Polska hierarchia kościelna wobec zmian na tronie po śmierci Władysława Jagiełły na tle stosunków z Litwą

Abstract

The hierarchy of the Polish Catholic Church and the changes on the throne after the death of Wladisław Jagiełło on the bases of relations with Lithuania This article considers the reaction of the polish episcopate to the king’s elections in Poland after 1434. The highest prelates accepted Wladisław III and his brother Kazimierz IV but it was a time of power and growing prestige of the polish bishops, especially Zbigniew Oleśnicki (the Bishop of Kraków). The author begins by relating the situation in Poland a few years before Jagiello’s death. Then the article shows the participation of Polish bishops in the most important political events, that had to do with the relationships with the king at that time. The conditions of Jagiello’s sons’ taking the throne were yet undefined. It turns out, that the Polish hierarchy played a crucial role at that moment. Near the end of the article we are show the role of the polish episcopate in the conflict about land near Luck and Podole with Lithuania. The article ends with a short conclusion and a call for more reseraches in the field of the history of the Polish Catholic Church.