Lumen 2018

ing given the fact that Fr. Stanislaus had already asked Fr. Kraus to ac- cept the habit back from him after the promulgation of the papal breve of August 5, 1670. We recall that Fr. Kraus refused his request at that time, citing the lack of necessary authorization. A month and a half later, when Fr. Kraus did have all the necessary authorizations, Fr. Stanislaus did not use this opportunity, but refused to do something that was expected of all those who were leaving the congregation. The main reason behind this peculiar dispute was Fr. Papczynski’s demand that the Piarists, according to a commonly accepted practice, issue him a certificate regarding his religious life at their institute. The Piarists continued to refuse his request. Holding onto the habit was Fr. Stanislaus’s only chance to enforce his right to obtain the said cer- tificate. He believed that their refusal released him from his promise. There was yet another reason prompting Fr. Papczynski to hold onto his habit. He wanted to exchange it for the white habit of the institute which he intended to found and asked Bishop Oborski for a necessary permission. The ceremony of the investiture was sup- posed to be performed at the bishop’s palace on December 14, 1670, by a certain prelate from the Curia. But the ceremony was canceled. 236 Papczynski, however, was so attached to the religious life and to its appropriate garments that he did not want to change them even for one day. Therefore, he continued to look for a law that would help him to justify the fact that he was still wearing the Piarist habit and wanted to do so until such time when he could put on the white Marian habit. This explains his argument that the papal breve did not obligate those who were released from the institute to stop wearing their habits, although Fr. Papczynski must have known that such was the expected course of events and that the papal breve did not have to stipulate that. Anticipating protests by the Piarist su- periors and the possibility of being summoned before a Church court, he was getting himself ready for a potential trial by preparing an official statement before the Apostolic Notary. He tried to prove in his statement that he could not give up the Piarist habit and that he was no longer obligated to do so. 237 211 At the Crossroads