Former Yugoslavia

This blog will discuss the nations of the former nation of Yugoslavia—Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Catholicism was introduced in the Balkans by St. Titus and perhaps even by St. Paul in the First Century—the western Balkan Peninsula had been part of the Roman Empire since 168 B.C.  Dioceses existed at least by the 4th Century, but Catholicism was not firmly established in all the Balkan Peninsula until the 7th to 9th Centuries.  When the Orthodox Church split from the Catholic Church in 1054, the Balkans were split as well.  What is now Slovenia, Croatia, and portions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, remained with Rome, and the rest of the Balkans became Orthodox.  The Ottoman Empire expanded into the Balkans in the 15th Century and most of the Balkans were part of the Empire by the 16th Century.  This brought Islam to the region.  The Ottoman advance was stopped by the Croatians, which prevented Croatia and Slovenia from being conquered.  Portions of the Balkans became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The Slavic peoples of the Balkan Peninsula were united into a kingdom in 1918 that eventually became Yugoslavia.  A communist government led by Josip Tito ruled from 1946 until his death in 1980.  During this time, both the Catholic and the Orthodox churches were restricted in their activities.  After Tito’s death, national unity fractured as the various regions within Yugoslavia sought independence, which was often won only after civil war.  Croatia, Slovenia, and Macedonia (now North Macedonia), declared independence in 1991.  Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia became independent in 1992.  Montenegro and Serbia separated in 2006 and Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina has almost four million people—51 percent are Muslim, 31 percent are Orthodox Christians, and 14 percent are Catholic.  There is one Catholic province—Vrhbosna (Sarajevo).  A military diocese was established in 2011.  Croatian-rite Catholics are served by the Diocese of Krizevci in Croatia (see Croatia below). 

Province of Vrhbosna (Sarajevo)

The province consists of all of Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia.  The Diocese of Bosnia was created in the 11th Century (although a diocese of Vrhbosna may date to the 7th Century), but was suppressed in 1250.  It was restored as an apostolic vicariate in 1735 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Vrhbosna in 1881.

Sacred Heart Cathedral in Sarajevo was built between 1884 and 1887 using Neo-Gothic and Romanesque Revival styles.  The building was badly damaged during the Bosnian civil war but has been restored.  The cathedral has two 142-foot Romanesque towers.  The main altar is made of Grisignano and red Tyrolean marble and the Immaculate Conception altar was a gift of Emperor Franz Joseph I.  Several frescoes were painted by German artist, Alexander Maximilian Seitz, and the stained glass windows were crafted in Austria.  See katedrala-sarajevo.com.  

The top picture is from Pinterest and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Mostar-Duvno was created in 590 as the Diocese of Duvno, but was suppressed in 1663.  It was restored as an apostolic vicariate in 1846 and became the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno in 1881.
• The Diocese of Banja Luka was created in 1881.
• The Diocese of Skopje (North Macedonia) was created as a metropolitan archdiocese in the 4th Century, suppressed in the 5th Century, and restored as a diocese in the 12th Century.  It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Skopje in 1656, but demoted to a diocese in 1924.  See North Macedonia below.

Croatia

Croatia has 4.2 million people—86 percent are Catholic and 4 percent are Orthodox Christians.  Croatia has four Catholic provinces—Dakovo-Osijek, Rijeka, Split-Makarska, and Zagreb.  Additionally, a military diocese was established in 1997.  The Croatian-rite Diocese of Krizevci will be discussed under the Province of Zagreb below.

The Archdiocese of Zadar is not part of any province and is immediately subject to the Pope.  It serves 166,000 Catholics in Zadar County.  The Diocese of Zadar was created in 380 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1054.  It was demoted to an archdiocese in 1932.  

Portions of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Anastasia in Zadar were built in the 4th and 5th Centuries, but the Romanesque church mostly dates to the 12th and 13th Century.  Construction of the bell tower began in 1452 but it was not completed until 1893.  It is topped with a brass angel that rotates with the wind.  The Cathedral Basilica is dedicated to and has relics of St. Anastasia.  Pope Pius IX designated the cathedral as a minor basilica in 1867.

