Eparchy of Križevci
The Greek Catholic diocese Križevci (Latin: Dioecesis Crisiensis, Kroat Križevačka Biskupija. ) Is a Uniate and a suffragan eparchy, which is the Archdiocese of Zagreb in Croatia assumed. The diocese was in 1777 on the initiative of the Empress Maria Theresa by Pope Pius VI. founded. This foundation is ( illa Charity ) in the Bull noted. Seat of the Bishop is no longer Križevci (German Kreutz ), but Zagreb since 1966. Previously, the first bishops were from the year 1611 based in Marča monastery. 1777 the headquarters were moved to Gornji Tkalec, 1801 in the former Franciscan monastery in the town of Križevci (Croatia). As a liturgical Church Slavonic languages are today and Croatian in use. The Eparchy represents not only the Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Croatia, but also in Slovenia and Bosnia - Herzegovina. The diocese Križevci is under the protection of St Michael the Archangel, St. Basil of Caesarea, St. Gregory of Nazianzus which are among the Church Fathers, and under the protection of St. John Chrysostom.
In Zagreb, the diocese maintains its own seminary, founded in 1681 by Bishop Pavao Zorčić. Since 2009, Nikola Kekić Bishop of Kreutz.
History
Since the middle of the 15th century fled Orthodox Christians of various ethnic groups in greater numbers from the Ottoman sphere of influence in the Croatia is under Habsburg rule. They were first settled in the area of military frontier and after the suppression of the Turks in the 17th century in Slavonia and Vojvodina. In the area around Križevci initially these were known as Vlachs, as they were called in contemporary sources as Wallachia in Ottoman Empire also called a social status, usually associated with more rights than they had the majority of the Christian subjects, the Reâyâ, , and the various, primarily Orthodox peoples belonged. Significant pastoral activity among new arrivals exercised the Rev. Martin Dubravić, the son of a family that practiced the Greek rite. He came from the city of Ivanic -Grad was financially supported by the Ljubljana Bishop Thomas Hren and got a general theological education. Later he became a canon of the Zagreb chapter. From 1618-1628 was the Roman Catholic Bishop Petar Domitrović at his side. He was next to Martin Dubravić the key figure in the association negotiations with Orthodox communities. The birthplace of the bishop of Zagreb is no longer accurately locate. The opinions of church history historians, however, two ways out: Oštrc or Jastrebarsko near Ivanic -Grad.
The monastery Marča was initially the center of the Union movement and residence of the first Uniate Bishop Simeon Vratanja, the Martin Dubravić proved services as a delegate. With the Zagreb bishop Petar Domitrović Bishop Simeon Vratanja used very good relations. The monastery Marča was between the cities of Ivanic - degree and Čazma, east of Zagreb, which belonged to the diocese of Zagreb. Pope Paul V canonically founded the monastery Marča on 21 November in 1611 ( papal breve " Divina Majestis arbitris " ) and appointed Simeon Vratanja in selbigem year to the bishop. This was secular by Ferdinand III. confirmed. Simeon Vratanja came from Slavonia, from the monastery at Remete Orahovica. Church History joined Bishop Simeon Vratanja as a monk and that the General Council of Varaždin in appearance. He is the central figure in efforts to a confessional peace and was the first Uniate bishop of Croatia.
At the beginning of the 17th century, when the Archbishop of Esztergom, Péter Pázmány, recatholicisation the Hungarian lands drove forward energetically, also a Vicar was appointed by Pope Paul V for the Christians of the Eastern Rite and placed under the bishop of Zagreb. The aim was to integrate the Orthodox subjects of the Hungarian crown in the Roman Catholic Church. The lack of independence of the Vicars and the low regard for the needs of the faithful Orthodox tradition made this project succeed only in its infancy. When, in 1690, thousands of Serbs after a failed uprising against the Ottomans with their patriarch Arsenije III. Crnojević fled at the top in the already Habsburg territories of Srem, Slavonia and Vojvodina, many of the Uniate Catholics came back over to Orthodoxy. You have been granted by the Emperor Leopold free exercise of religion.
