advocate of the Union of Lublin which transformed the previous personal union between Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania into the new country of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the realm of religion he was a supporter of Reformation and various institutions like Akademia Rakowicka. At the same time he also criticized Polish Catholics for their dependence on Rome, while supporting those - like Jakub Uchański - who wanted more independence for local, Polish religious hierarchy and even the creation of a Polish national church. Over the 30 years of his political career Mikołaj would take part in 22 out of 25 national Sejms (from 1550 to 1583). He had enormous support of the other deputies: he was often chosen as the deputies' delegate to the king and senators, and held the temporary office of the marshal of the Sejm 9 times (Piotrków 15.05.-26.07.1550, Kraków 1.02.-29.03.1553, Piotrków 22.04.-15.06.1555, Warsaw 6.12.1556-14.01.1557, Piotrków 5.12.1558-8.02.1559, Warsaw 22.11.1563-1.04.1564, Parczew 24.06.-12.08.1564; Piotrków 18.01.-14.04.1556, election sejm at Wola 7.11.-15.12.1575). No other politician in Polish history would ever come close to his record. He was widely respected for his dedication to the country, never striving for more than the minor office of podkomorzy of Chełm, and never stepping on the wrong side of the law. The confederation of Warsaw and royal elections Sienicki was one of the initiators of the Warsaw Confederation. A vocal supporter of religious tolerance and the need for national unity, he strongly criticized the delaying tactics of the Catholic clergy which threatened the political stability of the newly founded Commonwealth during the uneasy time of the interregnum. After the confederation had been signed, he was one of the major supporters (together with other pro-reform-minded Polish politicians like kanclerz Jan Zamoyski) of the inclusion of its provisions in the Henrician articles and later in the pacta conventa. He also supported the creation of the Crown Tribunal and other reforms of the Polish-Lithuanian State. He criticized the archbishop of Gniezno who declared himself the temporary ruler (interrex); he also criticized magnates who wanted to elect a Habsburg candidate to the Polish throne. Together with middle and lesser nobility he supported the election of Henry III of France and later Stefan Batory to the Polish throne. References Mikołaj Sienicki (ok. 1521-1583) on Sejm.Gov Siennica Różana DWA BEZKRÓLEWIA — KONFEDERACJA WARSZAWSKA ks. dr Tadeusz Wojak Further reading Stanisław Grzybowski, 1957, 'Odrodzenie i Reformacja w Polsce', t.2,