The first two pictures are from the archdiocesan website and the others are from Wikipedia.

Province of Zagreb

The province consists of the civil counties of Bjelovar-Bilogora, Koprivnica-Krizevci, Krapina-Zagorje, Medimurje, Sisak-Moslavina, Varazdin, Zagreb, Zagreb City, and part of Karlovac, in north central Croatia.  The Diocese of Zagreb was established in 1093 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1852.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Stephen and St. Ladislaus in Zagreb was originally constructed in 1217, but was destroyed by the Mongols in 1242.  It was rebuilt later that century.  The Cathedral was severely damaged by an 1880 earthquake and was restored in a Neo-Gothic style.  Two 354-foot bell towers were added at that time, making the Cathedral the tallest building in Croatia.  The Cathedral is depicted on the Croatian 1000 kuna banknote.  The Cathedral was damaged during a March 2020 earthquake and the north belltower was removed so that it would not fall. 

The first picture is from Pinterest and the others from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Varazdin was created in 1997.
• The Diocese of Sisak was created in the 3rd Century, suppressed in the 7th Century, and restored in 2009.
• The Diocese of Bjelovar-Krizevci was created in 2009.
• The Croatian-rite Diocese of Krizevci was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1611 and became a diocese in 1777.

The Croatian-rite Catholic Church reunited with Rome in 1611.  Today, there are 43,000 Croatian-rite Catholics.  The Diocese of Krizevci, Croatia, serves Croatian-rite Catholics in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia.  The Diocese of Saint Nicholas of Ruski Krstur serves Croatian-rite Catholics in Serbia and Kosovo (see Serbia below).

Province of Rijeka

The province consists of the civil counties of Istria, Lika-Senj, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, and parts of Karlovac and Zadar, in northwestern Croatia.  The Apostolic Administration of Rijeka was created in 1920, became a diocese in 1925, and a metropolitan archdiocese in 1969.

St. Vitus Cathedral in Rijeka was built by Jesuits in 1638.  The cathedral is a Baroque and Gothic rotunda and is featured on a Croatian banknote.

The first two pictures are from TripAdvisor and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Porec i Pula was created in the 3rd Century.
• The Diocese of Krk was created in 900.
• The Diocese of Gospic-Senj was created in 2000.

Province of Split-Makarska

The province consists of the civil counties of Dubrovnik-Neretva, Sibenik-Knin, and Split-Dalmatia, in southeastern Croatia.  The Diocese of Salona was created in the 3rd Century and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Salona in the 5th Century.  This was renamed Split in 647, which was demoted to a diocese in 1828.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Split-Makarska was created in 1969.

The Cathedral of St. Domnius in Split is regarded as the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world that remains in use in its original structure, without near-complete renovation at a later date. The structure itself, built in 305 as the Mausoleum of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, is the second oldest structure used by any Christian Cathedral.  The cathedral was built using limestone and marble.  The Romanesque bell tower was added around 1100 and a choir section was added to the east side of the Cathedral in the 17th Century.  The 13th Century wooden doors contain 14 scenes from the life of Christ.  The Cathedral’s treasury contains a book of Gospels from the 6th Century.

The first picture is from Pinterest, the second from Reddit, and the rest from Wikipedia.

The Co-Cathedral of St. Peter in Split was built between 1979 and 1980.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Hvar-Brac-Vis was created in 1144.
• The Diocese of Sibenik was created in 1298.
• The Diocese of Dubrovnik was created as the Diocese in Ragusa in 990 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1120.  It became the Diocese of Dubrovnik in 1828.
• The Diocese of Kotor is in Montenegro and was created in the 5th Century.

