Duchowieństwo diecezji przemyskiej obrządku łacińskiego w latach 1918-1939

Abstract

In the rich social mosaic of the Second Republic the presence of the clergy was strongly marked. In the years 1918-1939 there were 1105 priests in the Przemyśl diocese. The number of the Przemyśl clergy in comparison with the number of the faithful put that diocese on lop of other dioceses in Poland. An analysis of the descent of the clergy shows that (hey come mainly from Polish nationality, and their parents were most often farmers. In view of its territory the greatest number of the vocations to the priesthood was in the part of the diocese situated west of the river San Those clergymen were intellectually formed within the framework of the Theological Institute in Przemyśl, and they received an ascetic formation in the Theological Seminary. Both the ascetic and intellectual formation were then continued under a changed form after their ordination. The board of the diocese cared about appointing proper people to the pastoral posts of all levels. It is worth noting that some nominations were introduced by a strictly defined procedure. It was expanded especially in the cases of appointing a priest to the post of a parish priest in the irremovable parish. The ordinary bishops took care about proper social conditions of the diocesan clergy. A crucial task of the clergy was to perform some pastoral functions as they were defined by the canonical law (dispensing of sacraments, sacramcntals saying masses and teaching the tenets of the faith at the pulpit and in schools). Within the framework of church associations it was the Catholic Action that played a prominent role in the pastoral work. The pastoral work of the elegy ran paralelly to the activity in the political sphere. The decisive majority of the priests favoured National Democracy, though they were also adherents of other political orientations, e.g. Polish Peasants’ Party “Piast”. The clergy's participation in social, economical and cultural work was admirable. Some part of the priests were engaged in the scientific and publicistic activity. The clergy of the Przemyśl diocese in the interwar 20 years look every effort to fulfill well the demands of the times made on them.