''Ex hac augusta Principis Apostolorum cathedra'' ( en, From this exalted seat of the Prince of Apostles; hr, S ove uzvišene stolice apostolskog Prvaka) is a
papal bull issued by
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
on 5 July 1881, by which he restored the regular Church hierarchy in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
after its occupation by
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
from the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, with
Archdiocese of Vrhbosna seated in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
having three suffragan dioceses:
Banja Luka
Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...
,
Mostar-Duvno and
Trebinje-Mrkan, with latter being under the administration of the
bishop of Dubrovnik
The Diocese of Dubrovnik ( hr, Dubrovačka biskupija); or Ragusa ( la, Dioecesis Ragusiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southern Croatia.[Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...]
from the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in 1878, the new government tried to impose its dominance over the three religious groups living there: the
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
, the
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
, and the
Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
by separating them from their spiritual centres.
The first efforts by the Catholic Church to establish its hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina dates back to the 13th century, and there were several attempts afterward, however, due to political circumstances and the opposition from the Franciscans, these attempts failed. In 1327,
Pope John XXII
Pope John XXII ( la, Ioannes PP. XXII; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death in December 1334.
He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by ...
gave the Franciscans exclusive right over inquisition and pastoral care in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who in return gained a number of privileges, including the election of provincials, apostolic visitors, vicars and bishops.
History
In the wake of the Austrian-Hungarian occupation, a number of critiques and accusations against the Franciscans were sent to Rome, often from the Franciscans themselves, but also from those who sought to gain a position in the restored hierarchy. However, on a session of Roman cardinals held on 23 June 1879, 17 out of 19 cardinals voted against the restoration, claiming that it would hurt the interests of Catholics there, nevertheless Roma Curia was still interested in the restoration.
On 13 August 1880, the Roman Curia gave a maximalist proposal to its negotiators with Austria-Hungary, in which they demanded the establishment of an archdiocese with metropolitan rights with a seat in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
; establishment of four suffragan dioceses, of which two in
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
seated in
Banja Luka
Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...
and
Tuzla
Tuzla (, ) is the third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inhabitants.
Tuzla is the economic, cultural, ed ...
and two in
Herzegovina
Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...
, one seated in
Mostar
Mostar (, ; sr-Cyrl, Мостар, ) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina.
Mostar is sit ...
and the already existing
Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan. The Emperor was supposed to have the right to appoint bishops as elsewhere in the Monarchy. The Curia also requested the establishment of a seminary in Sarajevo for the education of the
secular clergy
In Christianity, the term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or otherwise members of religious life. A secular priest (sometimes known as a diocesan priest) is a priest who commits themselves to a certain geogra ...
for all the dioceses, with the expense being paid by the Monarchy, who will also finance the bishops and priests.
With only 200,000 Catholics in the country at the time, the Curia proposed such an expensive proposal with the aim to profile itself against the Eastern Orthodoxy and to convert the
Bosnian Muslims.
The Austrian-Hungarian authorities responded with a minimalist proposal, in which they suggested the establishment of only two dioceses, one for Bosnia in Sarajevo, and the other for Herzegovina in Mostar. The bishops were to be appointed by the Emperor, as elsewhere in the Monarchy. Austria-Hungary insisted on Franciscans taking pastoral care, with the introduction of secular clergy only when necessary.
1881 Convention
The negotiations between the
Roman Curia and
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
were concluded on 8 June 1881, where the Curia drew the shorter straw.
The Convention the two sides agreed upon included the establishment of a province, separate from all other provinces in the Monarchy, that would have an archdiocese in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
, with three suffragan dioceses, one in
Mostar
Mostar (, ; sr-Cyrl, Мостар, ) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina.
Mostar is sit ...
for
Herzegovina
Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...
and one in
Banja Luka
Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...
for Western
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
. The existing
Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan was to remain under the administration of
Bishop of Dubrovnik
The Diocese of Dubrovnik ( hr, Dubrovačka biskupija); or Ragusa ( la, Dioecesis Ragusiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southern Croatia.[Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...]
issued ''Ex hac augusta Principis Apostolorum cathedra'', a bull by which he restored the regular Church hierarchy in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
. With the restoration, both vicariates, the
Bosnian (1735–1881) and the
Herzegovinian (1846–81) were abolished.
Pope established the
Archdiocese of Vrhbosna with the seat in Sarajevo and subordinated to it three other dioceses: the newly established
Diocese of Banja Luka, the already existing
Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan (under the apostolic administration from the bishop of
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
at the time) and the
Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, to which he added the title of
bishop of Duvno as well. The Diocese of Mostar-Duvno encompassed the territory of the Apostolic Vicariate of Herzegovina, which was abolished.
The Apostolic Vicar of Bosnia, Paškal Vuičić, was simply retired after the abolishment of the vicariate, while the Apostolic Vicar of Herzegovina
Paškal Buconjić
Paškal Buconjić (2 April 1834 – 8 December 1910) was Herzegovinian Croat Franciscan and a prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the first bishop of Mostar-Duvno from 1881 to 1910, as the apostolic administrator of Trebinje-Mrkan ...
was appointed Bishop of Mostar-Duvno.
