Person:Jerzy Radziwiłł (1556–1600) (1)

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Prince Jerzy Radziwiłł (; 31 May 1556 – 21 January 1600) was a Polish–Lithuanian magnate and Imperial Reichsfürst from the Radziwiłł family. He was ordained a Catholic priest and later rose through the ranks as Bishop of Vilnius eventually becoming a cardinal. He was a close friend and adviser of king Sigismund III and represented his interests in front of the Pope.

Raised a Calvinist, Radziwiłł was educated at the University of Leipzig. In 1572 he converted to Catholicism and became associated with the Jesuits.^[1] He continued to study at Jesuit colleges in Poznań, Vilnius, and Rome. Radziwiłł began his duties as Bishop of Vilnius in 1579.^[1] 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 Polish 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).^[1]

He came to Rome to participate in the Jubilee of 1600, but died in Rome on January 21, and was buried in the Church of the Gesu.^[1]

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Jerzy Radziwiłł (1556–1600), in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.