256 Berichte und Kommentare Stanonik, Marija ed in closer relations is the mentioned Gnosticism, 2002 Življenjska zgodba – resničnost ali utvara. Traditiones most probably introduced into Mariavitism by Jan 31/1: ​191–210. Maria Michał Kowalski or his successors. Steward, Julian H. Mariavites (from Latin Mariae vita – the life of 2008 The Great Basin Shoshonean Indians. An Example of Mary) initiated their activity on August 2nd, 1893, a Family Level of Sociocultural Integration. In: M. R. when Kozłowska, referred to by her followers as Dove, and C. Carpenter (eds.), Environmental Anthropol- 1 ogy. A Historical Reader; pp. 168–180. Malden: Black- “Mateczka” or Blessed Maria Franciszka, experi- 2 well Publishing. (Blackwell Anthologies in Social & Cul- enced a series of religious visions. Their essence tural Anthropology, 10) was based on the idea that the sinful world may be saved only by spreading the reverence of Christ in Wallerstein, Immanuel 2006 Uvod v analizo svetovnih-sistemov. Ljubljana: Zbirka. the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist and by imi- tating the life of the Mother of God.3 According to WIICH – What Is Intangible Cultural Heritage the revelation, the contemporary times are described 2003 What Is Intangible Cultural Heritage. UNESCO. as “the last days.” 4 If the evil reigning in the world < http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/doc/src/01851-EN. 5 pdf > [20. 02. 2011] is not defeated, the world will be punished. Origi- nally the word “Mariavite” referred solely to nuns Zgaga, Blaž and priests,6 participating in the new congregation 2010 Seznam največjih 100 prejemnikov kmetijskih subvencij. Preberi.si. < http://www.preberi.si/content/view/ brought into being by Mateczka and functioning on 2188393-Seznam-najvecjih-100-prejemnikov- the basis of her visions. Several years later, this term kmetijskih-subvencij.html > [13. 12. 2012]. began to include also the secular followers of the movement. In a short time the congregation con- sisted of tens of priests (in the initial phase the over- all number of members and supporters amounted to approximately a hundred), among whom the most contributing were J. M. M. Kowalski,7 Kazimierz Maria Jan Przyjemski, and Roman Maria Jakub Próchniewski. Some of the clergymen participat- Mariavites and the Occult ing in the organisation were graduates of the Ec- clesiastical Academy of St. Petersburg (M. Dominik A Search for the Truth 1 Maria and Franciszka are Feliksa Kozłowska’s religious Zbigniew Łagosz names. The term Mateczka is not unusual, as it was com- monly used as a reference to the mother superior in Poland. The corresponding appellation in France was “Petite Mère” and in English speaking countries “Little Mother.” The term The subject explored in this text is one of numer- “blessed” came into use after Kozłowska’s death in 1921 (in ous “subplots” included in my dissertation, titled a letter from T. Mames; author’s collection). “Aleister Crowley’s Influence on the Magical So- 2 The first revelation took place exactly on August 2nd, 1893, cieties of the 20th-Century Poland,” where a net of with following visions occurring repeatedly until 1918 (Ma- interconnections between the Polish occult and the mes 2009: 20). 3 It is frequently said that revelations obliged the faithful to idea, creation, and activity of a great personage of practice the cult of the Virgin Mary. As Konrad Rudnicki had contemporary magic, A. Crowley, is revealed. The observed, this common belief is incorrect, since the matter issue touched upon in the further part of the text, was not concerning the obligation of such a cult but the imi- however, being merely a “splinter,” is extremely in- tation of the way of life. 4 “The last days” are defined by Mariavites as “the approach- teresting due to its uncovering of a bond between ing of the end of the cultural era and the beginning of the new commonly unknown strictly Polish Catholic schism one; an end of a certain evolutional era” (in a letter from Rud- and the world esoterism. nicki; author’s collection). The Mariavite movement, being thoroughly a 5 Revelations put an emphasis on the clergymen’s morality, Polish denomination formed on the basis of revela- whose ungodly life is seen as the major reason for the dep- ravation of the world. Therefore, the renovation ought to be- tions experienced by Feliksa Maria Franciszka Koz- gin from “the source,” that is the Holy See in Rome (Mames łowska (1862–1921), has been suspected of having 2009: ​21). connections with Martinist orders and the Gnostic 6 Mariavite congregations were obliged to live according to Church since the beginning of its existence. Howev- rules of Saint Francis of Assisi. 