Pranciškus Būčys

Pranciškus Būčys a adăugat o fotografie

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Pranciškus

Pranciškus Petras Būčys (Polish: Piotr Franciszek Buczys, 20 August 1872 – 25 October 1951) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest, university professor, titular bishop of the Eastern Catholic Church (consecrated in 1930), and Superior-General of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception (1927–1933, 1939–1951). Born to a Lithuanian peasant family active in book smuggling, he studied at the Marijampolė Gymnasium and Sejny Priest Seminary and was active in Lithuanian cultural life. He started contributing articles to Lithuanian press, including Vienybė lietuvninkų and Varpas, in 1891. He continued his studies for a master's degree at the Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy where he formed a life-long friendship with fellow cleric Jurgis Matulaitis-Matulevičius. He earned his doctorate in theology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland in 1901. In 1902, he became professor of apologetics and fundamental theology at the Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy. During the Russian Revolution of 1905, he participated in the Great Seimas of Vilnius and helped draft the program of the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party. Bučys was prorector and acting rector of the academy in 1912–1915, but resigned upon learning that he would not be promoted to rectors because he was not Polish.…Citește mai mult

Pranciškus Būčys a adăugat o fotografie

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Pranciškus

Early life and education Būčys was born in the Šilgaliai village situated on the Šešupė river which acted as a natural border between Lithuania (then part of the Russian Empire) and East Prussia. He was the eldest of eight children in a Lithuanian peasant family that owned 86 morgen of land and was active in Lithuanian cultural life. His uncle Pranciškus Būčys (1849–1925) was a pastor in Gelgaudiškis and organized a circle of Lithuanian book smugglers. Būčys' father Jonas, uncle and godfather Petras, and brother Juozas were all involved in book smuggling. His brother Andrius also became a priest. Būčys received his first education at home before entering a primary school in Slavikai in 1880. He studied at the Marijampolė Gymnasium in 1883–1889 and at the Sejny Priest Seminary in 1890–1895. He was an average student and had to repeat the fifth year at the gymnasium and failed entrance exams to the seminary in 1889. Already as a cleric, Būčys began contributing to the banned Lithuanian press. Together with Antanas Milukas and others, he organized a handwritten Lithuanian-language weekly newsletter, initially known as Knapt. It grew from 8 pages to 24 pages and changed titles to Visko po biskį (A…Citește mai mult

Pranciškus Būčys a adăugat o fotografie

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R.I.P
Pranciškus

Saint Petersburg and United States Upon return to Lithuania in late 1901, Būčys hoped to become an editor of a Lithuanian newspaper and live in Tilsit (present-day Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast). But bishop Antanas Baranauskas assigned him as a priest in his native Slavikai and as professor at the Sejny Priest Seminary before moving to the Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy in August 1902. He taught apologetics and fundamental theology not only to the clerics at the academy but also to students at other universities. His students included Mečislovas Reinys, Mykolas Krupavičius, Juozas Purickis, Vladas Jurgutis. In his memoirs, Bučys highlighted two weaknesses of his teaching methods – he emphasized ability to think rather than knowledge of facts and spent too much time analyzing anti-religious arguments. In 1912, Būčys became prorector of the Theological Academy. When rector Aleksander Kakowski became Archbishop of Warsaw, Būčys was an acting rector from May 1913 to March 1915, but as a non-Pole was not officially confirmed as rector. Upon learning that he would not become rector, he resigned from the academy and briefly worked as a religion teacher at different schools and as a private tutor. In 1904, Bučys together with Maironis and Adomas…Citește mai mult

Pranciškus Būčys a lăsat un gând

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Independent Lithuania In July 1921, Būčys returned to Lithuania. From 1921 to 1923, he was rector of the Church of St. Gertrude in Kaunas, which was transferred to the Marian Fathers in February 1922. Būčys worked on establishing the Faculty of Theology at the newly organized University of Lithuania. He drafted the plan for the faculty and traveled to Rome to have it approved by the Congregation for Catholic Education. He also worked on the university statute. When the university was officially opened in February 1922, Būčys became professor of the fundamental theology. He was dean of the Faculty of Theology (April 1922 – August 1923), university prorector (September 1923 – September 1924), rector (September 1924 – September 1925), and again dean of the Faculty of Theology (September 1925 – September 1926). He helped in organizing and was a board member of the Lithuanian Catholic Academy of Science (he attempted to establish the academy in 1907, but it was organized only in 1922). He organized the transfer of funds raised for a Catholic university to the new academy. He became a true academic member of the academy in 1936. In 1922, he proposed to build a church in Žaliakalnis neighborhood…Citește mai mult

Pranciškus Būčys a lăsat un gând

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Eastern Catholic mission Before his death, Matulaitis-Matulevičius considered a Catholic mission into Russia. It was supported and encouraged by the Vatican in hopes that respecting and leaving the traditional Byzantine customs would allow implementing Catholic dogma and teaching among Eastern Orthodoxs. After the death of Matulaitis-Matulevičius, Būčys continued to plan the mission. The mission by Michel d'Herbigny proved that a Catholic mission into the Soviet Union was impossible, and the attention was shifted to Russian diaspora. Bishop Pranciškus Karevičius (also a member of the Marian Fathers), papal internuncio Riccardo Bartoloni, and Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras agreed on the mission in Lithuania and the use of the St. Michael the Archangel Church for its purposes. While Lithuanian priests resisted learning Eastern rites and Lithuanian diplomats reconsidered their support due to possible negative effects on relations with Russia, Bučys continued with the mission. From 1929, Būčys was an advisory member of the pontifical commission on Russia. On 6 July 1930, he was consecrated as titular bishop of Olympos by bishop Cyril Kurtev, Apostolic Exarch of the Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Sofia, at the Church of San Clemente al Laterano. According to traditions, Bučys adopted a new name and chose Petras (Peter).…Citește mai mult

Pranciškus Būčys a lăsat un gând

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Works In addition to some 600 articles published in more than 30 periodicals, Būčys published a number of separate books on various topics. He published a collection of his articles as separate books Tikėjimo dalykai in 1913 and Gyvenimo pagrindas in 1931. His most important work is a three-volume theological work aimed at an average priest and school graduate. The three volumes on God the Creator, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit were published in 1929–1932. His popular works include books about the Lourdes apparitions (first published in 1909, third edition in 1943), cautionary tales promoting the temperance movement (in 1925 and 1939), parents' right and obligation to raise and educate their children (in 1927), a conversation about the soul (in 1930). He also published guides for priests (collection of sermons in 1936, spiritual exercises in 1925), theology textbooks (brief apologetics in 1922, 1923, and 1926, on fundamental theology in 1923 and 1926, on theological encyclopedia in 1925), historical and demographic study on the Eastern Orthodox and Old Believers in Lithuania (in 1936), an essay on education arguing that the state should only finance schools that should be run by communities and organizations in 1918, a report on the 29th…Citește mai mult