Whose Bishop/Who’s the Bishop?

Abstract In the latter half of the fifteenth century, the Diocese of Olomouc (Moravia) was one of the two (out of four) properly functioning dioceses in Czech territory, alongside the Silesian Diocese of Wrocław. The period between the death of Bishop Tas of Boskovice (1482) and the accession of Bishop Stanislaus Thurzó (1497) was marked by disputes among various candidates. The election of the bishop was complicated by the influence of King Matthias Corvinus, who persuaded the chapter to elect his preferred candidate, Bishop Jan Filipec; however, this election was never ratified by the pope. Subsequent candidates had various reasons to aspire to the position: János Vitéz of Kamarca, another candidate proposed by Matthias Corvinus, sought status and income to support him in his diplomatic role; Bohuslav Hasištejnský viewed the post of bishop of Olomouc as the culmination of his ecclesiastical career, supported by the local nobility and King Wladislas; Cardinals Ardicino della Porta and Juan Borgia (Borja) needed the extra income and were supported by the popes. The dispute reflects the efforts of local rulers as well as local Estates to exert influence over the decisions of the chapter, and the Papacy’s attempts to strengthen its authority in church governance, pointing to a dynamic of ecclesiastical and political changes in the region.