Ksiądz – urzędnik czy kapłan, czyli o reformach stosunków administracyjnych duchowieństwa rzymskokatolickiego w Galicji w dobie józefinizmu

After the first partition of Poland, it was in the Austrian partition zone of Galicia that the Josephinistic legislation treated the priest as the civil servant. He was therefore charged with the duties to draw up and keep certificates typical of the civil registry office. In view of the previous absence of homogeneous practice in this area, the requirements laid down by the Austrian statutory law seemed to be advisable. The requirements referred in particular to baptism, marriage and death certificates. Those who were obligated to see to it that the entries be correctly made were the bishops on occasion of their inspection of parishes. Also the competitions for the Church posts, including those of the parish priest, were the manifestations of the control excercised by the administration over the priests, this being reminiscent of the medieval dispute referring to investiture. Also a series of detailed provisions referring to the Church area and concerned with the fire prevention, minerals obtained by mining or forest economy, were exponential of administrative dealings with clergy