Lasko

Lasko (Polish Laski, Latin Lascus), John à (1), a very celebrated Roman Catholic prelate of the Church of Poland, was born in the early part of the year 1466. He was at first provost at Skalbimierz, then at Posen, and was afterwards chosen by Andreas Roza, of Borvszewice, archbishop of Gnesen, as his coadjutor. During the reigns of Casimir IV, John Albrecht, and Alexander, he resided at court as archchancellor, and on the death of the archbishop of Gnesen (in 1510) Lasko succeeded him in that eminent position. In 1513 he was sent to the fifth general council of Lateran, together with Stanislaus Ostrorog, and in the presence of pope Leo X implored the Christian princes there present to assist Poland and Hungary against the attacks of the Turks and Tartars. In this council Lasko obtained for himself and all succeeding archbishops of Gnesen the title of legatus natus sedis apostolicae. He died May 19, 1531. He wrote Relatio de erroribus Moschorum, facta in concilio Lateranensi a Joanne Lasko. His activity as archbishop is manifest in the number of provincial synods over which he presided: 1. at Gnesen, in 1506; 2. at Petrikau, in 1510; 3. same, 1511; 4. Lenczyc, 1523; 5. same, 1527; 6. Petrikau, 1530. He was a decided opponent of the Reformation and its propagation in Poland as is evinced by his canons and decretals (comp. Constitutiones synodorum metropolitanae ecclesiae Gnesnensis, Cracov. 1630). He wrote also Sanctiones ecclesiasticae tam ex pontificum decretis quam in constitutionibus synodorum provinciae inprimis autem statuta in diversis provincialibus synodis a se sancita (Cracov. 1525,4to). Lasco gained great reputation by his collection of the laws of the country, made by order of king Alexander of Poland, under the title Commune Poloniae regni privilegium constitutionum et indultuum (Cracov. 1506). See Damalewicz, Vitae arehiepiscoporum (Gnesnensium, page 278; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 8:203; Wetzer u. Welte, Kirchen-Lexikon, s.v. (J.H.W.)