Roman Catholic Diocese of Smolensk

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Smolensk was a Latin Catholic diocese in a large part of the Czarist Russian empire from 1636 till 1818.

History

On 1 September 1636, the Roman Rite bishopric was established on Russian imperial territory, till then virgin to the Catholic church. The see rather often served as a stepping stone to be transferred to other bishoprics, notably in Lithuania.

On 15 April 1783, it lost much of its territory to establish the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mohilev.

In 1818, it was suppressed and its territory merged into its Metropolitan and only daughter, the above Mohilev, which would merged into the Diocese of Minsk and promoted to Metropolitan Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev at the dismemberment of the Soviet Union, so as to cover independent Belarus.

Episcopal ordinaries

(all Roman Rite)

Suffragan Bishops of Smolensk

• Petras Parčevskis (Piotr Parczewski) (1636.09.01 – 1649.12.09), later Bishop of Žemaitija (Lithuania) (1649.12.09 – death 1658.12.06)
• Franciszek Dołmat Isajkowski (1650.02.14 – death 1654.05)
• Hieronim Władysław Sanguszko, Jesuits (S.J.) (1655.05.31 – 1657.07); previously Titular Bishop of Modon (1644.12.12 – 1655.05.31) as Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1644.12.12 – 1655.05.31)
• Jurgis Bialozoras (Jerzy Baiłłozor) (1658.03.18 – 1661.11.21), next Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1661.11.21 – death 1665.05.17)
• Kazimieras Pacas (Kazimierz Pac) (1664.01.14 – 1667.10.03), next Bishop of Žemaitija (Lithuania) (1667.10.03 – death 1695)
• Gothard Jan Tyzenhaus (Gotthard Johann von Tiesenhausen) 1668.09.17 – 1669), previously Titular Bishop of Modon (1661.04.05 – 1668.09.17) as Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1661.04.05 – 1668.09.17)
• Aleksandras Kotovičius (Aleksander Kotowicz) (1673.02.27 – 1685.04.09), next Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1685.04.09 – death 1686.11.30)
• Kazimieras Bžostovskis (Konstanty Kazimierz Brzostowski) (1685.04.30 – 1687.11.24), next Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1687.11.24 – death 1722.10.24)
• Eustachy Stanisław Kazimierz Kotowicz (1688.05.17 – death 1704)
• Jonas Mikalojus Zgierskis (Jan Mikołaj Zgierski) (1706.01.25 – 1710.07.21); previously Titular Bishop of Martiria (1696.01.02 – 1706.01.25) as Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1696.01.02 – 1710.07.21); later Bishop of Žemaitija (Lithuania) (1710.07.21 – death 1713.12.06)
• Aleksandras Mikalojus Gorainis (Aleksander Mikołaj Horain) (1711.12.23 – 1716.12.07); previously Titular Bishop of Tiberias (1704.09.15 – 1711.12.23) as Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1704.09.15 – 1711.12.23); later Bishop of Žemaitija (Lithuania) (1716.12.07 – death 1735.12.07)
• Ludwik Karol Ogiński (1717.11.22 – death 1718)
• Karolis Petras Panceržinskis (Karol Piotr Pancerzyński) (1721.09.24 – 1724.09.11); previously Titular Bishop of Hierapolis (1712.10.05 – 1721.09.24) as Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1712.10.05 – 1721.09.24), succeeded as Bishop of Vilnius (1724.09.11 – death 1729.02.19)
• Bogusław Korwin Gosiewski (1725.01.29 – death 1744.06.24), previously Titular Bishop of Achantus (1722.04.20 – 1725.01.29) as Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1722.04.20 – 1725.01.29)
• Jerzy Mikołaj Hylzen (1746.02.13 – 1763.07.17), died 1775
• Gabriel Wodzyński (1763.07.17 – death 1788.11.28), succeeded as previous Coadjutor Bishop of Smoleńsk (1759.04.04 – 1763.07.17) and Titular Bishop of Theveste (1759.04.04 – 1763.07.17)
• Adam Stanisław Naruszewicz, S.J. (1788.11.28 – 1790.11.29), succeeding as previous Coadjutor Bishop of Smoleńsk (1775.03.13 – 1788.11.28) and Titular Bishop of Emmaüs (1775.03.13 – 1788.11.28); later Bishop of Luck (Ukraine) (1790.11.29 – death 1796.07.08)
• Tymoteusz Gorzeński (1790.11.29 – 1809.03.27), later Bishop of Poznań (Poland) ([1806.09.09] 1809.03.27 – 1821.07.16), Metropolitan Archbishop of Gniezno (Gnesen, Poland) (1821.07.16 – 1825.12.20), Metropolitan Archbishop of Poznań (Posen, Poland) (1821.07.16 – death 1825.12.20)

References

External links

• GigaCatholic with incumbent biography links