Stosunek biskupa Józefa Kazimierza Kossakowskiego do reform polityczno- -prawnych w Polsce doby stanisławowskiej
The Stance of Bishop Józef Kazimierz Kossakowski towards the Polish Political and Legal Reforms of the Stanislavic Period

Summary/Abstract: Józef Kazimierz Kossakowski is one of the best-known figures in the Polish ecclesiasticalhierarchy, but, regrettably, he is also one of the most critically assessed. Being exceptionally gifted,he used his talents exclusively for personal and family benefits. Having great political aspirations,he tied their fulfillment with the support of Russia, its successive ambassadors in Warsaw (especiallyOtto Stackelberg, to whom he owed much). He became a supporter of Russia’s interests in the Pol-ish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, remaining such until his death, one of the most subservient Polishpoliticians towards the Russian ambassadors. The decisions made by Kossakowski in 1772–1781influenced the gradation of his future goals. After he became Bishop of Livonia he took a seat inthe Senate, with an increasingly important role in it. His activism increased in particular as the Four-Year Sejm began its deliberations. Despite his seemingly good relations with the King, he vehe-mently opposed all proposals for reform, revealing his exceptionally adamant stance in this regard.As a senator, he spoke out against the reform party and the Constitution of 3 May 1791, because, like his family, he belonged to the fanatical proponents of gentry republicanism. He was amongthe most active leaders of the political opposition, flooding the country with hundreds of politicalwritings opposing the reforms of the Four-Year Sejm. Appeals for respecting the rights of the peopleand reform of laws made for the government were a constant theme of Kossakowski’s arguments,who repeatedly opposed the bills for new laws which he had the chance to work on while he wasa senator. His anti-reform stance intensified during the period of the Targowica Confederation andthe Sejm of Grodno. During this time, the Livonian bishop and his brother Szymon practically ruledLithuania, committing many violations. The result of the Kossakowski brothers’ policies, want-ing full state hegemony in Lithuania, was also the aspiration expressed at the Sejm of Grodno forthe complete separation of the Grand Duchy from the Crown. The dramatic events that led to the col-lapse of the Polish state, which were undoubtedly the single strongest highlight in Kossakowski’slife, determined his posthumous infamy, which primarily consisted of his personal traits. In termsof the two-facedness peculiar for the Kossakowski family, the Livonian bishop exceeded them all.

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