Provinces, Policies, and Popes: Comparing Polish and English Episcopal Elections Over the Long Thirteenth Century

Summary

At the 1997 Thirteenth Century England Conference, Susan Reynolds pre-empted the topic of the 2019 conference with her paper ‘How Different was England?’ in which she argued that national teleologies and narratives mask meaningful historical differences or similarities because they encourage us to think about similar topics in different ways. Moreover, she singled out English/French comparisons as having perhaps reached their limit of usefulness, suggesting that new historical insights should be sought elsewhere: Germany was her example. Similarly, Chris Wickham has discussed how the ‘excep¬tional’ nature of particular national histories always depends on one's starting perspective, since ‘Grand Narratives of nationhood’ are insular and based in specific historiographies that make useful comparisons difficult, often exacer¬bated by differences in source bases. This has often been the case with East/West European comparisons, whose conclusions tend to reinforce rigid distinc¬tions instead of identifying common trends. In response, this essay will examine English and Polish episcopal elections and their historiographies – a seldom-pursued comparison – to elucidate the complexities involved in becoming a bishop in the thirteenth century and beyond.

Precisely because of Wickham's concerns, this cannot be done straightfor¬wardly. While there were two English archdioceses and fifteen dioceses, and four Welsh dioceses eventually subordinated to Canterbury, there was only one Polish archdiocese and six dioceses throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Moreover, many cathedrals in England were monastic foundations, while the Polish chapters were made up of secular canons. Thus, although we can talk about both episcopates as being made up of members of the middling-to-higher knightly and aristocratic elites, the additional monastic identities of some English cathedral chapters (including those analysed here) must be considered. We may posit that monastic cathedral chapters such as Canterbury or Durham had a stronger sense of community, being bound together by a rule. This could make them more resistant to lay or papal interference in their organisation. In terms of the political context of episcopal appointments, the difference between England and Poland must also be remembered. Although the English crown was going through a period of crisis in the thirteenth century, it was nevertheless a formidable institution.