Košice, Diocese of

CASSOVIA, DIOCESE of. - In Czechoslovakia. The city (Slovak Košice, Hungarian Kassa, German Kaschau) is an important cultural and economic centre in eastern Slovakia. Until 1918 it belonged to Hungary, then to Czechoslovakia. It temporarily returned to Hungary through the Vienna Award (1938). Since 1945 it has again belonged to Czechoslovakia.

The cathedral of S. Elisabetta is the most imposing Gothic building in the eastern part of Europe. Begun in 1378, it was completed at the end of the fifteenth century. It is in High Gothic basilica style, with 5 longitudinal naves and one transverse nave, as well as chapels on the south side; but late forms are already visible in its ornamentation. The main tower was never completed, whereas the northern tower received a Baroque spire. Outside are valuable sculptures on the western and northern portals. Within may be admired the high altar (a precious wooden sculptural work, 1474–77), many Gothic panels, an elegant Gothic tower-shaped tabernacle, and, in the crypt, the tombs of the Rákóczy family. The cathedral suffered serious damage in the earthquake of 1884. It was restored in 1886–96. Other important churches are: S. Michele (thirteenth-century Gothic), that of the Dominicans (fourteenth century), that of the Jesuits (now of the Premonstratensians, 1671), and the modern church of S. Maria (1938).

In the religious sphere the city was important during the religious wars of the seventeenth century as a stronghold of Protestant reform and a centre of all the Protestant revolts against the Habsburgs. For almost a century the Calvinists used the Cathedral for their worship, and in 1619 they martyred three blessed martyrs of C. (v. below). For the Catholic restoration, the Jesuits founded a college and an Academy of university rank (1660–1773). There was also a legal Academy until 1922. Since 1946 the University has again been rebuilt (the Faculty of Engineering and, in 1948, that of Medicine).

The diocese was erected on 10 Aug. 1804, as a suffragan of the archdiocese of Agria (Eger), from which it was detached with 149 parishes. In the same year the diocesan seminary was established. After 1918 the diocese was divided into two parts by the frontier of Czechoslovakia: 156 parishes with the episcopal city remained in Czechoslovakia, 46 in Hungary. For these parishes in Hungary the Holy See erected an apostolic administration at Szikszó in 1937. Also in 1937 the diocese of C. was detached from the ecclesiastical province of Agria and made immediately subject to the Holy See. After the Vienna Award, in 1939, the apostolic administration at Szikszó was reunited to the diocese; for the Slovak part, however, an apostolic administration was erected at Prešov, together with the 37 parishes of the diocese of Rosnavia (Rožňava) and 5 parishes of the diocese of Satu-Mare (Szatmár) that remained in Slovakia. Now (1949), under the jurisdiction of the bishop of C., lies the whole part of the diocese situated in Slovakia, together with 13 parishes of the diocese of Satu-Mare (situated in Romania).

Statistics (1948). - The diocese in Slovakia has: area 8,566 sq. km.; 167 parishes; 240 diocesan priests; 33 religious houses; 292,681 Catholics of the Latin rite out of 570,430 inhabitants (this total number also includes approximately 200,000 Catholics of the Eastern rite, belonging to the diocese of Prešov [v.]). The apostolic administration of Satu-Mare has: area 903 sq. km.; 13 parishes; 19 diocesan priests; 18,219 Catholics of the Latin rite out of 43,945 inhabitants. The part of the diocese of C. in Hungary, under the jurisdiction of the apostolic administrator at Szikszó, has: 49 parishes and 85,000 Catholics. - See Pl. LVI.

BEATI MARTIRI DI C. - They are three: 1) CRISINO MARCO STEFANO (Latin Crisinus, Croatian Križevčanin, Slovak Križin, Hungarian Körösy). Metropolitan canon of Strigonia, born at Križevci (Crisio) in Croatia in 1588, died at C. on 7 Sept. 1619. Of a noble Croatian family, he studied at Graz, obtaining a doctorate in philosophy; from 1611 to 1615 he was in Rome at the Gregorian University as a student of the Germanicum. Returning to Croatia, he zealously exercised pastoral care. In 1616 Cardinal Pázmány called him to his archdiocese of Strigonia and appointed him professor and rector of the seminary of Tirnava; in 1617, canon of Strigonia (although residing at Tirnava, where the metropolitan curia had transferred because of the Turks); and in 1618, archdeacon of the district of Komárno. At the beginning of 1619 he was sent by the Chapter to administer the property of the former Benedictine abbey of Krásna (Széplak), near C. (KOŠICE). 2) GRODIEZIO MELCHIOR (Latin Grodecins, Polish Grodziecki, Slovak Grodecký, Hungarian Grodecz), priest and Jesuit, born at Tešin in Silesia in 1584, died at C. on 7 Sept. 1619. He entered the Society of Jesus at Brno, preached in Prague, then at Humenné in Slovakia, and in 1619 was sent to C. as chaplain to the imperial troops. 3) PONGRAZIO STEFANO (Latin Pancratius, or Pongracius, Hungarian Pongrácz, Slovak Pongrác), priest and Jesuit, born at the castle of Alvincz in Transylvania in 1582, died at C. on 8 Sept. 1619. He entered the Society of Jesus at Brno in 1602, studied philosophy at Prague and theology at Graz. He worked in the colleges of Ljubljana, Klagenfurt, and Humenné. In 1619 he was sent to C. to care especially for the Hungarians.

All three were martyred at C. (Košice) on 7 Sept. 1619 by Calvinist soldiers under the command of Giorgio Rákóczy, general of the Protestant duke Gabriele Bethlen.

The relics, initially buried in the underground rooms of the house of martyrdom, were acquired and transported by Countess Caterina Pálfy in 1620 to Nižný Šebeš, then in 1635 to Tirnava, first to the church of the Poor Clares and subsequently, in 1784, to the church of the Ursulines. After 1904, following an examination, the relics of M. Crisino were deposited at Strigonia, and those of the two Jesuits in the Jesuit church at Tirnava. They were beatified on 15 Jan. 1905.