note
At the founding of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in 1918, no new Roman Catholic
jurisdiction, encompasing the whole country, was erected and the hierarchies,
established in the different regions which became part of the new state, all
continued their separate existence as before.
See also SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH for more on Church history in Yugoslavia
and its regions
After most Christians had joined the Serbian Orthodox Church, following the
Osmanli conquest of Bosnia in 1463, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Vrhbosnia -
for centuries the major Roman Catholic jurisdiction in the realm - gradually
lost all importance and in 1735 it was replaced by the Apostolic Vicariate of
Bosnia-Hercegovina, which was itself divided into the Apostolic Vicariates of
Bosnia and of Hercegovina in 1846.
In 1881, three years after the start of the Austrian-Hungarian occupation, a
regular hierarchy, under the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna - Sarajevo, was restored
Vicar Apostolic of Bosnia
1866 - 1881 Paskal Vuicic, Titular Bishop of
Antiphellos in Lycia 1... - 1888
Vicars Apostolic of Hercegovina
1866 - 1879 Angel Kraljevic, Titular Bishop of
Metellopolis in Phrygia 1807 - 1879
1880 - 1881 Paskal Buconjic, Titular Bishop of
Magydus in Pamphylia Secunda 1834 - 1910
Archbishops of Vrhbosna / Sarajevo
1881 - 1918 Josef Stadler 1843 - 1918
1918 - 1922 vacant
1922 - 1960 Ivan Saric 1871 - 1960
Christianism was introduced - or rather re-introduced, as there had already
existed some communities in Roman times - in Croatia in the 7th century (1)
and a regular hierarchy was set up in the course of the following centuries.
(1) Although most of the Christians of Croatia became adherents of
the Roman Catholic Church there also emerged - at least since
the 13th century - a very important Serbian Orthodox community.
ZAGREB
The Diocese of Agram or Zagreb was erected in 1094.
It was at first a suffragan of the Hungarian Archdiocese of Kalocsa, but in
1852 it became an Archdiocese covering all of Croatia (2)Archbishops
1870 - 1891 Josip Mihalovic 1814 - 1891
1891 - 1894 vacant
1894 - 1914 Djordje Posilovic 18.. - 1914
1914 - 1937 Antun Bauer 18.. - 1937
1937 - 1960 Alojzije Stepinac 1898 - 1960
(2) In 1852 the Croatian dioceses, which till then, had been subject to
the Hungarian hierarchy were united into a separate church province
as a reward for Croatian's attitude during the events of 1848 - 1849.
Krizevci
Among the suffragans of Zagreb was the diocese of Krizevci which
had been erected in 1777 for the few Orthodox Serbs, living in
Croatia, who had accepted union with Rome in the course of the
17th century.
After the founding of the Yugoslav kingdom in 1918, the see was
given jurisdiction over all Yugoslav Orthodox communities united
with Rome (Serbs, Romanians, Ukrainians, ...)
Bishops
1857 - 1881 Djordje Smiciklas 1815 - 1881
1881 - 1883 vacant
1883 - 1889 Elias Hranilovic 1850 - 1889
1889 - 1891 vacant
1891 - 1917 Iulius Drohobeczky 1853 - 1934
1917 - 1920 vacant
1920 - 1940 Dionysius Nyaradi
1940 - 1942 vacant
1942 - 1945 Jan Simrak
Christianism was introduced in Dalmatia as early as the first century and a
regular hierarchy was immediately established. (3)
After the reform of 1828 this consisted of :
- The Archdiocese of Zara / Zadar with its suffragans :
- Dubrovnik / Ragusa - Sibenik / Sebenico
- Hvar / Lesina - Split and Makarska / Spalato and Macarca
- Kotor / Cattaro
- The Diocese of Krk / Veglia, a suffragan of Görz / Goritza.
Folling WW I and the division of Dalmatia between Italy and Yugoslavia Zara's
authority was limited to the Italian Province of Zara, all its suffragans and
Krk - all situated in Yugoslavia - becoming directly dependent of the Holy
See.
(3) Apart from some small Orthodox communities - mainly of Serbian
origin - all adherents belonged to the Roman Catholic Church.
ZARA / ZADAR
The Diocese of Zara / Zadar was erected in the 4th century.
It became an Archdiocese in 1146.
