Jerzy Radziwiłł | |
---|---|
Born |
Vilnius |
31 May 1556
Died | 21 January 1600 Rome |
(aged 43)
Parent(s) |
Mikołaj "the Black" Radziwiłł Elżbieta Szydłowiecka |
Prince Jerzy Radziwiłł (Belarusian: Юры Радзівіл, Lithuanian: Jurgis Radvila; 31 May 1556 – 21 January 1600) was a Polish–Lithuanian nobleman (szlachcic) from the Radziwiłł family. He was a Catholic bishop and cardinal. Radziwiłł was also an Imperial Prince (Reichsfürst).
Raised a Calvinist, Radziwiłł was educated at the University of Leipzig. In 1572 he converted to Catholicism and became associated with the Jesuits. He continued to study at Jesuit colleges in Poznań, Vilnius, and Rome. Radziwiłł began his duties as Bishop of Vilnius in 1579. He established Vilnius Seminary and helped to obtain university status for the Jesuit Academy in Vilnius. He was ordained to priesthood (April 10, 1583), and was not consecrated a bishop until December 26, 1583. He was elevated to the cardinalate by Gregory XIII only on December 12, 1583, and was assigned the titulus of S. Sisto July 14, 1586. He did not participate in the Conclave of 1585, which elected Sixtus V; or the Conclave of September, 1590, which elected Urban VII; or the Conclave of October 8-December 5, 1590, which elected Gregory XIV. In 1591, he became Bishop of Kraków. He did participate in the Conclave of October, 1591, which elected Innocent IX; and in the Conclave of January, 1592, which elected Clement VIII.
Radziwiłł was also involved in political life. He served as deputy administrator (namiestnik) of Livonia (Inflanty) from 1582 until 1585. He participated in the election of king Sigismund III Vasa and became his trusted adviser. Radziwiłł supported the Third Statute of Lithuania (1588) and the Union of Brest (1596).