# Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zadar

The Archdiocese of Zadar (Latin: Archidioecesis Iadrensis; Croatian: Zadarska nadbiskupija) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic church in Croatia. The diocese was established in the 3rd century AD and was made an archdiocese by the Pope Anastasius IV in 1154. Today, it is not part of any ecclesiastical province of Croatia, rather it is the only Croatian archdiocese directly subject to the Holy See.

## History

Zadar (modern Croatia) has been a Roman Catholic diocese in Dalmatia since AD 381 and, since 1146, an archdiocese. Adrian IV placed the archdiocese of Zara under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Grado. Its succession of bishops numbers over eighty without noteworthy interruption. Bishop Sabinianus is mentioned in the "Register" of Gregory the Great. In one of his letters Pope John VIII names St. Donatus as patron of Jadera, Zadar's former name. Archaeologists find in Zadar many traces of ecclesiastical sculpture with German characteristics dating from the migration of the Germanic tribes. Zadar was the capital of Byzantine Dalmatia, but an example of Carolingian architecture is also found there, indicating that Zadar may once have belonged to the Franks and possibly explaining a visit of Bishop Donatus to Charlemagne in Dietenhofen.
Since Zadar belonged to Venice, the bishops of Grado had exercised patriarchal jurisdiction over it. In 1276 Patriarch Ægidius summoned Archbishop John with his suffragans to the Council of Grado where they were, however, represented by deputies. Archbishop Nicholas III of Zadar was present at the synod convened by Cardinal Guido of Santa Cecilia at Padua in 1350. Twenty constitutions were published, chiefly against the civil life of the clergy and the power of the laity as used against the clergy and church property. Worthy of high respect was Ægidius of Viterbo who governed the archdiocese for two years. In the first session of the Fifth Lateran Council he said: "Homines per sacra immutari fas est non sacra perhomines" ("Man must be changed by what is holy, not what is holy by man"). He also addressed the following words to the warlike Julius II, who sought to increase the possessions of the Church:
   That the states of the Church number a few thousand more or less, matters not, but it does matter greatly that its members be pious and virtuous. The Church knows no weapons other than faith, virtue, and prayer.
Archbishop Godeassi attended the Synod of Vienna in 1849. Archbishop Pietro Doimo Maupas attended the First Vatican Council.