Province of Dakovo-Osijek

The province consists of the civil counties of Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja, Pozega-Slavonia, Virovitica-Podravina, and Vukovar-Syrmia, in northeastern Croatia.  The Diocese of Bosnia/Dakovo was established in 1231 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dakovo-Osijek in 2008.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Dakovo was built between 1866 and 1870, although the interior decorations were not completed until 1882.  The interior features several frescoes depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments.  Pope Paul VI designated the cathedral a minor basilica in 1965.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Co-Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Osijek was completed in 1898.  It is built in a neo-Gothic style in stone and three and a half million bricks.  It has a 300-foot high multi-tiered bell tower with four bells.  The interior has pinnacled altars and frescoes painted by Croatian artist Mirko Racki.  The church can hold more than 3,000 people.

Pictures are from Pinterest, a tourist website, and Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Pozega was created in 1997.
• The Diocese of Srijem is in Serbia and was created in the 4th Century, was suppressed in 885, restored as a diocese in 1231, suppressed again in 1773, and was once again restored as a diocese in 2008.

Kosovo

Today, Kosovo has 1.9 million people and 96 percent are Muslim.  About 50,000 are Catholic and are mostly of Albanian ethnicity.  The Roman-rite Catholics are served by the Diocese of Prizren-Prishtina, which is immediately subject to the Pope.  The Diocese was established in around 500, suppressed in 1720, restored as an apostolic administration in 2000, before once again becoming a diocese in 2018.

Construction of the Cathedral of St. Mother Teresa in Prishtina began in 2007 and it opened in 2010.  

The first picture is from Flickr and the rest from Wikipedia.

The Co-Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor in Prizren was built in the late 19th Century.

Picture is from Wikipedia

Croatian-rite Catholics in Kosovo are served by the Diocese of Saint Nicholas of Ruski Krstur (see Serbia).

Montenegro

Montenegro has over 600,000 people.  Over 72 percent are Orthodox Christians and 19 percent are Muslim.  Slightly more than 20,000 are Catholic, of whom 37 percent are ethnic Albanian, 31 percent are Croatian, and 23 percent are Montenegrins.  The Catholics are served by the Archdiocese of Bar and the Diocese of Kotor—both Roman-rite jurisdictions.

The Archdiocese of Bar is immediately subject to the Pope.  It was established as a diocese in 927, became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1034, but became simply an archdiocese in 1886.

The Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Bar was consecrated in 2017.  

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

St. Peter's replaced the old Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception which had served as the cathedral since 1828.

Picture is from Wikipedia.

The Diocese of Kotor is part of the province of Split-Makarska (see Croatia).  The Diocese was established in the 5th Century.  The Romanesque Cathedral Basilica of St. Tryphon in Kotor was completed in 1166.  It has been heavily damaged at least twice by earthquakes, but has been restored.  The interior has 14th Century frescoes as well are many precious religious artifacts.  Pope Benedict XVI designated the cathedral as a minor basilica in 2009.  

The first picture is from a local tourist website and the others are from Wikipedia.

North Macedonia

North Macedonia has 2.1 million people.  About 65 percent are Macedonian Orthodox and 33 percent are Muslim.  About 15,000 are Catholic.

The 4,000 Roman-rite Catholics are served by the Diocese of Skopje, which is part of the Province of Vrhbosna (see Bosnia-Herzegovina).  The diocese was established as a metropolitan archdiocese in the 4th Century, was suppressed in the 5th Century, restored as a diocese in the 12th Century, once again became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1656, and demoted to a diocese in 1924.  The Diocese has two cathedrals—both dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The cathedral in Skopje was completed in 1977 in a modern style.  The cathedral in Bitola was completed in 1901 in a neo-Gothic style.

Skopje Cathedral by Wikipedia.

Bitola Cathedral from Pinterest and Wikipedia.

The 11,000 Macedonian-rite Catholics are served by the Diocese of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Strumica-Skopje, which is immediately subject to the Pope.  The diocese was created in 2001 as an exarchy and became a diocese in 2018.  This is the only diocese for the Macedonian-rite Catholic Church.  The Rite was created by Pope John Paul II in 2001 and almost all Macedonian-rite Catholics live in North Macedonia.  The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Strumica was built between 1925 and 1931.

