Published: 2026-10-26

Wandering Clergy in the Legislation and Life of the Diocese of Płock in the Late Middle Ages and at the Dawn of the Early Modern Period

Leszek Zygner Profil ORCID autora Leszek Zygner
Saeculum Christianum. Historical Writings
Section: Rozprawy i Artykuły
DOI https://doi.org/10.21697/sc.2026.33.1.5

Abstract

This article examines the legislation of the Diocese of Płock, particularly the codification of Bishop Jakub of Kurdwanów (1398/1423), concerning clerici vagantes ("wandering clergy"). These clerics constituted a genuine problem not only in the Diocese of Płock but also in other dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Gniezno. An analysis of episcopal, consistory, and chapter records demonstrates that the issue was discussed at diocesan synods for good reason, as such cases were encountered in the diocese both during the period of the spread of Hussitism and in later decades. The study shows that wandering clergy remained a persistent challenge to ecclesiastical discipline and diocesan administration in late medieval and early modern Mazovia.

Keywords:

wandering clergy (clerici vagantes), Diocese of Płock, Late Middle Ages, Early Modern Period

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Citation rules

Zygner, L. (2026). Wandering Clergy in the Legislation and Life of the Diocese of Płock in the Late Middle Ages and at the Dawn of the Early Modern Period. Saeculum Christianum. Historical Writings, 33(1), 46–57. https://doi.org/10.21697/sc.2026.33.1.5

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