Drašcovič, Georg de Trakosćan

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DRAŠCOVIČ, GEORG DE TRAKOSĆAN

Theologian, cardinal, statesman; b. Biline, near Knin (southern Croatia), Feb. 5, 1525; d. Vienna, Jan. 31, 1587. His uncle, G. martinuzzi, sent him to pursue his education at Cracow, Vienna, Bologna, and Rome. He was bishop of Pécs from 1557 to 1563. He attended the Council of trent in 1561 as personal legate of Ferdinand I, and later represented the entire Hungarian Church. As leader of the liberal reform group at the Council, he fought for communion under both species and the abolition of clerical celibacy. Later, as bishop of Zagreb (156378), he founded the diocesan seminary and published the first polemical writing against calvinism. He defended the land against the Turks when he was viceroy of Croatia and Dalmatia (156778), and thus earned the title "father of his country and of the poor." He was also bishop of Kalocsa (157278) and Györ (157887), and royal governor and Hungarian imperial chancellor (157885). He was named a cardinal in 1585. In addition to his work against Calvinism, he translated the Commonitorium of Vincent of Lerins into Hungarian and edited some works of Lactantius.

Bibliography: k. st. draganoviĆ, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner (2d, new ed. Freiburg 195765) 3:542543. a. dudith, Orationes quinque in concilio Tridentino habitae (Halle 1743) appendix. d. farlati, Illyricum sacrum v.58, ed. g. coleti (Venice 17511819) 5:539545. j. koller, Historia episcopatus Quinqueecclesiarum (Pozsony 17821806) 6:1266.

[c. henkey]