The Participation of the Franciscan Observants (Bernardines) in the November Uprising and their Subsequent Fate

Abstract

According to historians, the participation of the Order of Friars Minor in the November Uprising was significant. As historical sources show, a beautiful chapter in the history of national uprisings was written by the Franciscan Observants (known as Bernardines in Poland) in the Congress Kingdom and in the territories directly incorporated into the Russian Empire, where national oppression was high and where the bloody November Uprising broke out in 1830. The Bernardine community turned out to be sensitive to calls for freedom, which is why many monks participated in independence movements, though we need to bear in mind that the Holy See forbade the religious to take part in revolutions. Many Bernardines volunteered as chaplains of insurgent units or joined Colonel Józef Zaliwski’s partisan forces. Those who distinguished themselves in particular were Poncjan Brzeziński OFM and the preacher Benwenuty Mańkowski. An important role was played by Bernardine monasteries, which became transfer points for the insurgents, providing them with both spiritual and material support. The available information suggests that except for Brzeziński and Mańkowski, no Bernardine friar was arrested or exiled after the Uprising. However, fragmented pieces of information allow us to conclude that the role of these monastics during the Uprising was by no means insignificant. „The future generations”, as Charles Montalambert wrote, “will tell stories about this magnificent concord between the clergy and the people [...], about those Bernardines and village priests arriving on horseback with sabres in their hand to die leading their sheep”.