The Idea of Knighthood in the Sermons and Speeches by Aleksander Jełowicki CR
The Idea of Knighthood in the Sermons and Speeches by Aleksander Jełowicki CR

Summary/Abstract: In the texts of Aleksander Jełowicki’s public speeches, in particular those associated with his preaching practice, attention is drawn to the frequent reference to the idea of Christian chivalry. Christian knights, in the discourse of the Resurrectionist, are the defenders of the homeland who have been fighting throughout history, as well as all those who took part in national uprisings, who were often forced to emigrate. In allegorical terms, Poland itself is recalled as the knight fighting for Christian values, distinguished by its attitude against the background of the degrading societies of the West. The long duration of the personal model developed after the Council of Trent, described as miles christianus, was therefore inserted by Jełowicki into the current of shaping national aspirations, characteristic of the 19th century. The moral and religious aspect of these was to identify with the values represented by the Catholic Church, standing by which, according to the preacher, ensured the recovery of independence. Thus, the idea of Christian chivalry was complementary to the vision of a state and nation strongly linked to biblical models, which, moreover, characterized the spirituality of the congregation. Jełowicki’s texts, ultimately, exemplify a peculiar kind of militarization of Polish spirituality and religiousness, a testimony that is also recognizable in the contemporary Catholic Church in Poland.

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