Antonijs Springovičs
|
His Excellency Antonijs Springovičs |
|
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Riga | |
 |
|
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Archdiocese | Riga |
| Appointed | 25 October 1923 |
| In office | 1923-1958 |
| Successor | Pēteris Strods |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 24 June 1901 by Bolesław Hieronim Kłopotowski |
| Consecration | 22 August 1920 by Juozapas Skvireckas |
| Rank | Metropolitan Archbishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 1, 1876 Rēzekne, Russian Empire Present-day Latvia |
| Died | October 1, 1958 (aged 81) Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Buried | St Michael's Cemetery, Riga |
| Nationality | Latvian |
| Previous post | Bishop of Riga (1920-1923) |
Antonijs Springovičs (1 November 1876 - 1 October 1958) was a Roman Catholic Latvian prelate who became the first Archbishop of Riga in 1923.
Antonijs Springovičs was born on 31 October 1876 in Rēzekne, Latvia. In 1897 he joined the seminary in Saint Petersburg. He received a Master's degree in Theology. He was ordained priest by Bolesław Hieronim Kłopotowski, the Archbishop of Mohilev on June 24, 1901.
On 29 September 1918, the Diocese of Riga was restored and Eduard O'Rourke was appointed as the first bishop. O'Rourke's position in Riga was problematic as German forces occupied the city in early 1919. By the end of World War I, the ecclesiastical organisation was largely destroyed, and only a few priests were active. O'Rourke did not speak Latvian but tried to encourage Latvian priests. He resigned after a new government in Latvia was appointed and there was a popular movement calling for an ethnic Latvian bishop. Thus on April 14, 1920 Pope Benedict XV appointed Springovičs as O'Rourke's successor with the bull Hodies nos. He was consecrated bishop on August 22, 1920 by Juozapas Skvireckas.
On 25 November 1923 Springovičs was appointed as the first archbishop of Riga after the diocese was elevated on 25 October 1923. In November 1926 he was awarded the Latvian Order of the Three Stars. On 8 May 1937 Springovičs became metropolitan archbishop after the suffragan Diocese of Liepāja was created. In 1939 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Latvia.
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