Josip Stadler
Josip Stadler (24 January 1843 – 8 December 1918) was a Roman Catholic priest, the first Archbishop of Vrhbosna, the founder of the religious order of the Servants of the Infant Jesus ( hr, Služavke Maloga Isusa), and one of the main ins ...
was appointed the Archbishop of Vrhbosna and Administrator of Banja Luka.
On 8 July 1890, the Pope exempted Trebinje-Mrkan from Bishop of Dubrovnik and named Bishop of Mostar-Duvno its administrator.
Dispute with the Franciscans
Although the Franciscans felt endangered by the restoration of the regular church hierarchy, they showed loyalty to the new regime, represented by the Joint Minister of Finance
Béni Kállay
Béni Kállay de Nagy-Kálló or Benjamin von Kállay ( hu, Kállay Benjámin; – ) was an Austro-Hungarian statesman and a Hungarian nobleman.
Early life
Kállay was born in Pest (today part of Budapest). His family derived their name f ...
. In return, the new government had a full understanding of the interests of the Franciscans and supported them in their dispute with the church hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by Archbishop of Vrhbosna Stadler. The Franciscans of Herzegovina influenced the Catholic population to support the new regime. Provincial of the Herzegovinian Franciscans
Lujo Radoš
Lujo is a bisegmented RNA virus—a member of the family '' Arenaviridae''—and a known cause of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) in humans. Its name was suggested by the Special Pathogens Unit of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of ...
was a fierce supporter of the new government and fully cooperated with the government.
Kállay's goal as the administrator of Bosnia and Herzegovina was to find a common ground between the Franciscans and the church hierarchy. Not long after becoming the Joint Finance Minister, Kállay assured the General of the Franciscan Order that he would have "the greatest favor" for the Franciscans, but insisted that there must be a concordance between the Franciscans and the church hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the sake of the Catholic Church. The Franciscan General was advised by Kállay to have a soothing tone at the meeting with the fellow Franciscans in
Fojnica
Fojnica ( sr-cyrl, Фојница) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located west of the capital Sarajevo, in the valley of the Fojn ...
, and the General, accepting Kállay's advice, told the Franciscans at the meeting on 24 July 1882, that "for the sake of peace" they should give a number of parishes to the
secular clergy
In Christianity, the term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or otherwise members of religious life. A secular priest (sometimes known as a diocesan priest) is a priest who commits themselves to a certain geogra ...
.
Stadler was offered 16, and then 24 parishes in the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna and 8 parishes in the Diocese of Banja Luka. However, Stadler wanted more parishes. Thus, the Franciscans turned to the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
to resolve the dispute, and Kállay involved the government in the dispute through diplomacy. Kállay instructed
Ludwig von Paar, the Austrian-Hungarian ambassador in Rome, to try to satisfy both parties. Kállay reasoned that being friendly towards the Franciscans wouldn't endanger the restoration of the church hierarchy, as Stadler himself admitted that he would lack secular priests for some time. Thus, Kállay considered Stadler's insistence on more parishes as unjustified.
The Holy See saw Kállay's stance in the dispute as problematic for the restoration of the church hierarchy. Pope Leo XIII considered the issue of restoration of the church hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina as very important, while his Secretary of State Cardinal
Luigi Jacobini
Luigi Jacobini (6 January 1832 – 28 February 1887) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Vatican Secretary of State from 1880 until his death; he was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 1879.
Biography
Bo ...
thought that Stadler will have serious obstacles in this task due to the support of the Austrian-Hungarian government for the Franciscans. Von Paar's task was to disperse this fear of the Holy See. As a compromise, Von Paar supported Jacobini's idea that an agreement between the church hierarchy and the Franciscans should be of a provisional character so that the future restoration process wouldn't be prevented. Kállay also supported a provisional agreement between the church hierarchy and the Franciscans and saw it as a means to blackmail both parties and to stick them close to the government. Finally,
Congregation on the Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, with the approval from the Pope, issued a decree on 14 March 1883 conceding 35 parishes to the secular clergy, and keeping the rest for the Franciscans.
With the conclusion of the agreement, even though it was only provisional, Kállay gained the full trust of the Franciscans, who saw him as their protector against the reaching of Stadler. The Provincial of the
Bosnian Franciscans
Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena (also ''Bosna Argentina''; officially la, Provincia OFM Exaltationis S. Crucis - Bosna Argentina) is a province of the Franciscan order of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their headquarters ...
,
Ilija Ćavarović wrote in a letter from 1885, that Kállay "through several past years, visibly and at every occasion defended the Franciscan Order". The handing over of parishes also turned to be problematic. As a weaker party of the dispute, the Franciscans became close to the government, while the government received important political gain since the Franciscans had a huge influence on the Catholic population.
Notes
References
Books
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Journals
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{{refend
Latin texts
1881 documents
1881 in Christianity
Papal bulls of Pope Leo XIII
Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina