Demeter Naprágyi

Demeter Naprágyi
Archbishop of Kalocsa
ArchdioceseKalocsa
Installed1608
Term ended1619
PredecessorIstván Szuhay
SuccessorBálint Lépes
Other post(s)Canon of Esztergom
Grand Provost of Eger
Provost of Arad
Bishop of Szerém
Bishop of Transylvania
Provost of Pozsony
Bishop of Veszprém
Bishop of Győr
Personal details
Born1564
Naprágy, Kingdom of Hungary
(today: Neporadza, Slovakia)
Diedbefore 5 March 1619
Győr, Kingdom of Hungary
NationalityHungarian
DenominationCatholic

Demeter Naprágyi (Náprágyi, Napragyi, Napraghy or Napragi; 1564 – before 5 March 1619)[1] was a Hungarian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who served as bishop of several dioceses. He was the Archbishop of Kalocsa from 1608 to 1619. He also functioned as Chancellor of Transylvania between 1598 and 1600.

Life

St. Ladislaus' reliquary – Demeter carried to Győr

Naprágyi was born into a noble family from Gömör County (since the 18th century: Gömör és Kis-Hont County) and raised in the court of Bishop of Pécs Miklós Telegdi. He studied theology in Vienna with the aid of the bishop. After ordination, he became director of the Nagyszombat College (today: Trnava, Slovakia). He was appointed Canon of Esztergom by bishop István Radéczy in 1586. Two years later, he served as Grand Provost of Eger. He was the Provost of Arad between 1593 and 1596. He became Bishop of Szerém (Syrmia) in June 1596. He held the office of Bishop of Transylvania since May 1597.

He often worked as envoy of his King, Rudolf. He visited Sigismund III Vasa in 1598. He had also good relationship with Sigismund Báthory.

He was elected Chancellor of Transylvania in 1598, during the reign of Prince Andrew Báthory. He also held the position, when Michael the Brave marched into Transylvania. He was a supporter of the Báthory family, as a result he was banished from Transylvania by the Diet of Gyulafehérvár (today: Alba Iulia, Romania) in January 1601. He carried the herma of Saint Ladislaus and his valuable book collection when left the principality. His episcopal property was seized by the diet.

From 1602, he was the Provost of Pozsony (Pressburg; today: Bratislava, Slovakia). He functioned as Bishop of Veszprém since August 1605 and as Bishop of Győr since December 1606. He was elected Archbishop of Kalocsa in 1608. After the death of Ferenc Forgách (1615), he applied for the position of Archbishop of Esztergom, but failed to reach success: Péter Pázmány, the significant person of the Hungarian Counter-Reformation, was elected head of the Hungarian Roman Catholic Church.

References

  1. ^ Markó 2006, p. 115.

Bibliography

  • Jenei, Ferenc: Az utolsó magyar humanista főpap: Naprágyi Demeter. Irodalomtörténeti Közlemények, 1965.
  • Markó, László: A magyar állam főméltóságai Szent Istvántól napjainkig - Életrajzi Lexikon p. 115. (The High Officers of the Hungarian State from Saint Stephen to the Present Days - A Biographical Encyclopedia) (2nd edition); Helikon Kiadó Kft., 2006, Budapest; ISBN 963-547-085-1.
  • Trócsányi, Zsolt: Erdély központi kormányzata 1540–1690. Budapest, Akadémiai Kiadó, 1980. p. 32.. ISBN 963 05 2327 2
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Miklós Zelniczey
Bishop of Syrmia
1596–1601
Succeeded by
Simon Bratulics
Preceded by Bishop of Transylvania
1597–1605
Succeeded by
István Szentandrásy
Preceded by
Lajos Újlaki
Bishop of Veszprém
1605–1606
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Márton Pethe
Bishop of Győr
1606–1619
Preceded by
István Szuhay
Archbishop of Kalocsa
1608–1619
Political offices
Preceded by Chancellor of Transylvania
1598–1600
Vacant
Title next held by
János Jacobinus