The Ways of Punishing Clerics. Episcopal Detentions for Priests – a Case Study of Olomouc Archdiocese in the 19th Century

Abstract

The institution of the house of correction for the clergy (also called “priestly pris­ons”) represented a special institution for priests who were guilty of violating their duty or manners, but also for priests who were ill (physically or psychologically). The priest who was considered to be reformed (corrected) could be released back into pasto­ral service. Priests located in clerical prisons were not “dangerous criminals”, but ra­ther offenders. The house of correction in Mírov had its own rules: instructions for the dean of Mo­helnice (with the duty of visitation), for the chaplain of Mírov (the superior of the house of correction in Mírov), service staff and for the incarcerated priests, of course. These instructions represented very well thought-out regulations. Based on these, we can also picture the functioning of this institution, and outline the fates of the incar­ce­rated priests (depending upon the preserved archival sources).

Keywords

• house of correction for the clergy
• Olomouc Archdiocese
• punishing of clerics