Alexander Rudnay

Alexander Stefan Rudnay de Rudna et Divékujfalu[1][2] (Hungarian: rudnai és divékujfalusi Rudnay Sándor István; 4 October 1760 – 13 September 1831) was a Hungarian–Slovak[3] Roman Catholic prelate. He started as a parish priest, but later he became the Archbishop of Esztergom, the Prince Primate of Hungary[4] and a Cardinal.

His Eminence

Alexander Rudnay
Cardinal Archbishop of Esztergom
Appointed28 July 1819
Term ended13 September 1831
PredecessorKarl Ambrose Ferdinand von Habsburg
SuccessorJózsef Kopácsy
Orders
Ordination12 October 1783
Consecration21 April 1816
by Sigismund Anton von Hohenwart
Created cardinal15 December 1828
RankCardinal
Personal details
Born4 October 1760
Szentkereszt, Kingdom of Hungary (today Považany, Slovakia)
Died13 September 1831
Esztergom, Kingdom of Hungary
BuriedEsztergom Basilica
NationalityHungarian, Slovak
DenominationRoman Catholic
ParentsAndrás Rudnay
Anna Dőry
Previous postBishop of Transilvania (1816-1819)
Signature
Coat of arms
Bilingual (Hungarian and Slovak) plaque in Esztergom

Life

Alexander Rudnay was born to a family of lower nobility,[5] which originated from the ancient Hungarian gens (clan) Divék.[6] The Rudnay family also preserved its coat of arms from the genus: a brown bear under an extensive foliage of tee with blue background.[7][8] His parents were András (Andrej) Rudnay,[9] a servants' judge (Hungarian: szolgabíró; Latin: iudex nobilium) and Anna Dőry[2] . He studied in secondary school (gymnasium) in Nitra (Nyitra), later in Emerican in Pressburg, philosophy in Trnava (Nagyszombat), theology in Buda and, finally, in the general seminary in Pressburg.

He was ordained on October 12, 1783, in Trnava, and in April 1784 he received his doctor degree in theology. In January 1785 started his spiritual career, and he was sent as a chaplain to Častá (Cseszte). Afterwards, he served in Hronský Beňadik (Garamszentbenedek), Trnava and Krušovce (Nyitrakoros). In 1805 he became the canonical clergyman in Esztergom, 1806 rector of the priest seminary in Trnava and, a theology professor, 1808 a titular bishop, a general vicarius in Esztergom, and a viceroy's councilor. He was appointed as the bishop of Transylvania seated in Gyulafehérvár in 1816. In December 1819 Alexander Rudnay obtained the papal bull with his nomination to archbishop of Esztergom and primate of Hungary.[2] Upon the emperor's personal request, he moved his seat 1820 from Trnava to Esztergom. He was further the member of the Table of the Lords, secretary of the royal chancellery, and of the Secret Council. He adhered to the imperial court in Vienna and supported the Slovak culture, especially he saw that Slovak parishes were assigned to Slovak priests. In 1828, Pope Leo XII named him a Cardinal.[2] It is from this period that his most famous statement comes: „Slavus sum, et si in catedra Petri forem, Slavus ero.“ (I am a Slav, and I shall remain one, even if I were to sit in the Chair of Saint Peter.)[4]

Works

Inspired by the movement of Enlightenment this progressive clergyman supported the spiritual development of Slovaks and their national revival. In 1822 as archbishop of Esztergom and primas of Hungary, he began the construction of the Esztergom Basilica. personally contributing 815,696 forints. It is also the place of his final rest.

St. Adalbert's Basilica in Esztergom
  • Erköltsi Keresztény Oktatások különösen a fenyitö házakban raboskodónak remélhetö megjobbitásokra (Christian Moral Teachings especially for the Betterment of Prisoners), 1819
  • Kázne príhodné, ai iné, to gest: 82 reči duchownich.. (Occasional and Other Sermons, i.e.: 82 spiritual speeches...), 1833
  • various pastoral letters, speeches, preaching published individually

Honours
  • Esztergom, Hungary: One of the main squares of Esztergom named after Sándor Rudnay. His plaque located at the wall of Szent Anna church.
  • Váchartyán, Hungary: Suburban estate Rudnaykert ("Rudnay Garden") named after him.
  • Bratislava, Slovakia: The square in front of St. Martin's Dome named after him.
  • In 2002, the Slovak Postal Office issued a stamp with a face value of 17 crowns in his remembrance.
gollark: Apart from the various ways in which lyric bad, lyric was fine.
gollark: Hmm.
gollark: This unironically reads vaguely like some sort of abusive relationship thing.
gollark: ...
gollark: That comes under "certain lyric things".

See also

References
  1. Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique
  2. Markó 2006, p. 325.
  3. The Encyclopaedia of Slovakia and the Slovaks
  4. R. J. W. Evans: Austria, Hungary, and the Habsburgs: Central Europe C.1683-1867
  5. Nagy, Iván: Magyarország családai czímerekkel és nemzékrendi táblákkal. Vol. IX. p. 797.
  6. "Pallas Nagy Lexikona". Hungarian Electronic Library, mek.oszk.hu. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
  7. Pallas Great Lexicon
  8. Nagy, Iván: Magyarország családai czímerekkel és nemzékrendi táblákkal. Vol. II. pp. 207-208.
  9. Mária Vyvíjalová, Alexander Rudnay v kontexte slovenského národnoobrodenského hnutia

Sources
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
József Mártonffy		 Bishop of Transylvania
1815–1819		 Succeeded by
Ignác Szepesy
Preceded by
Archduke Karl of Austria-Este		 Archbishop of Esztergom
1819–1831		 Succeeded by
József Kopácsy
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