Lumen 2018

outside the college. It does not seem very likely that Papczynski was a confessor to the students of the college because this office was usu- ally entrusted to an older priest, 204 and Papczynski was only 32 years old at that time. He was most likely a general confessor because it was sufficient to be 30 years of age to fulfill this office. 205 In 1663, Stanislaus Papczynski became Prefect 206 of the school and fulfilled this office for three years and was later nominated con- fessor. 207 The Great Ones in the Confessional Father Papczynski’s first biographer claims that senators and other prominent personages, both men and women, were among his pen- itents and chose him to be their spiritual director. All of them were attracted to Fr. Papczynski because of his thorough knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and theological issues as well as because of his sensitivity as a shepherd of souls. There was some mysterious fire in him that inspired others to piety and this perhaps explains the ex- traordinary influence of this young priest on human souls. Qui non ardet non incendit — he was ardent, therefore he inflamed passion in others. Anthony Pignatelli, the Apostolic Nuncio, later Pope In- nocent XII, 208 was his most prominent penitent. A question arises: for how long was Fr. Papczynski a confessor to the Apostolic Nuncio? We know that Papczynski arrived in Warsaw in the middle of May 1663, and it was in Warsaw that the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland usually resided. Pignatelli was at King John Casimir’s side in Lvov 209 from the winter of 1662/63 to the fall of 1663. He was probably invited to the celebration of the feast of St. Thomas at the Dominican church in Warsaw on March 7, 1664. Fa- ther Papczynski drew his attention when he delivered his famous ser- mon. 210 It was perhaps in the summer of 1664 that the Nuncio chose Fr. Stanislaus for his confessor and remained his penitent till the time when Papczynski left Warsaw to travel to Rome in the fall of 1667. 211 S TANISLAUS P APCZYNSKI 130