historical writings 860 Mary,40 were of this opinion. The other Nicholas, of the Immaculate Conception,41 encouraged everybody to have recourse to our Most Reverend Cardinal Protector42 with a humble petition and accuse our Superior of this: that they are relaxing the keeping of our holy Rule of religious life. Finally, when the storm quieted, by my initiative, it was decided that we all write a letter to Fr. General, asking for permission to conduct the Provincial Chapter. If this were refused, then, seeing the impending ruin of the Province (which was indeed feared not only because of internal parties,43 but also on account of the Jesuit conspiracy against us,44 of which only I and four priests of the Warsaw house were aware and, together with the suspicion of a certain secret betrayal,45 I wanted to reveal to the entire Province in the next Chapter), we would have proceeded to the election of new Superiors, having received the Bull and the permission of the General, which instructed all those which this matter concerned. However, we did not intend to do this with insistence, with turbulence, or with deceit, but with holy peace and love, checking to see if there were agreement on this and what the opinions of the other fathers in the Province were [on this matter]. 40 Father Nicholas Faber (1637-1680), ordained a priest in October 1666, was a member of the Warsaw house since 1663. Cf. Positio, p. 130, n. 18. 41 Father Nicholas Hausenka (1637-1683) had been an associate of Fr. Papczyński in Warsaw since 1664, but moved away from Warsaw before the end of 1665. He probably returned there around April 1667. Cf. Positio, p. 130, n. 19. 42 At that time the protector of the Piarists was Cardinal Marzio Ginetti (1585-1671). Cf. Positio, p. 130, n. 20. 43 It is not known exacly what “parties” are referred to here. Fr. Papczyński is probably referring to the problem of antipathy and sympathy among the Piarists. See below, HW, p. 892, n. 6, § 39; also p. 884, n. 6, § 21. 44 Undoubtedly, this is about the intention of the Jesuits to open their own college in Warsaw. This college would be a dangerous competition for the corresponding Piarist college operating there. Cf. Positio, p. 130, n. 32 is where the evidence is given that this “conspiracy” did exist. Cf. Positio, pp. 111-112. 45 We do not know what “betrayal” is referred to here. It is possible that it was something connected with the “conspiracy” of the Jesuits. Cf. Positio, p. 311.
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