Roman Catholic Diocese of Dubrovnik

The Diocese of Dubrovnik ( kroat.: Dubrovačka Biskupija; Latin: Dioecesis Ragusinus ) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Croatia. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Split - Makarska. Patron saint of the diocese of Dubrovnik since the year 972 the Holy Blasius.

History

The Diocese of Dubrovnik goes back to the ancient bishopric of Epidaurus ( today's Cavtat ) in the province of Dalmatia. The first Christians in the region to have been, according to tradition evangelized in the 1st century of Titus, a companion of the Apostle Paul.

Due to the incursions of the Avars and Slavs, as well as the subsequent settlement of the still pagan Slavs in the Balkans many ancient dioceses of the region have perished. Epidaurus was destroyed 639 of the Avars. The then Bishop John fled with the population in the area of Ragusa. 990 there a new bishopric was founded. This bishopric was given in 1120 by Pope Calixtus II the status of an archbishopric. As suffragans were Ragusa (today Trebinje - Mrkan ) assigned to the bishoprics of Trebinje, Kotor and several other dioceses in Duklja. Later was added the innerbosnische diocese Vrh Bosna.

Until 1205 the territory of the Diocese of Dubrovnik under Byzantine, from then until 1358 under Venetian sovereignty was. Then, until 1808, so for 450 years, it was the country's Diocese of the independent Republic of Ragusa. The popes encouraged the diocese in the Middle Ages, to varying degrees, not least because they wanted to thus strengthen the Catholic position in the clashes with the Bosnian Church and the Bogomils in Bosnia. At the same time they sought to expand Catholic influence in the Zeta. Later, the fight against the Ottomans came to the fore.

From papal benevolence for the Diocese witness various gifts and donations: For example, Pope Benedict XI. (1303-1304), the Ragusanern the construction of the Dominican church helped. Pope Paul III. (1536-1549) awarded the contract to build the Domus Christi Hospice. Pope Pius V (1556-1573), sent the builder Suporoso Mattenucci to Ragusa to secure the city walls against the Ottomans. Pope Pius II (1458-1464) was the population of Ragusa in their defense against the Ottomans, by embracing gave to them not only material support for the construction of the fortress Revetin, he even sent his bodyguard to help.

Pius II wanted to even come himself to Ragusa; but he fell ill on the way and died in May 1464 Ancona. In this context it is noteworthy that a document of the Senate of Ragusa from May 23, 1464 is obtained, where is listed exactly what to do to receive this " sublime " guest and his entourage in the city and the whole country.

As a result of the dissolution of the Republic and the transition of Dalmatia on the Habsburg monarchy, the dioceses of the region after 1815 were reclassified from the Holy See ( Papal Bull " Locum beati Petri " of 30 June 1828). Since Dubrovnik is not assigned more archbishopric and of the ecclesiastical province Split - Makarska. It has since also includes the former bishoprics Ston and Korcula.

During the Croatian war, the territory of the Diocese of Dubrovnik half of Yugoslav or Serbian forces was busy. 31.6 % percent of the sacred buildings of the diocese of Dubrovnik were destroyed or badly damaged.

Current Data

The diocese has an area of ​​1,368 square kilometers. It is divided into five deaneries with 59 parishes and three independent Kuratien. Of the approximately 90,000 inhabitants in the area of the diocese of Dubrovnik are about 85 % Croats, 5.9% Serbs and Montenegrins, Bosniaks 4.4%, 3.2% atheist, and a small Jewish community.