Benedict XVI
. He was succeeded in the Archdiocese of Mother of God at Moscow by Italian-born Fr. Paolo Pezzi
, FSCB
, until then rector of the major seminary
of "Mary Queen of the Apostles" in Saint Petersburg
.
On 30 June 2011 Kazimierz Świątek retire as Apostolic Administrator
of Pinsk
and Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz replace him.
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz ' onMouseout='HidePop("85234")' href="/topics/Hrodna">Odelsk
Hrodna
Grodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants...
, Hrodna Raion
Hrodna district
Hrodna district - a district in Hrodna vobłaść of Belarus.The administrative center is Hrodna....
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
) is the Belarusian
Belarusians
Belarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Minsk and Mahilyow, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of Pinsk
Pinsk
Pinsk , a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region, traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and Pina rivers. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk. It is a fertile agricultural center. It lies south-west of Minsk. The population is about 130,000...
.
Born as Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz to an ethnic Polish family, he was the elder of the two children of Ignacy Kondrusiewicz (1906–1985) and his wife Anna (née Szusta; 1911–1999). His sister was the late Maria Kondrusiewicz Buro (1949–1997). In 1962, after completing his secondary schooling, he entered the Department of Physics and Mathematics at the Hrodna Pedagogical Institute (teachers' training college), which he had to leave a year later because of his practice of Catholicism.
In 1964, he entered the Department of Energetics and Machinery Construction at the Leningrad Polytechnical Institute (now known as the Saint Petersburg Polytechnical University
Saint Petersburg Polytechnical University
Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University is a major Russian technical university situated in Saint Petersburg. Previously it was known as the Peter the Great Polytechnical Institute and Kalinin Polytechnical Institute .-Imperial Russia:...
. He graduated in 1970, becoming a mechanical engineer. He worked 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...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
(then part of the USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
).
In 1976, aged 30, he entered Kaunas Priest Seminary
Kaunas Priest Seminary
Kaunas Priest Seminary is the largest seminary in Lithuania serving the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas. It is part of the Faculty of Theology of Vytautas Magnus University. Its current rector is Aurelijus Žukauskas. As of 2007, the seminary had 35 students...
and was ordained as a priest on May 31, 1981. He served as (assistant) curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
in a number of parishes in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. On February 13, 1988 he was appointed parish priest of the parishes of Our Lady of Angels and St. Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534...
in Hrodna
Hrodna
Grodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
.
In 1989 Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
appointed him Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Hippo Diarrhytus. On October 20 he was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
by the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
at St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, with Cardinals
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Edward Idris Cassidy and Francesco Colasuonno
Francesco Colasuonno
Francesco Colasuonno was an Italian Catholic Cardinal, Archbishop and Papal Nuncio.-References:...
as co-consecrators.
During his service as a bishop he has founded the Senior Hrodna Seminary, managed to return and reopening of about 100 churches in Belarus. He initiated translation and publication of Catholic religious literature in the Belarusian language
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
. http://catholic.by/2/en/conference/bishops/43-kkbb/100066-kondrusievich-biogr.html
On April 13, 1991 two Apostolic Administrations
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
were erected in Russian Federation: that of Russia Europea (European part of Russia) and of Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Msgr. Kondrusiewicz being appointed to head the former and Msgr. Joseph Werth
Joseph Werth
Bishop Joseph Werth, SJ Иосиф Верт is Bishop of Transfiguration in Novosibirsk .Named as the Latin-rite Apostolic Administrator of Siberia - a see that encompassed 4.2 million square miles and extends through nine of the world's twenty four time zones - by Pope John Paul II on April 13, 1991, Werth...
SJ to the latter. Moscow, the Russian capital, was chosen as the cathedral city for European Russia.
In 1999 this Apostolic Administration
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
was divided in two (Russia Europea Settentrionale in the north and Russia Europea Meridionale in the south, with Saratov
Saratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
as its cathedral city), Msgr. Kondrusiewicz remaining in Moscow. Finally, on February 11, 2002 the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
elevated the four Apostolic Administrations
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
s united in an ecclesiastical province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
. The Apostolic Administration of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
now became the Diocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, and Msgr. Kondrusiewicz was named Archbishop and Metropolitan
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
.
Between 1999 and 2005 Msgr. Kondrusiewicz spent two three-year terms as chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Russia, being then succeeded by Msgr. Joseph Werth
Joseph Werth
Bishop Joseph Werth, SJ Иосиф Верт is Bishop of Transfiguration in Novosibirsk .Named as the Latin-rite Apostolic Administrator of Siberia - a see that encompassed 4.2 million square miles and extends through nine of the world's twenty four time zones - by Pope John Paul II on April 13, 1991, Werth...
. From 1994 to 1999 he was a member of the Pontifical Congregation for the Oriental Churches
Congregation for the Oriental Churches
The Congregation for the Oriental Churches is the dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for contact with the Eastern Catholic Churches for the sake of assisting their development, protecting their rights and also maintaining whole and entire in the one Catholic Church, alongside the liturgical,...
, and since 1996 of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care (see Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
).
Msgr. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz is seen by many as a moderate conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, being hostile towards the traditionalist
Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentations of Catholic teachings which prevailed in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council...
movement and the restoration of the Tridentine Mass
Tridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
, but at the same time disallowing or discouraging many of the excesses of theological and liturgical liberalism in his diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. Without any doubt, he has been instrumental in the reestablishment of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
after the collapse of the Communist regime.
On September 21, 2007, Msgr. Kondrusiewicz was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Minsk-Mahilyow by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. He was succeeded in the Archdiocese of Mother of God at Moscow by Italian-born Fr. Paolo Pezzi
Paolo Pezzi
H.E. Msgr. Paolo Pezzi, FSCB, also known as Pavel Pezzi, is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, currently serving as Latin Rite Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow .-Early life and ministry:...
, FSCB
Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo
The Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo or Scalabrinian Missionaries are a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers and priests founded by Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, Bishop of Piacenza in Italy, in 1887...
, until then rector of the major seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of "Mary Queen of the Apostles" in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
.
On 30 June 2011 Kazimierz Świątek retire as Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of Pinsk
Pinsk
Pinsk , a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region, traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and Pina rivers. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk. It is a fertile agricultural center. It lies south-west of Minsk. The population is about 130,000...
and Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz replace him.