Bishop Fabijan Svalina ( sr-cyr, Фабијан Свалина; born 7 November 1971) is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
since 7 October 2021.
Education
Bishop Svalina was born into a Roman Catholic family of Mirko and Lucija () in
Đakovo
Đakovo (; hu, Diakovár) is a town in the region of Slavonia, Croatia. Đakovo is the centre of the fertile and rich Đakovo region ( hr, Đakovština ).
Etymology
The etymology of the name is the gr, διάκος (diákos) in Slavic form đ ...
, but he grew up and finished his primary school education in neighbouring Satnica Đakovačka.
After graduation from the high school in his native town, he made the maturity exam and consequently joined the Major Theological Seminary in Đakovo and the Theological Faculty of the
University of Osijek
The Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( hr, Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, la, Universitas studiorum Mursensis), commonly known as the University of Osijek (UNIOS), is a public university based in Osijek, Croatia. ...
, were he graduated in 1997, and was ordained as
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
on 29 June 1977 for the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek ( hr, Đakovačko-osječka nadbiskupija; la, Archidioecesis Diacovensis-Osijekensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in Croatia.Cathedral basilica of St. Peter, after completed his philosophical and theological studies.
Pastoral and administrative work
After his ordination Fr. Svalina a short time served as an assistant priest in the Exaltation of Holy Cross parish in Osijek- Retfala (1997–1998) and after was appointed as an educationist and prefect at the Interdiocesan Seminary in
Šalata
Šalata () is an upper-class residential neighborhood in Zagreb, Croatia. It is administratively part of the Gornji Grad - Medveščak city district in the northern part of Zagreb and it has a population of 1,929.
Šalata houses the Šalata Sp ...
in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
, where he served until 2004. From 2004 to 2010, he served in Đakovo as Secretary of the Episcopal Ordinariate, Chancellor of the Archdiocesan Ordinariate and Head of the Archdiocesan Press Office. He was a member of the
Presbyteral council A presbyteral council or council of priests is a group of priests chosen to assist the local ordinary in an advisory capacity in the governance of a Roman Catholic diocese. Canon 495 of the Code of Canon Law lays down that every diocese must have ...
and a member of the Board of Advisors for several terms.
From 2010 he was an acting director, and from 2012 – a Director of the Croatian Caritas International, position, that he held until his election as bishop in 2021. In the same time, from 2010 until 2017 he served as Deputy Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Croatia, and from 2017 until 2021 was a director of the Croatian Catholic Network.
Prelate
On 7 October 2021, he was appointed by
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
as a Coadjutor Bishop of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Srijem
The Diocese of Srijem (Latin: ''Dioecesis Sirmiensis'') is Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Serbia. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek. The epi ...
in the neighbouring Serbia. On 21 November 2021, he was consecrated as bishop by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher and other prelates of the
Roman Catholic Church
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 ...
International Bishops' Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius
The International Bishops' Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius is the Catholic episcopal conference that includes Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia together in a cross-border conference.
Permanent members are the Catholic bishops ...