historical writings 896 ruin, those favorable [toward me] defended and protected me. From this arose among them numerous conflicts and arguments; so I decided finally to depart from the Congregation of Pious Schools, for the good of peace and for the tranquility of the Province. Thus, after beseeching God’s graciousness and protection, I wrote a solemn letter from Warsaw to the General,192 earnestly asking him that, since on my account this tempest had arisen — he would cast me to sea; as by God’s grace I was to be saved in Peter’s boat.193 Likewise, I humbly requested the Most Distinguished and Most Reverend Lord Galeazzo Marescotti, at that time Nuncio of the holy Apostolic See in Poland, that he would use his authority with Fr. General to obtain my release.194 49. When the Poles, particularly the fathers in the Rzeszów house, found out about this, they begged me — through the most ardent letters,195 which I am ready to show — that I remain in the Congregation, promising even that they could protect the integrity of my good name even at the cost of their own bodies. But of what use were their testimonies or their letters? Their testimonies were intercepted by the German-Polish Rector;196 the letters were rejected by Fr. General; and I was overpowered by even greater persecutions and enmity. The favor and love of the Poles made the Germans even more hostile toward me, as the General, a Sicilian,197 notably supported and defended them. I remember that, for the second time in this manner, I asked for my release, 192 This letter of Fr. Papczyński to the General has not survived and there is not mention of it in another source. All that is known is that this was his first request for dismissal from the Institute of Pious Schools, probably written around mid-August, 1669. Cf. Positio, pp. 145-147 (Doc. VI, intr. A, 1). 193 An analogy to the prophet Jonah thrown into the rough sea to make them calm down. Cf. Jonah 1:11-15. 194 We have no proof that Galeazzo Marescotti, the Apostolic Nuncio in Poland (1668-1670), used his influence with the General to help Fr. Papczyński in obtaining release from the Piarists. 195 These letters are no longer extant. 196 This refers to Fr. Michał Kraus, the Rector of the house in Rzeszów. In the Elenchus of the Piarists of the Polish Province, Fr. Kraus is usually denoted as a “German.” Concerning the reason why Fr. Papczyński calls him “German-Polish,” cf. Positio pp. 273-274, n. 7. 197 That is, Fr. Cosmas Chiara, who was originally from Sicily.
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