Lumen 2018

regard to the election of the provincial superior, the delegates would be allowed to present three candidates, from among whom the Gen- eral Council would select one to become the superior of the province. It was in this form that the Superior General’s response was attached to the decrees of the chapter of the Polish Province. 26 We can only imagine Fr. Papczynski’s surprise then when, after the General Chapter, the superior of the Polish Province was once again elected in Rome. On May 21, 1665, the General Council chaired by Fr. Cosmas Chiara appointed Fr. Wenceslaus Opatowski Provincial Superior of the Polish Province. 27 This caused new tension and ended with an admonishment for Fr. Stanislaus. 28 Perhaps he al- lowed others to convince him that the time to elect the superiors of the province at provincial chapters had not come yet. A period of relative peace, which lasted about a year and a half, followed. A T HORNY P ATH Provincial Opatowski’s Evasions The second matter of argument between Fr. Papczynski and his superiors was an issue of the future provincial chapter. According to the requirements of the Piarist constitutions, such a chapter should have been held in the summer of 1667. 29 But Provincial Superior Opatowski and his council sent a request to the Superior General in May of that year requesting a dispensation from summoning that chapter. As he tried to justify his request to postpone the chapter to a later date, Fr. Opatowski cited the unrest in the Kingdom of Poland and the potential dangers threatening travelers. 30 But this was simply a prevarication for, in fact, it was only towards the end of August 1667 that the Republic of Poland was threatened by an invasion, after 100 thousand Turks in alliance with the Tartars and led by Doroszenko began a march across Ukraine towards Poland. The in- vasion caused some trouble in the country in September; on Sep- tember 20 th the residents of Rzeszow began to flee the city. 31 S TANISLAUS P APCZYNSKI 168