7 J. M. M. Kowalski (1871–1942), as every Mariavite priest or er, evidently Crowley’s very own ideas and thoughts nun, had two religious names: the name of his patron saint were unknown to Mariavites. Supposedly, the only and Mary’s name. Thus, his full name was Jan Maria Michał issue shared by both parties that could have result- Kowalski (Karas 2001: 113). Anthropos 107.2012 https://doi.org/10.5771/0257-9774-2013-1-256 Generiert durch IP '170.106.202.226', am 01.10.2021, 09:53:31. Das Erstellen und Weitergeben von Kopien dieses PDFs ist nicht zulässig. Berichte und Kommentare 257 Skolimowski studied at the Gregorian University in After the specified time, the excommunication en- Rome). The propagated issues concerned primar- compassed every priest, nun, and follower of the ily the need for renewal of priesthood morality and congregation. In response to such decision, Maria- the significance of churchmen’s remaining in pov- vites refused obedience to the bishops and founded erty, as well as the regular participation in the Holy the Catholic Maria vite Church. Although the fur- Communion and imitation of the secret life of the ther history of this church seems really absorbing, Holy Virgin Mary (see: St. Louis-Marie Grignion de it shall not be discussed in this article, as being in- Montfort, the idea of Marian slavery, Marian spir- significant for this research, contrary to the moves ituality of Honorat Koźmiński). undertaken by Kowalski. The Mariavite priests were honoured by both In 1909, three Mariavite priests, J. M. M. Kowal- clergymen and the faithful for their devoutness, re- ski, R. M. J. Próchniewski, and Leon Maria Andrzej ligiousness, and, additionally, for their perfect prep- Gołębiowski, arrived at the Utrecht Congress.11 Af- aration for preaching. For that reason Mariavite fri- ter a month, the bishops of the Jansenist Old Catho- ars were frequently invited to parishes for retreats. lic Church of the Netherlands, headed by Archbish- Nevertheless, their attitude toward the clergy and op Gerard Gul, there could ordain Kowalski as a especially severe criticism of the clergymen’s be- bishop. As a result of receiving succession from the haviour could not have gone unnoticed. line mentioned, several years later the church was Soon the “traditional” clergy turned against the united with the Old Catholic Union of Utrecht and Mariavite organisation, which in the initial phase renamed as the Old Catholic Mariavite Church. On of its activity, that is until 1897 (or 1898) was a se- September 4th, 1910, in Łowicz the priests Próch- cret society.8 The beginning of the division between niewski and Gołębiowski were consecrated and the Mariavites and the church hierarchy is strong- Archbishop Kowalski, commonly referred to as “the ly connected with the unveiling of Kozłowska’s vi- commander,” 12 became the leader of the church. sions to the public during a mass, when prelate K. Mateczka died in 1921. At the moment of her Weloński described her as “an insult to the priests death, the archbishop inaugurates far-reaching re- in Płock.” The newly created Mariavite movement forms in the church, namely the abolition of celi- found opponents in the bishops of Warsaw, Płock, bacy, sanctified water and oil, fasting, compulso- and Lublin, as Mariavitism developed most rapidly ry confession. The Sacrament of Communion was in the area of their dioceses. Apart from the criti- introduced in two differing forms for the faithful: cism of the clergy, the reason for repression is said a Communion for children directly after the chris- to have been lying largely in the cult of Mateczka, tening, an ordination of women, and a folk priest- popularised mainly by priest Kowalski. However, hood (introduced in 1935 after the schism in the the first hostility of bishops was not provoked by church), which enabled the laity of both sexes to the matter of the mentioned cult, as its beginnings celebrate Mass and to administer other sacraments. had not been observed until 1906. Thus, the true The doctrinal changes initiated after the division cause of the birth of this antagonism remains un- were the most radical. In this matter the archbishop clear. Since bishops undisputedly refused to legal- ise the Mariavite Congregation,9 a letter of appeal woman a vitandus excommunicate. The first woman to be a was submitted to the Vatican. Still, the attitude of toleratus excommunicate was Elisabeth I. Tudor. 11 “When the dogma of the papal infallibility, declared during the superior of the congregation, priest Kowalski, the First Vatican Council, met with opposition of the vast and the propagation of Mateczka’s revelations re- majority of Catholics, national churches began to form in mained unacceptable to the Holy See. In 1904, the isolation from papal state. Soon they have created the Union Congregation of the Holy Office dissolved the Mari- of Utrecht, obtaining apostolic succession from the Dutch Church. The apostolic succession of the two independent avite Congregation, officially declaring Mateczka’s Polish Churches, the National and the Mariavite (as well as visions as delusions.