Lumen 2018

pope by the Sacred Congregation itself? Perhaps Fr. Papczynski’s re- quest to have the Congregation of Marians incorporated into the Order of Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, under a rule that had not yet been adapted for religious orders of men, seemed so un- usual that the commission preferred not to present this proposal di- rectly to the Pope? At that time (we do not know exactly when and for what reason), Fr. Stanislaus sent a request to Pope Innocent XII. On September 5, 1692, a special commission of the Sacred Congregation discussed it and decided to send it pro informatione et voto to the nuncio in Poland. Since the request was addressed to Pope Innocent XII, therefore, on September 13, 1692, the petition of the Founder of the Marians was presented to the Holy Father, who sent it to the Sa- cred Congregation pro voto , i.e., asking the Sacred Congregation for its opinion. 24 In order to render its opinion, the Sacred Congregation had to wait for information from the Apostolic Nuncio in Poland, Archbishop Andrew of the Holy Cross (February 27, 1690 – May 1696), 25 who took almost a year to “investigate” the matter. When he sent his report to Rome, Fr. Papczynski was gravely ill. A year after his return from Rome, he was so close to death that he prepared his testament on December 9, 1692. 26 In it, he thanked God and the Most Holy Virgin for the grace of having been born in the Catholic faith and begged them to help the Congregation. As was his custom, he signed the testament with the word “peccator,” asked for God’s mercy, and made an appeal to his confreres to pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Protectress of all people on earth and of the souls suffering in Purgatory. His testament was, at the same time, a confession, full of love and humility, addressed to his confreres, whom he encouraged to preserve the religious statutes. Father Stanislaus promised God’s help and the protection of the Most Glorious Virgin Mary to all those who would remain faithful to their religious vocation. He told the persecutors of his Congre- gation that they would be punished by God’s justice. He expressed his deepest conviction that the Congregation of Marian Fathers was called to life by God Himself, to honor the Immaculate Conception S TANISLAUS P APCZYNSKI 370