From Wikipedia.

Serbia

Serbia has seven million people and 85 percent are Orthodox Christians.  Catholics make up 5 percent and Muslims 3 percent.  Serbia has one Roman-rite Catholic province—Belgrade.  Some Serbian Roman Catholics are served by the Diocese of Skopje in North Macedonia (see North Macedonia above).  Others are served by the Diocese of Srijem, which is in Serbia, but is part of the Croatian Province of Dakovo-Osijek (see Croatia above).  Croatian-rite Serbs are served by the Diocese of Saint Nicholas of Ruski Krstur.  This began as an apostolic exarchate in 2003 and became a diocese in 2018.  It is immediately subject to the Pope.

Province of Belgrade

The province consists of most of Serbia.  The Diocese of Belgrade dates at least to the 9th Century, and possibly to the 3rd Century, but was later suppressed.  It was restored in 1290.  It became an archdiocese in 1924 and a metropolitan archdiocese in 1986.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Belgrade was originally a French Assumptionist church.  The Assumptionists built a church in 1925 but began a new church in 1938.  Work was suspended during the Second World War and did not continue until 1987.  It was completed the following year, by which point the Assumptionists had left and the government had turned it over to the Archdiocese.  It then became the Archdiocesan cathedral.  The Cathedral contains a mixture of eastern and western artwork.

Both pictures are from the archdiocesan website.

The Co-Cathedral of Christ the King, the oldest Catholic church in Belgrade, was built between 1924 and 1988 in a Romanesque Revival style.  It was the original cathedral for the Archdiocese.  The Co-Cathedral has one bell tower.  The interior has wooden Stations of the Cross and a mosaic of Christ the King. 

The top picture is from the archdiocesan website and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Subotica was created as an apostolic administration in 1923 and became a diocese in 1968.
• The Diocese of Zrenjanin was created as an apostolic administration in 1923 and became a diocese in 1986.

Slovenia

Slovenia has two million people and between 58 and 70 percent are Catholic.  About 6 percent are other Christians or are Muslim, and the rest have no specific religious belief.  Slovenia has two Catholic provinces—Ljubljana and Maribor.  Croatian-rite Catholics in Slovenia are served by the Diocese of Krizevci in Croatia (see Croatia above). 

Province of Ljubljana

The province consists of central and southwestern Slovenia.  The Diocese of Emona was established in 380 and suppressed in 520.  It was reestablished as the Diocese of Ljubljana in 1461 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1788.  It was demoted to a diocese in 1807, became an archdiocese in 1961, and once again became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1968.

The St. Nicholas’s Cathedral in Ljubljana was built in a Baroque style between 1701 and 1706.  It has a green dome and two belltowers, which are decorated with gilded apples.  The facades have sandstone statues of saints and bishops, a Gothic pieta, a sundial, and baroque frescoes.  The interior also has several frescoes.  See lj-stolnica.rkc.si.

The first four pictures are from Expedia, the fifth is from Flickr, and the rest from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Koper was created in 557.
• The Diocese of Novo Mesto was created in 2006.

Province of Maribor

The province consists of northeastern Slovenia.  The Diocese of Maribor was created in 1962 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 2006.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Maribor was built in a Romanesque style in the 12th Century.  Later renovations, such as a rib vault and larger choir, were done in a Gothic style.  Later still, the chapels of St. Francis Xavier and of the Holy Cross, were done in a Baroque style.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Celje was created in 2006.
• The Diocese of Murska Sobota was created in 2006.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also archdioceses that are not part of a province that are directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include apostolic vicariates and apostolic administrations, both of which are missionary territories below the level of a diocese. 

Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite.  Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage.  Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches.  Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  Eastern rite churches sometimes use different terminologies.  For example, a diocese might be called an eparchy and is led by an eparch.  A vicariate apostolic is called an exarchy and is led by an exarch. 

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell.  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.