Jason Smogorzewski


Jason Smogorzewski was a bishop of the Ruthenian Uniate Church, Metropolitan bishop of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia. He became the first ethnic Polish who headed the Ruthenian Church. Smogorzewski became the first metropolitan being elected and confirmed following Russian annexation of Polotsk where he was archbishop.
In 1731 he joined the Order of Basilians and changed from Latin-rite to Byzantine-rite.
On 31 December 1758 Smogorzewski was ordained by archbishop of Durrës Joseph Schiro as a coadjutor archbishop of Polock becoming a vicar bishop of Vitebsk. On 18 July 1762 he succeeded archbishop Florian Hrebnicki.
Following the death of Leo Szeptycki, in 1779-1781 Smogorzewski served administrator of the Metropolitan see.
On 25 June 1781 he was confirmed as the Metropolitan bishop of Kiev, Galicia, and all Ruthenia.
He consecrated following bishops Peter Bielański, Michael Stadnicki and Theodosius Rostocki.
Smogorzewski died in 1788 in Radomyshl where he started to build new metropolitan complex for the Ruthenian Church.