Patru invitații la prima liturghie a episcopului Franciscus Várdai
Four Invitations to the First Liturgy of Bishop Francis Vardai

Summary/Abstract: The main purpose of this paper is to reconstitute the circumstances of the first mass celebrated by Franciscus Várdai, bishop of Transylvania between 1513 and 1524, and a few details regarding the environment in which the invitations for this event were written. It seems that Várdai celebrated his first liturgy so late because he considered the possibility of following a political career as a layman. However, the event was a very important one for the entire region, being attended by many dignitaries of Transylvania. Archives of Sibiu and Brașov keep four invitations sent by the bishop to the religious and secular leaders of the Saxon community. The letters adressed to the clergy differ from those sent to lay authorities and refer to an indulgence granted by the pope to those who attend the first episcopal liturgy. The invitations were written by two scribes, each one specialized on one version of the text, under the supervision of an episcopal secretary.

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