Pavao Žanić

Bishop Pavao Žanić

Pavao Žanić (20 May 1918 – 11 January 2000) was the bishop of Mostar-Duvno in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1980–93. A leading critic of the reported apparitions at Medjugorje, he was the local ordinary in 1981 when the apparitions began.

Biography

Born in 1918 in Kaštel Novi (present-day Republic of Croatia), he was ordained a priest on 1 June 1941.[1] In 1970, he was appointed coadjutor of Mostar-Duvno and titular bishop of Edistiana.[1] In 1980, became the ordinary bishop of Mostar-Duvno.[1]

Diocesan dispute

For centuries parishes in Bosnia-Herzegovina were administered by the Franciscan order under an understanding reached with the Ottoman sultan.[2]

After Herzegovina became part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Pope Leo XIII took steps to establish dioceses and appoint local bishops. As part of re-establishing normal church structures, the bishops worked to transfer parishes from the Franciscans to the diocesan clergy, but the friars resisted. In the 1940s, the two Franciscan provinces still held 63 of 79 parishes in the dioceses of Vrhbosna and Mostar.[3]

In June 1975 Pope Paul VI issued Romanis Pontificibus, a papal decree indicating which parishes the Franciscans were allowed to retain and which to turn over to diocesan administration. Beginning in 1976 Bishop Žanić started to implement the decree. Full implementation was still being worked on as at late as December 1998.[4]

Medjugorje

In early 1981 Franciscans, Ivica Vego and Ivan Prusina refused to relinquish their posts, causing some controversy. Žanić declared them suspended and sought to have them expelled from the order. By June six young people whom the two friars had been counseling claimed to have experienced apparitions of the Blessed Virgin. The reports attracted a number of pilgrims to the village of Medjugorje. On 11 January 1982, Žanić established a commission to look into the alleged apparition. Three days later, three of the seers reported that the Madonna had said that the bishop had been too harsh with the Franciscans.[2]

In April 1986, Žanić submitted a negative report of the apparitions to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, at the time Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican.

As the Medjugorje events had exceeded the scope of a local event, in January 1987, upon the suggestion of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Kuharić and Bishop Žanić made a joint communiqué in which they announced the formation of a third Commission under the direction of the Bishops Conference.[5] In July, Žanić forbade any priests who organized pilgrimages or came there ascribing a supernatural character to the events, to celebrate Mass in his diocese, and this until the Commission of the Bishops’ Conference completed its inquiry.[6]

On 10 April 1991, the Yugoslav Episcopal Conference concurred with Žanić's earlier finding of Non constat de supernaturalitate stating that: "On the basis of the investigations so far it can not be affirmed that one is dealing with supernatural apparitions and revelations."[5]

Bishop Žanić retired in 1993 at age 75 and was succeeded by Bishop Ratko Perić. Žanić died in 2000, aged 81.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Bishop Pavao Žanić". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 Ramet, Sabrina P.Catholicism and Politics in Communist Societies, Duke University Press, 1990, p. 199; ISBN 9780822310105.
  3. ↑ Vjekoslav Perica. Balkan Idols: Religion and Nationalism in Yugoslav States. Oxford University Press. pp. 117–18 (2004).
  4. ↑ "Visit of the Minister General to the Province of the Assumption of the BVM", cafarus.ch; accessed 12 September 2016.
  5. 1 2 Donovan, Colin."Medjugorje", ewtn.com, 6 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "ORDERS ON: THE NEWEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EVENTS IN MEDJUGORJE", ewtn.com, 18 September 2016.
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