I’ve recently been thinking about the timeline of the characters, and unfortunately it conflicts with the theory that Jakub and Aniela are twins.
Why?
When Jan Paweł introduces his family, he refers to Aniela as: “Teenagers… who can understand them?”
This suggests that Aniela is at most 19 years old. That, in turn, undermines the twin theory, because Jakub could not already be a priest at the age of 19.
In the 17th century, after the reforms of the Council of Trent, candidates for the priesthood went through several years of formation. The path to ordination often began very early.
• 10–14 years old – studies at a parish school or college
• 14–16 years old – preparation for clerical life and further education
• Around 24–25 years old – the earliest standard age for ordination
• 22–23 years old – exceptionally, only with special dispensation, which was rare
This would also fit Jakub’s line to Stanisław in season one, where he says they are speaking to each other for the first time in ten years.
It’s a shame—I really liked that theory.