Archbishops
1862 - 1891 Peter Alexander Maupas 1... - 1891
1891 - 1899 Georg Rajcevic 1826 - 1899
1899 - 1901 vacant
1901 - 1910 Matthias Dvornik 1847 - 1914
1910 - 1922 Vincent Pulisic
1922 - 1948 Pietro Diomi Munzani 1890 - 1951
____________________________________________________________________________
DUBROVNIK*
The Diocese of Dubrovnik was erected in 990.
Bishops
1870 - 1872 vacant
1872 - 1881 Jovan Zaffron 1807 - 1881
1882 - 1893 Matija Vodopic 1816 - 1893
1894 - 1928 Josip Marcelic 18.. - 1928
1929 - 1945 Josip Carevic 1883 - 1945
_____________________________________________________________________________
HVAR*
The Diocese of Hvar was erected in the 12th century
Bishops
1866 - 1874 Djorje Dubocovic 1800 - 1874
1874 - 1876 vacant
1876 - 1888 Andrija Ilic 1827 - 1888
1888 - 1901 Fulgent Czarew 1826 - 1901
1901 - 1903 vacant
1903 - 1917 Jordan Zaninovic 1840 - 1917
1918 - 1925 Luca Pappafava
1926 - 1970 Miho Pusic
_____________________________________________________________________________
KOTOR*
The Diocese of Kotor was erected in the 10th century.
Bishops
1868 - 1879 Djordje Marcic 1815 - 1879
1879 - 1887 Casimiro Forlani 1... - 1887
1888 - 1895 Trifon Radonicic 1839 - 1895
1895 - 1937 Francesco Ucellini 1... - 1937
1938 - 1950 Pavao Butorac
_____________________________________________________________________________
KRK*
The Diocese of Krk was erected in 900.
Bishops
1855 - 1877 Jovan Josip Vitezic 1806 - 1877
1877 - 1880 vacant
1880 - 1893 Franjo Ferrettic 1816 - 1893
1894 - 1896 Andreas Sterk 1827 -
1896 - 1920 Antun Matnic 1850 - 1920
1920 - 1923 vacant
1923 - 1966 Josip Srebnic
_____________________________________________________________________________
SIBENIK*
The Diocese of Sibenik was erected in 1298.
Bishops
1863 - 1872 Jovan Zoffran s.a.
1872 - 1876 vacant
1876 - 1894 Antonio Innocentio Giuseppe Fosco 1826 - 1894
1895 - 1903 Matteo Zannoni 1831 - 1903
1903 - 1910 Vincent Pulisic s.a.
1911 - 1918 Luca Pappafava s.a.
1918 - 1922 vacant
1922 - 1947 Jeronim Maria Mileta
_____________________________________________________________________________
SPLIT AND MAKARSKA*
The Diocese of Split was erected in the 3th century. That of Makarska in the
6th. They were united in 1828.
Bishops
1866 - 1889 Marcus Calogera 1... - 1888
1889 - 1910 Filip Franjo Nakic 1... - 1910
1911 - 1917 Antun Gjivoic
1918 - 1921 Djordje Caric
1921 - 1923 vacant
1923 - 1954 Kvirin Klement Bonefacic
Although the majority of the Christian communities in Macedonia adhered to one
of the Orthodox Churches, there also always was a Roman Catholic presence in
the region. (4)(4) The indigenous Catholic community faded away in the 14th century,
but it was immediately replaced by a new community of foreigners,
like merchants from Dubrovnik and Venice or German miners.
SKOPJE*
The diocese of Skopje was erected in the 4th century.
It became an Archdiocese in 1656. In 1924 it was degraded to a Diocese, but
remained directly subordinated to the Holy See.
Archbishops
1864 - 1878 Dario Bucciarelli 1... - 1878
1879 - 1888 Fulgent Czarew s.a.
1888 - 1891 Andrea Logorezzi 1... - 1891
1891 - 1893 vacant
1893 - 1908 Pasquale Troksi 1850 - 1914
1909 - 1921 Lazar Mjeda
1921 - 1924 vacant
Bishops
1924 - 1939 Ivan Gnidovec
1940 - 1967 Franjo Cekada 1902 - 1976
After the majority of Christians had adhered to the Serbian Orthodox Church,
a small Roman Catholic presence continued to exist in Montenegro / Crna Gora
until the 17th (?) century when it faded away.
A new community - mostly consisting of Albanians - however emerged after the
annexation, in 1878, of the coastal city of Bar and its surrounding region.
