Romos katalikų dvasinės kolegijos asesoriai iš Vilniaus vyskupijos: kolektyvinio portreto štrichai

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Romos katalikų dvasinė kolegija; Vilniaus vyskupija; Roman Catholic Theological College; Vilnius diocese.

ENThe Roman Catholic theological College (hereinafter, the College) was an outcome of the policy of the Russian imperial authorities in regard of the Catholic Church and, simultaneously, an effective tool for the implementation of this policy. The institution, which was established at the initiative of the secular authorities, was supposed to legitimise a collective management model that was alien to the Catholic Church. The College (1801–1917) was headed by a chairman with two or three subordinate fully-fledged members appointed by the emperor and assessors elected for a three-year term by the chapters of the diocese cathedrals. The apostolic see did not recognise the College. The headquarters of the college was in saint Petersburg, thus the diocesan assessors resided in the city on the River Neva during their term in office. For many decades, the College was in control of practically all relevant spheres of religious life of the Catholic dioceses in the territory of the Russian empire: from the appointment of bishops to the resolutions of diocesan consistories in marriage cases and the like. [From the publication]