Primate Jan Wężyk in the Role of Interrex and Senator of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Period of Interregnum Following the Death of Sigismund III Vasa in 1632

• Published in: Kościół i prawo Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 175 - 193
• Main Author: Kaczorowski, Włodzimierz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II 2021; The Learned Society of the Catholic University of Lublin John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
• Subjects: Canon Law / Church Law; Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence; convocation Seym; election Seym; royal election; interregnum; interrex
• ISSN: 0208-7928
• DOI: 10.18290/kip21101-10

It was customary in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that the current Primate and – at the same time – Archbishop of Gniezno in one person – accepted the function of interrex after the death of the incumbent monarch and was responsible for taking over the duties of representing the state outside as well as preparing election of the new king. To make it happen he convened local assemblies and the so-called Convocation Seym. At last, it was also the interrex’s duty to finally announce the selection of the elect and duly execute the enthronement procedure.Following the death of King Sigismund III Vasa in 1632, the function of interrex during the interregnum fell to Primate Jan Wężyk (1575-1638). It must be stated that he was extremely successful at carrying out the duties, and the offices that he held won him a well-deserved place among the personages who influenced the shape of the Commonwealth and the Church in the history of Poland. Apart from that, during Jan Wężyk’s holding of the dignity of the Primate, the case of compositio inter status was partially solved. For several decades, the problem had been weighing heavily on the relations between the nobility and the clergy. Primate Jan Wężyk was also a patron of culture and art.