Lumen 2018

wanted to place himself under the jurisdiction of the local Ordinary and to be subordinate only to him. 141 Father Stanislaus made such a decision in order to be able to wait in peace for the dispensation from his vows and the oath of perseverance. 142 In view of the fact that the former congregation of the Piarist Fathers with simple vows became an order with solemn vows, he believed that he was no longer sub- ordinate to the superiors of that order and could place himself under the jurisdiction of the local Ordinary. 143 Meanwhile, the Congrega- tion of the Piarist Fathers, in a decree of November 8, 1669, stated that its professed members in simple vows remained under the juris- diction of their Piarist superiors even though the congregation be- came an order with solemn vows. 144 Nonetheless, the later papal breve of October 18, 1670, clearly demonstrates that Fr. Papczynski correctly interpreted his legal situation when he claimed that he was no longer subordinate to his religious superiors and that he had every right to place himself under the jurisdiction of the local Ordinary. Papczynski was not alone in his interpretation of this issue and had a few serious authorities supporting him. Before he made his de- cision, he had consulted with some Jesuits, Dominicans, Discalced Carmelites, and other experts from among both the diocesan and religious clergy. All of them concurred with the legal justification of his decision to place himself under the jurisdiction of the Ordinary. 145 Therefore, around Christmas 1669, Fr. Stanislaus submitted a letter to Andrew Trzebicki, Ordinary of Cracow, in which he asked to be accepted under his protection and jurisdiction. 146 In the last days of December, he received what he had asked the bishop for. The bishop issued a document, which defined the legal circumstances and con- ditions, under which he received Fr. Papczynski under his protection and jurisdiction. Two other Piarist seminarians residing at Kazimierz, Bernard of the Lord’s Passion Krupski and Casimir of the Holy An- gels Paszakowicz, placed themselves under Bishop Trzebicki’s juris- diction together with Fr. Stanislaus. There were three seminarians at that time who wanted to place themselves under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Cracow, but we do not know the name of the third one. We know that a seminarian by the name Angel of the Holy An- 189 At the Crossroads