Michał Franciszek Karpowicz

Michał Franciszek Karpowicz (Lithuanian: Mykolas Pranciškus Karpavičius; 4 October 1744 – 5 November 1803) was a professor of the Vilnius University, participant of the Kościuszko Uprising (1794), and Roman Catholic bishop of the diocese of Wigry.^[1][2] Karpowicz is regarded as the most famous preacher of the Age of Enlightenment in Lithuania and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.^[1][2] He delivered sermons for ~20 years to the noble participants of the sessions of the Lithuanian Tribunal.^[1] His ancestors were Lithuanian nobles which are known since the 15th century.^[1]

Michał Franciszek Karpowicz
Bishop of Wigry
Appointed	5 April 1799
Successor	Jan Klemens Gołaszewski
Orders
Ordination	1767
Consecration	30 March 1800 by John Baptist Albertrandi
Personal details
Born	(1744-10-04)4 October 1744
Died	5 November 1803(1803-11-05) (aged 59) Berżniki

Biography

Karpowicz's sermon in Lithuanian language, dedicated to the 1794 Vilnius uprising

Karpowicz was born near Brest.^[2] He was educated between 1757 and 1761 by the Jesuits, entering a Jesuit seminary in Brest on 26 July 1761.^[2] He was ordained a priest in 1767 and continued to learn philosophy at the Jesuit seminary in Brest between 1767 and 1771, after which he taught theology at a seminary in Kraków until 1772.^[3] Karpowicz graduated from Vilnius University with a doctorate in theology on 5 August 1774,^[4] and was made archdeacon of Smolensk in 1776.^[5]

On 22 November 1783, Karpowicz was made professor of dogmatic theology at Vilnius University.^[4][6] He was also made a canon of Poznan the same year.^[5] Karpowicz was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Wigry on 5 April 1799.^[7] He was consecrated on 30 March 1800 in Holy Cross Church by John Baptist Albertrandi,^[8] co-consecrated by Tomasz Ostaszewski and Adam Michał Prażmowski.^[9] He died on 5 November 1803 in Berżniki and was buried on 12 December 1803 at the monastery in Wigry.^[10][11]