## Bishops

Bishops of Zadar :
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| unknown | unknown | Saint Donatus | Legendary |
| fl. 341 | fl. 341 | Unknown | |
| c. 380 | 390 | Saint Felix | Participated in the Synod of Aquileia in 381 and in the Synod of Milan of 390. |
| fl. c. 391 | fl. c. 391 | Sabinian I | |
| fl. c. 402 | fl. c. 402 | Saint Donatus II | |
| fl. c. 428 | fl. c. 428 | Vitalis I | |
| fl. c. 446 | fl. c. 446 | Paul I | |
| fl. c. 462 | fl. c. 462 | Julius | |
| fl. 464 | fl. 464 | Unknown | |
| fl. 489 | fl. 489 | Unknown | |
| fl. 518 | fl. 518 | Unknown | |
| fl. 530, 532 | fl. 530, 532 | Andreas I | Participated in the Synods of Salona in 530 and 532. |
| 557 | 573 | Paul II | |
| 574 | c. 589 | Peter I | |
| c. 590 | 600 | Sabinian II | |
| 601 | c. 611 | Guido of Salona | |
| c. 612 | c. 633 | John I of Salona | |
| c. 634 | c. 641 | John II | |
| c. 642 | c. 673 | Jacob | |
| c. 674 | c. 691 | Basilius I | |
| c. 692 | 709 | Demetrius | |
| 710 | 711 | Unknown | |
| 712 | 745 | Unknown | |
| 746 | 773 | Unknown | |
| 774 | 790 | Peter II | |
| 791 | c. 800 | Damian | |
| c. 801 | 806 | Saint Donatus III | Diplomat for the city of Zadar. Donatus is mentioned in Frankish annals from 805 as an ambassador of the Dalmatian cities to Charlemagne in Thionville. His feast day is celebrated on 25 February. |
| 807 | c. 878 | Sede vacante | |
| c. 879 | c. 924 | Vitalis II | |
| c. 925 | c. 968 | Forminus (Firminus) | Participated in the Church Councils of Split in 925 and 928. |
| c. 969 | c. 977 | Basilius II | |
| c. 978 | c. 1017 | Anastasius | Together with the clergy and the local people festively welcomed the Doge Pietro Orseolo II in 997 that was called by the Dalmatians to defend the region against Slavic incursions. |
| c. 1018 | 1028 | Prestanzio I | |
| 1029 | 1036 | Andreas II | |
| 1037 | 1043 | Sede vacante | |
| 1044 | 1055 | Peter III | |
| 1056 | 1059 | Andreas III | |
| 1060 | c. 1065 | Sede vacante | |
| c. 1066 | 1071 | Stephen I | |
| 1072 | 1073 | Andreas IV | |
| 1073 | c. 1090 | Stephen II | |
| 1091 | 1094 | Andreas V | |
| 1095 | c. 1100 | Sede vacante | |
| c. 1101 | 1111 | Gregory of Nin | Strongly opposed the Pope and official circles of the Church and introduced the Slavonic language into religious services |
| 1112 | 1124 | Marco | |
| 1125 | c. 1137 | Michele Caloprestanzio | |
| c. 1138 | 1140 | Peter IV | |
| 1141 | 1154 | Lampridius | |
| Sources: ||||
Archbishops of Zadar :
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1154 | 1179 | Lampridius | Last bishop and first archbishop |
| 1178 | 1181 | Tebaldo (Teobaldo Balbi) | |
| 1183 | 1186/1187 | Damian | |
| 1187 | 1189 | Peter | Of Hungarian origin. |
| 1190 | 1197 | Sede vacante | |
| 1198 | 1202 | Nicolò Manzavini | |
| 1203 | 1207 | Sede vacante | Zadar was destroyed by the Crusaders in 1202. |
| 1208 | 1217 | Leonardo | |
| 1218 | 1238 | Giovanni Venier | |
| 1238 | 1238 | Tommaso | |
| 1239 | 1244 | Domenico Franco | |
| 1245 | 1248 | Sede vacante | |
| 1249 | 1287 | Lorenzo Periandro | |
| 1288 | 1290 | Andrea Gussoni | |
| 1291 | 1297 | Giovanni d'Anagni | |
| 1297 | 1299 | Enrico da Todi | |
| 1299 | 1311 | Jacopo da Foligno | |
| 1312 | 1313 | Alessandro | |
| 1314 | 1320 | Niccolò da Sezze | |
| 1322 | 1332 | Giovanni di Butovane | |
| 1333 | 1367 | Nicolò Matafari | |
| 1367 | 1368 | Giacomo de Candia | |
| 1368 | 1376 | Domenico Thopia | From the Albanian noble Thopia family of Durazzo. |
| 1376 | 1398 | Pietro Matafari | |
| 1398 | 1398 | Antonius Benedicti (Antonio de Benedetto) | Administered the church in place of Pietro Matafari, who was transferred to Ascoli. |
| 1398 | 1399 | John | Appointed by Sigismund, King of Hungary, but not confirmed by the pope. |
