Rządy biskupa Kaspra Kazimierza Cieciszowskiego w niekanonicznej diecezji pińskiej (1795-1798)
Reign of Bishop Kasper Kazimierz Cieciszowski in Non-canonical Pinsk Diocese (1795-1798)

Summary/Abstract: On the Polish lands annexed by Russia in 1795 Catherine the Great, the Russian Empress, reorganized the territorial structure of the Catholic Church (under the regulation 6/17 IX 1795) without any consultation with the Holly See. At that time the Non–canonical Pinsk Diocese was established to occupy the territory of the Governorate of Minsk and Volyn. The Russian Empress appointed Kiev Bishop Kasper Kazimierz Cieciszowski for the position of its Governor with its principal seat and related offices to be located in the Town of Pinsk. Without waiting for the approval of the changes implemented by Catherine the Great from the Holly See (the approval was never given by the primacy of Rome), Bishop Cieciszowski began his reign in the new Diocese that he had been vested in. The General Consistory of Kiev Diocese was transformed into the General Consistory of Pinsk Diocese, new circuit consistories in Minsk and Nieśwież were established (the General Consistory in Luck was downgraded to become the circuit consistory), visitations were instructed to be conducted. This period became sustainable by means of adjusting the boundaries of deaneries to the boundaries of districts, which was ordered by the Russian authorities. At that time the biggest problem Bishop Cieciszowski had to face was closing down of the Uniate Orthodox Church, which was consistently and gradually continued by the Russian authorities. The short period of operations (barely three years) of the Non-canonical Pinsk Diocese came to an end in 1798. Implementation of that project of Catherine the Great ended concurrently with the decrees (8-9 VIII 1798) issued by Apostolic Delegate Wawrzyniec Litta regarding the establishment of Luck and Zhytomyr Diocese, merged by the personal union (aeque prioncipaliter), and the reign of Bishop Kasper Kazimierz Cieciszowski.

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