MARIANS IN 1670-1788 94 to accept this situation, as he saw no other option. The situation changed only after the death of Bishop Witwicki on March 4, 1698.116 Bishop Hieronim Wierzbowski assumed the authority in the Poznań diocese on March 11, 1698. He was a friend of the Marians and the nephew of the deceased Bishop Stefan Wierzbowski. This appointment, the bishop’s favor towards the Marians, and his strong support opened new possibilities for pursuing papal approval. Fr. Papczyński was well aware that the Marians, established in 1679 “sub nomine Eremitarum secundi Generis,” had no solid chances for development, apostolate, or even a guaranteed continuous existence, especially because — as Julian Kałowski claims — “In the 17th century eremitism became one of the vanishing [...] forms of living out the evangelical counsels.”117 Fr. Papczyński interpreted the events that unfolded as a sign from Divine Providence, and he immediately resumed his efforts. These efforts would provide the Marians with a solid legal foundation through papal approval, remove the “yoke” of eremitism, and open the way for apostolic work. In 1698, the General Chapter of the Order appointed Father Joachim Kozłowski as the Procurator General, granting him full authority to handle Marian matters in Rome.118 The printing of the Rule of Life, adapted for the Order on the diocesan right, had been suspended. In the fall of 1698, Fr. Kozłowski and Br. Anthony of St. Martin Ciński set off on a trip to Rome. At the beginning of 1699, Fr. Kozłowski personally submitted to Pope Innocent XII the petition for the approval of the Marian Institute. Unfortunately, the Pope’s answer, suggested by the cardinals, was again negative. We have no direct detailed knowledge of Fr. Kozłowski’s efforts and actions in this matter, which lasted over a year, but we have the strong testimony of Fr. Casimir Wyszyński, who learned of these efforts from the documentation and accounts given by the Marians. It is worth quoting them here: “With God’s help and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, thanks to the great kindness of the Pope who had a good opinion of our Founder, he finally received the following answer: ‘If he wants the approval of the Marian Congrega116 Piotr Nitecki Biskupi Kościoła w Polsce w latach 965-1999, in: Słownik biograficzny, wyd. 2, Warszawa 2000, pp. 484-485. 117 J. Kałowski, Początki mariańskiego prawodawstwa, p. 15. 118 Leporini, n. 85.
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