At first dependent of the church administrators in Bosnia, the Principality
became a separate jurisdiction in 1886, entrusted to the ancient Archdiocese
of Antivari / Bar.
The Diocese of Antivari / Bar was erected in the 9th century.
It became an Archdiocese in 1034.
Archbishops
(Styled "Illustrissimo Monsignore", Primate of Serbia(1886) and all Dalmatia
(1902))
1855 - 1886 Karl Pooten, also Archbishop of
Shkodër 1... - 1886
1886 - 1910 Simon Milinovic 1835 - 1910
191. - 1955 Nikola Dobrecic 1872 - 1955
The situation of the Roman Catholics in Serbia evolved in the same way as in
Montenegro. Here too a community continued to exist after the founding of the
Serbian Orthodox Church and here too it gradually lost its importance, only
remaining with a handfull of adherents by the end of the 19th century.
As a result of this evolution the head of the Church - the Bishop of Belgrade
- also lost all importance and from the middle of the 19th century onwards no
new resident bishops were even appointed : the style of Bishop of Belgrade
became a titular title - conferred to Hungarian or Croatian bishops - while
in Serbia itself a semblance of structure was maintained, at first under the
Bishop(of Croatian Djakovo (1851 - 1886)(5) and then under the Archbishops of
Albanian Shkodrë.
In 1914 the Holy See decided to restore a Serbian regular hierarchy, but due
to the war this could only be done in 1924 when the Archdiocese of Belgrade
was erected.
Titular Bishops of Belgrade and Smederevo
1871 - 1893 Ivan Pavlesic, Aux. of Zagreb 1814 - 1893
1893 - 1904 vacant
1904 - 1912 Jan Krapac, Aux. of Zagreb
1912 - 1934 Dominic Premus, Aux. of Zagreb
Archbishops
1925 - 1936 Ivan Rafael Rodic 1870 - 1954
1936 - 1964 Josip Ujcic 1880 - 1964
(5) Josip Juraj Strossmeyer 1815 - 1905
_____________________________________________________________________________
YUGOSLAVIAN BACKA AND YUGOSLAVIAN BANAT
After WW I parts of the Hungarian dioceses of Csanád (the Banat) and Kalosca
(Backa) were added to Yugoslavian Serbia.
For each region a separate Apostolic Administration was set up.
Apostolic Administrators of Yugoslavian Backa
192. - 19.. ...
Apostolic Administrators of the Yugoslavian Banat
1925 - 19.. The Archbishops of Belgrade
Roman Catholicism first appeared in present-day Slovenia in the 2nd century,
but it had to be re-introduced in the 8th century.
A regular hierarchy was established from the 11th century onwards.
LAVANT / MARIBOR*
The Diocese of Lavant - later also named Maribor - was erected in 1228.
It was a suffragan of Salzburg in Austria until after WWI when it was became
directly subordinated to the Holy See.
Bishops
1863 - 1889 Jakob Maximilian Stepischnegg 1815 - 1889
1889 - 1922 Mihael Napotnik 1850 - 1922
1923 - 1933 Andreas Karlin
1934 - 1950 Ivan Tomazic
_____________________________________________________________________________
LJUBLIANA (LAIBAICH)*
The Diocese of Laibach was erected in 1461. Its statute changed several times
until 1830 when it became a suffragan of Austrian Görz / Goritza.
After WW I it was named Ljubliana and became directly dependent to the Holy
See.
Prince Bishops
1860 - 1872 Bartholomaeus Widmer 1802 - 1883
1872 - 1875 vacant
1875 - 1884 Johann Chrysostomos Fogacar 1811 - 1884
1884 - 1897 Jakob Missia 1838 -
1898 - 1930 Anton Bonaventura Jeglic 1850 - 1930
1930 - 1959 Gregorij Rozman 1883 - 1959
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PREKMURJE AND YUGOSLAVIAN GURK
After WW I parts of the Austrian diocese of Gurk and of the Hungarian diocese
of Szombathely (Prekmurje) were added to Yugoslavian Slovenia.
For each region a separate Apostolic Administration was set up in 1923.
Apostolic Administrators of Prekmurje and Yugoslavian Gurk
1923 - 19.. The Bishops of Lavant / Maribor
Back to ROMAN CATHOLIC REGIONAL HIERARCHY
