The Albanian bishop and theologian, Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani, a bright figure of the old Albanian literature, is considered as a cultivator and enlightener of the Albanian conscience and an early precursor of the national renaissance movement.
On December 6, 1689, the outstanding personality of the Church, the Albanian nation and culture, the extraordinary bishop Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani, died in Pristina from the plague epidemic. Albanian priest, bishop, archbishop, theologian and philosopher from Hasi (the ancient province), which lies in Albania and Kosovo.
The great Albanian bishop Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani is considered the most famous Albanian theologian and the brightest figure of the old Albanian literature. Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani stands out not only as a great priest and bishop, that is, as a spiritual shepherd, but also as a patriot, scholar and writer who made a valuable contribution to the effort to free the people and the country from the Ottoman yoke, as well as to the development and progress of the culture of Albanians.
With his extraordinary ecclesiastical, i.e. evangelistic and patriotic and political activity of 40 years, especially with the role he played as a shaper of the conscience of the Albanians, as the leader of the liberation uprising of 1689 and with his theological masterpiece "Cuneus Prophetarum", or according to the translation of Justin Rrota "Ceta e profetve", the Albanian bishop Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani is considered as a cultivator and enlightener of the Albanian conscience and an early precursor of the national renaissance movement.
The work of Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani "The Company of the Prophets" was published on September 20, 1685 in the city of Padua in Italy, and was reprinted in 1691 and 1702 in Venice. This theological work of the Albanian bishop Monsignor Pjetër Bogdan is regarded as the first book of original Albanian prose and remains one of the monuments of the Albanian language, culture and letters. The work 'The group of prophets' is a work with theological content.
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Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani (born around 1625 in Has - died on December 6, 1689 in Pristina). He took his first lessons in Ciprovac, Bullagri. In 1674 he was a student of the Illyrian college of Loreto. After philosophical and theological studies, he was ordained a priest. In 1651, he worked as a priest in Pult and in the villages of Prizren, near his birthplace[1]. In 1656, he was called to Rome to continue his higher theological studies at the Pontifical College of Religious Propaganda. There he learns the languages of the East. In 1658, he completed higher studies in theology and philosophy in Rome and received the title of doctor. After some time of the apostle's activity as a priest, he was appointed bishop of Shkodra and administrator of Tivar. 1663–1664: Meets and serves Cardinal Barbarigo, who at that time lived and worked in Rome. In 1675, he wrote the book 'Ceta e prophets' and submitted it to the Congregation of the Vatican Propaganda Fidae for publication. Propaganda's recommendation was to translate the book. Starts translating the book.
In 1677, he was named archbishop of Skopje in place of the anointed, Monsignor Andrea Bogdanit. The Turkish-Austrian war begins in 1683. In December of that year, Monsignor Andrea Bogdani dies. Pjeter Bogdani escapes to the mountains, in which case he loses the Latin-Albanian Grammar book made by Adreu. Accommodation in Ciprovac and Dubrovnik. In the first part of 1685, he went to Venice and Padova. He takes with him the book prepared for publication. The book 'Cuneus Prophetarum' is published at the end of the year in Padova by Barbarigo.
Another important element of Monsignor Pjetër Bogdan's activity is that he regularly informed the Holy See of Rome and the world about the human condition, i.e. social, economic, as well as the spiritual condition of the Albanians at that time, through detailed relations, sent to the Pope and Church bodies of Rome from Skopje and other countries, such as: "On the spiritual and social condition of the kingdom of Albania and Serbia 1687-1688" ("Dello stato spirituale e temporale del regno di Albania e Servia").
In addition to the spiritual mission, the evangelical one, Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani also worked on the cultivation of identity. He is actively involved in the organization of the anti-Turkish resistance and visits all the church communities in the countries of his Archdiocese. In 1689, the Austrian army penetrates. In November this army arrives in Pristina. Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani leaves with the army for Prizren, where he enlists 6.000 Albanians and arrives there with them. There he falls ill with the plague. He returns to Pristina for treatment by German doctors, but in vain. He died on December 6, 1689 in Pristina, where he is buried.
As his grandson Gjon Bogdani announced, immediately after the defeat of the Austrian army in those days, the Tatars and Turks took his body out of the grave.
The work of Bishop Monsignor Pjetër Bogdan "Ceta e profeteve" (Cuneus prophetarum) was published in 1685 in Padua, reprinted in 1691 and 1702 in Venice with different titles. The work "Cuneus Prophetarum", according to Justin Rrota's translation "Ceta e profeteve", is one of the most important theological works of the old literary heritage in the Albanian language. The fact that it is the first original work in the Albanian language, compared to the previous authors' works which were mainly translations, makes this book extremely important.
The original character of the work should be taken relatively to the content and the religious character it had, but it should be said that it was not based on any particular author in the form of a translation. The diverse subject matter adds importance to the work. There we find everything from theological, biblical, philosophical, religious, to historiographical, natural sciences, but also fiction and poetry. This variety of topics also leads to a variety of styles, which is an indication of the high degree of elaboration of the language for that time. And undoubtedly this is an important stone in the foundation of today's Albanian language.
The author has found opportunities to elaborate elements of the Albanian life of the time and the history of our people, such as the case of the manly resistance of the Kelmendas against the Turkish expedition in 1639. The thoughts and knowledge of the Albanian bishop Monsignor Pjetër Bogdanit are revealed in more detail in the preface of the book and in the numerous relations, which he drew up after his apostolic and pastoral visits to the dioceses he led as spiritual shepherd.
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He wrote with great love for the Albanian language, for the Motherland and for the Albanian people, he expressed his sorrow for the miserable condition and ignorance in which slavery had thrown his compatriots and deep opposition to the Ottoman conqueror. Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani demanded that the Albanian people be given books in their native language, worked for the restoration and development of national culture and the liberation of the country from foreign invaders.
Monsignor Pjetër Bogdani created with full awareness to enrich and refine the Albanian language and the Albanian people with the truths of the Christian religion, he traced and put into circulation old words and expressions left in oblivion, he also created new words, making the first attempts to create terms in any branch of science as well as in theological and ecclesiastical vocabulary in general. His discourse is often distinguished for its flexibility and syntactical constructions of a safe architecture. With the works of Mr. Pjetër Bogdani, Albanian literature and literary language took important steps forward/ R.SH. - The Vatican.
