GNESNA (GNIEZNO). - A city in Poland elevated to an archdiocese and metropolis around the year 1000 by Otto III. First archbishop: Radym-Gaudenty, brother of St. Adalbert. From 1419 the archbishop of G. is primate of Poland, from 1668 primate of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The primate, vicarius regni generalis, primus princeps Poloniae, replaced the kings during the interregnum with the character of an interrex. In the Senate he occupied the first place. By the bull of Leo X: Pro excellenti, of 1515, the primate is legatus natus. The metropolis of G. from 1821 was united with Poznań, from 1 May 1946 separated and united pro hac vice to Warsaw.
Suffragan dioceses: Wladislava-Włocławek, Culma-Chelmno. The diocese of G. has an area of 8300 sq km. Catholics: 732,000. Parishes: 272. Churches: 424 of which: parochial 243, branch 63, convent 10, chapels 108. Priests incardinated in the diocese: 240, of which 2 bishops, 170 parish priests and administrators, 31 vicars, 20 catechists (in the dioceses of Lwów, Łuck, Pińsk, Vilna, occupied by the Soviets, and in other dioceses: secular priests 49, regulars 52). Religious women: 570. Religious houses: male 10, female 71. Major seminarians: 77. Institutes of charity, assistance and care: 36 with 1419 inmates. Wartime losses: churches destroyed 15, damaged 77, permanently closed 314, among which 9 of high historical value. Diocesan priests who perished during the war 180 (48.8%). Pilgrimage centers: Gniezno, Dąbrówka Kościelna, Górka Klasztorna. Gothic cathedral of the 14th century on the site of the first one of the 10th century, some parts of the 18th century, bronze door of the 12th century, a gift from King Bolesław Krzywousty. Near the Cathedral is the church of St. George, the first Christian temple in Poland. Other notable churches: St. John's of the 13th century, the parish church of the Most Holy Trinity of the 14th century. In G. Mieszko I, the first historical ruler of Poland, was baptized in 966. Until the 14th century G. was the coronation city of the kings. Saints: St. Adalbert (c. 956-97), patron of Poland, whose relics are in the Cathedral; five Polish Camaldolese (Jan, Benedykt, Izaak, Mateusz, Krystyn), murdered in 1005. Eminent archbishops: Jakób ze Żnina, died in 1148, Jakób Świnka, died in 1313, Mikoła Trąba (1358-1422), first primate of Poland, delegate to the Council of Constance, Fryderyk Jagiellończyk (1468-1503), also bishop of Kraków, cardinal, Jan Łasecki (1455-1531), first legatus natus, great statesman, Bernard Maciejowski (1548-1608), cardinal, Maciej Łubieński (1572-1652), Andrzej Olszowski (1621-77), Michał Radziejowski (1641-1705), cardinal, Ignacy Krasicki (1735-1801), writer and poet, Mieczysław Halka Ledóchowski (1823-1902), cardinal, prefect of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide, imprisoned at the time of the Kulturkampf, August Hlond (1881-1948), cardinal.
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Adam Macieliński