Ograniczenia zdolności prawnej osób duchownych w pracach kodyfikacyjnych doby Królestwa Kongresowego
Loading...
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wydawnictwo KUL
Abstract
Artykuł dotyczy ograniczenia uprawnień duchownych katolickich w pracach kodyfikacyjnych w Królestwie Kongresowym. Zgodnie z prawem kanonicznym, które w znacznym zakresie było respektowane przez sądy Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodów, zakonnicy i zakonnice mieli poważnie ograniczone uprawnienia w zakresie prawa spadkowego (co do możliwości spadkobrania czy sporządzenia testamentu). Wob ec w pełni wyznaniowego charakteru prawa małżeńskiego osoby zobowiązane do celibatu nie mogły też rzecz jasna zawrzeć małżeństwa.
Reguły te pozostały w znacznym stopniu w mocy po zaprowadzeniu na dawne ziemie koronne praw pruskich i austro-galicyjskich. Z kolei Kodeks Napoleona, któremu nadano moc obowiązującą w Księstwie Warszawskim, nie znał ograniczeń duchownych ani w zakresie prawa spadkowego, ani co do możliwości zawierania małżeństw. Po przejęciu kontroli nad centralnymi ziemiami polskimi przez Aleksandra I oczywistą była potrzeba reformy prawa cywilnego. Jej zakres i zasady jednak budziły kontrowersje. Poza dyskusją pozostawało wyłączenie możliwości zawierania małżeństw przez duchownych katolickich, lecz zakres ewentualnego ograniczenia zdolności prawnej oraz zdolności do czynności prawnych zakonników i zakonnic był przedmiotem sporów. Tarcia w powołanej po obradach Sejmu w 1820 r. deputacji prawodawczej były tak wielkie, że konieczne okazało się rozstrzygnięcie tej kwestii przez samego cara. Opinia monarchy wychyliła się wówczas w stronę klerykalną, czego skutkiem było ograniczenie praw cywilnych zakonników i zakonnic przez art. 10 Kodeksu Cywilnego Królestwa Polskiego. Pełniejszy niż dotychczas opis tych kontrowersji był możliwy dzięki uwzględnieniu niewykorzystywanych dotychczas przez polskich badaczy materiałów przechowywanych w jednym z moskiewskich archiwów.
The article focuses on the limitations of the legal capacity of the clergy in the codification work during the era of the Congress Kingdom of Poland. According to canon law, which was largely respected by the courts of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the rights of monks and nuns were severely limited in matters related to succession (in particular, as far as inheritance or wills are concerned). Moreover, in light of the fully religious nature of marriage law, persons obliged to celibacy could not, as a matter of course, enter into a marital relationship. Austrian and Prussian lawmakers respected many of the ecclesiastical rules which regulated the status of the clergy. On the oth er hand, the Napoleonic Code did not place any limitations on the clergy in the realm of inheritance or marriage law. In 1807, the Duchy of Warsaw was established from the Polish lands seized by Prussia, where Landrecht of 1794 was in force. In 1809, some lands occupied by Austria were incorporated into the Duchy of Warsaw. The civil code of Western Galicia (a precursor of Allgemeines Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch) was binding within these territories. Soon afterwards, the Napoleonic Code was introduced into both parts of the Duchy. During the Congress of Vienna it was decided that a major part of the Duchy would be transformed into the Kingdom of Poland under Russian control. It was obvious that Emperor Alexander I would reform the secular Napoleonic law of the Kingdom of Poland. While the prohibition of concluding marriages by the Catholic clergy was not questioned, the scope of potential limitations of the legal capacity of monks and nuns was the subject of much debate. The members of the Codification Commission could not come to an agreement whether to change or preserve the French regulations. Finally, Alexander I ordered to introduce them into the Civil Code of the Kingdom of Poland. The article gives a fresh view on the debate, as it is based on the analysis of recently discovered materials from one of the Moscow archives.
The article focuses on the limitations of the legal capacity of the clergy in the codification work during the era of the Congress Kingdom of Poland. According to canon law, which was largely respected by the courts of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the rights of monks and nuns were severely limited in matters related to succession (in particular, as far as inheritance or wills are concerned). Moreover, in light of the fully religious nature of marriage law, persons obliged to celibacy could not, as a matter of course, enter into a marital relationship. Austrian and Prussian lawmakers respected many of the ecclesiastical rules which regulated the status of the clergy. On the oth er hand, the Napoleonic Code did not place any limitations on the clergy in the realm of inheritance or marriage law. In 1807, the Duchy of Warsaw was established from the Polish lands seized by Prussia, where Landrecht of 1794 was in force. In 1809, some lands occupied by Austria were incorporated into the Duchy of Warsaw. The civil code of Western Galicia (a precursor of Allgemeines Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch) was binding within these territories. Soon afterwards, the Napoleonic Code was introduced into both parts of the Duchy. During the Congress of Vienna it was decided that a major part of the Duchy would be transformed into the Kingdom of Poland under Russian control. It was obvious that Emperor Alexander I would reform the secular Napoleonic law of the Kingdom of Poland. While the prohibition of concluding marriages by the Catholic clergy was not questioned, the scope of potential limitations of the legal capacity of monks and nuns was the subject of much debate. The members of the Codification Commission could not come to an agreement whether to change or preserve the French regulations. Finally, Alexander I ordered to introduce them into the Civil Code of the Kingdom of Poland. The article gives a fresh view on the debate, as it is based on the analysis of recently discovered materials from one of the Moscow archives.
Description
Keywords
zdolność cywilna, osoby duchowne, Królestwo Kongresowe, Królestwo Polskie, Kodeks Napoleona, legal capacity, clergy, Congress Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland, Napoleonic Code
Citation
"Studia z Prawa Wyznaniowego", 2020, T. 23, s. 263-276