System beneficjalny diecezji chełmskiej w latach 1600-1621

The System of Benefices in the Chełm Diocese in the years 1600-1621

The organization and functioning of  dioceses  in  modern-day  Poland  were  based  on  the  system of benefices formed by  the  feudal  regime  and  drawn  on  the  lay  feudal  system.  The  paper  depicts,  on the basis of  the  church  sources  and  the  literature  on  the  subject,  the  structure  of  benefices  in the Chełm diocese, the diocese which belonged to the Lvov metropolis in the beginning of the  seventeenth century (the time when bishop Jerzy Zamoyski 1600-1621 was in  office).  The  subject matter of our analysis  is  the  number  and  location  of  the  benefices,  the  time  of  their  foundation,  the formal-legal situation (especially the duty of  residence  and  ban  on  hoard),  patronage  and  the  state of property.
The organization of the Chełm diocese in the  years  1600-1621  was  based  on  127  benefices  placed in 64 places. the unequal distribution of benefices (half of them were concentrated in three centres  –  Krasnystaw,  Zamość,  and  Uchanie)  affected  the  insular  distribution  of  the  laity  in  the diocese.
The most numerous group is made up of the benefices connected with a  pastoral  activity  –  parochial churches (62), cathedral  and  collegiate  curacies  (in  total  21).  The  cathedral  chapter  with its see in Krasnystaw had not changed its form from  the  time  of  its  foundation  in  1429,  and  consisted in the beginning of the seventeenth century of 10 canonries and 2 prelacies. The organization  of  the  collegiate  chapter  in  Zamość  took  place  when  bishop  Zamoyski  was  in  office.  The chancler Jan Zamoyski founded in it 3 prelacies and  4  canonries.  A  small  number  of  simple  benefices (hospital provostries and altaries) is a  result  of  poor  condition  of  the  Latin  nobility  in  those territories, diverse with regard to religion and ethnic roots.
Most  of  the  benefices  in  the  Chełm  diocese  demanded  a  permanent  residence  and  excluded    a possibility of hoard  (beneficia  residentaria  et  incompatibilia).  The  legislation  of  the  Chełm  diocese considerably limited the strict Tridentine constitutions, providing  access  for  canons  and  prelates to other benefices, and limiting the requirement to reside near the cathedral.
The benefices  in the  Chełm diocese  are characterized  by a  constant  increase of the  importance    of the nobility patronage. Despite that the best endowed benefices (we mean here mainly parishes)  in the beginning of the seventeenth  century  are  the  benefices  in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries founded in the royal towns. An exception here is the newly erected collegiate chapter in Zamość, founded by Jan Zamoyski. Its endowment excelled the incomes of the cathedral chapter.