Empress Maria Theresa recognized the organizational deficits in relation to the Catholics of the Byzantine Rite and therefore initiated for them the establishment of an independent hierarchy. Therefore, in 1777 the diocese Kreutz was founded in Slavonia, which now also the Ruthenians in Bačka were put under (which previously were under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Kalocsa ). Until 1852 it belonged to the Ecclesiastical Province of Esztergom. After the elevation of the bishopric to an archbishopric Zagreb the Eparchy of Križevci part of the new Croatian ecclesiastical province was.
The bishop's residence was set up in a former Franciscan monastery. Meanwhile monastery church served as the Cathedral (St. Trinity ) of the Greek Catholic bishop. In the Habsburg period, the jurisdiction extended only over the Uniate Catholics in Croatia - Slavonia.
Since the founding of Yugoslavia in 1918 all Uniates fell on its territory under the jurisdiction of the diocese Križevci. These included such different groups, such as the Uniate Romanians in Banat, many Ruthenians in the so-called Vojvodina, some Uniate Serbs in Dalmatia as well as some Greek Catholic Macedonians and Albanians in the south of the country. The small cash-strapped diocese was completely overwhelmed with the care of pastoral care in this vast area. Due to the tense vatikanisch - Yugoslav relations, both before and after the Second World War, a restructuring of the pastoral districts for the Uniates but could be made only at the beginning of this century.
In the U.S. and in Canada Greek Catholic emigrants from Croatia founded numerous churches. However, they are subject to the local bishops of the Byzantine rite.
Dissemination and ethnic groups
The ostkatholischen believers who call themselves Greek Catholic, came from various United Churches: from the aforementioned in Croatia, from the Ukraine at Brest- Litovsk (1596 completed, included areas of present-day countries of Poland, Belarus and Ukraine), from the Ruthenian of Uzhgorod ( 1646) in Ukrainian Transcarpathia, from the Church of Transylvania (1700) in Romania and Bulgaria from the Church of Kilikis in the Aegean part of Macedonia ( 1860). The Ruthenians from the (then Hungary ) Carpathians were the Austrian government in the liberated at this time from the 1745 straight from the Turks, Backa settled. The Ukrainian Ruthenians were mainly settled in the area around Banja Luka in the late 19th century. The ostkatholischen Bulgarians are descended from Orthodox, who in ( as mentioned above) at Kilkis Thessaloniki received a union with the Roman Catholic Church under the direction of Metropolitan Josif Sokolski in the years after 1860.
The figures of the Greek Catholics has dropped sharply in recent decades. Reasons are, among others: emigration to other countries or Assimilierungen in Roman Catholic areas, especially in the cities. Intermarriage Western- rite are also major reasons for the dwindling number of believers. The schematism of the Diocese Križevci from 1974, according to the time lived in the whole diocese in 62 parishes, of which seven were already extinct 58 778 believers. In 1990, the schematism specifies a number of 48,970 believers in a total of 52 parishes.
In the Republic of Croatia today about 15,600 of the total 21,500 Greek Catholic Diocesan living in 32 parishes. For them, there are 22 active priests. 16 of them are secular priests of the diocese of Križevci. The diocese are also associated with some of the Greek rite following monasteries with about 100 nuns. From the Greek Catholic believers in Croatia are 7,830 Rusyns, 6,294 Croats. 2,295 believers are Ukrainians. In the neighboring countries of Slovenia and Bosnia- Herzegovina to the diocese are under 1,298 or 4,776 believers .. In Macedonia and Serbia ( with Vojvodina ), which also were formerly Križevci were implemented in 2001 in Skopje and 2003 in Ruski Krstur own Exarchate for Catholics of eastern Rite erected.
Bishop list
- List of bishops of Križevci