In the second half of the 19th century, the diocese of Krakow was one of the smallest Polish dioceses; Nevertheless, the network of parishes was very dense and the number of clergy was high. During the times of Galician autonomy, the diocese was ruled by four successive bishops, whose education was generally high, and two of them had doctorates. Most members of the Krakow Cathedral Chapter and Cathedral Consistory completed theological studies at the university, and a large number of them also graduated from other faculties. The education of parish priests, chaplains and penitentiaries was much more modest and was usually limited to the theological seminary, although there were also cases of completing theological studies. In Kraków, pastoral positions were generally held by better trained and enlightened priests. A large number of Krakow piesters taught religion in schools: in primary schools there were chaplains, in junior high schools higher education and appropriate qualifications were required. The financial situation of the Krakow clergy, like the entire Austrian clergy, was very different. Depending primarily on the rank in the church hierarchy, this resulted in very large inequalities between bishops, canons and prelates on the one hand, and parish clergy and catechists on the other. In general, however, the financial situation of the lower clergy in Kraków was good, and often even very good. In addition to the benefice, the clergy's remuneration was based on stolen contributions and offering pits collected from the parish. Austrian law established a minimum income for secular priests in appropriate positions, and in cases where the income did not reach a certain level, the difference was made up from the religious fund or from state subsidies. During the period of Austrian rule, the status of the clergy was regulated by state law, and their professional and economic situation was stabilized by legal means.