| 1400 | 1419 | Luca Turriano da Fermo (Luca Vagnozzi) | |
| 1420 | 1427 | Biagio Molino | Appointed Bishop of Pula on 19 February 1410. Appointed Archbishop of Zadar on 4 March 1420. Appointed Patriarch of Grado on 17 October 1427. Appointed Titular Patriarch of Jerusalem on 20 October 1434. Died in 1447. |
| 1428 | 1449 | Lorenzo Venier | |
| 1449 | 1449 | Polidoro Foscari | |
| 1450 | 1496 | Maffeo Valaresso | |
| 1496 | 1500 | Giovanni Robobello | |
| 1501 | 1502 | Sede vacante | |
| 1503 | 1503 | Alvise Cippico | |
| 1503 | 1504 | Alessandro | |
| 1504 | 1505 | Giovanni Cippico | |
| 1505 | 1530 | Francesco Pesaro | |
| 1530 | 1532 | Giles of Viterbo | Apostolic administrator. |
| 1533 | 1554 | Cornelio Pesaro | |
| 1554 | 1555 | Luigi Cornaro | |
| 1555 | 1566 | Muzio Calini | |
| 1566 | 1567 | Alvise Cornaro | |
| 1567 | 1572 | Andrea Minucci | |
| 1573 | 1588 | Marco Loredan | Apostolic administrator. |
| 1577 | 1588 | Natale Venier | |
| 1589 | 1592 | Marcantonio Venier | |
| 1592 | 1592 | Alvise Barozzi | |
| 1592 | 1595 | Alvise Molino | |
| 1596 | 1604 | Minuccio Minucci | |
| 1604 | 1615 | Vittorio Ragazzoni | |
| 1615 | 1624 | Luca Stella | |
| 1624 | 1639 | Ottaviano Garzadori | |
| 1639 | 1641 | Benedetto Cappello | |
| 1642 | 1656 | Bernardo Florio | |
| 1656 | 1669 | Teodoro Balbi | |
| 1669 | 1688 | Giovanni Evangelista Parzaghi | |
| 1688 | 1712 | Vittorio Priuli | |
| 1713 | 1746 | Vicko Zmajević (Vincenzo Zmajevich) | |
| 1745 | 1771 | Matej Karaman (Matteo Caraman) | |
| 1771 | 1774 | Michele Tommaso Triali | |
| 1774 | 1801 | Giovanni Carsana | |
| 1802 | 1806 | Sede vacante | |
| 1807 | 1817 | Giuseppe Gregorio Scotti | |
| 1818 | 1824 | Sede vacante | |
| 1823 | 1842 | Josip Franjo di Paola Nowak | Of Czech origin. |
| 1842 | 1842 | Antonio Peteani | |
| 1843 | 1861 | Giuseppe Godeassi | Selected Bishop of Split-Makarska on 22 October 1839 and confirmed on 27 April 1840. Consecrated on 8 December 1840. Selected Archbishop of Zadar on 26 February 1843 and confirmed on 22 June 1843. Died on 5 September 1861. |
| 1862 | 1891 | Pietro Doimo Maupas | Selected Bishop of Šibenik on 25 August 1855 and confirmed on 20 December 1855. Consecrated on 25 March 1856. Selected Archbishop of Zadar on 28 February 1862 and confirmed on 21 May 1862. Died on 8 March 1891. |
| 1891 | 1899 | Grgur Rajčević (Gregorio Raicevic) | Appointed Archbishop of Zadar on 17 November 1891 and consecrated on 27 December 1891. Formerly Priest of Dubrovnik. Died on 25 October 1899 |
| 1899 | 1901 | Sede vacante | |
| 1901 | 1910 | Matej Dvornik | Appointed Archbishop of Zadar on 4 September 1901 and consecrated on 29 September 1901. Formerly Priest of Split-Makarska. Resigned in 1910 and died on 14 July 1914. |
| 1910 | 1922 | Vinko Pulišić | Appointed Bishop of Šibenik on 9 November 1903 and consecrated on 31 January 1904. Appointed Archbishop of Zadar on 16 June 1910. Resigned and appointed titular Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia 2 April 1922. Died on 28 January 1951. |
| 1922 | 1932 | Sede Vacante | Metropolis of Zadar abolished on 22 July 1932. |
| 1933 | 1948 | Pietro Doimo Munzani | Appointed Apostolic Administrator of Zadar on 13 August 1926 and consecrated on 17 October 1926. Appointed Archbishop of Zadar on 16 March 1933. Arrested by Yugoslav Communists on 7 March 1945. Forced to resign on 11 December 1948 and died on 28 January 1951. |
| 1960 | 1968 | Mate Garković | Appointed Apostolic Administrator of Zadar on 22 February 1952 and consecrated on 30 March 1952. Appointed Archbishop of Zadar on 24 December 1960. Died in office on 26 May 1968. |
| 1969 | 1996 | Marijan Oblak | Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Zadar on 30 April 1958 and consecrated on 6 July 1958. Appointed Archbishop of Zadar on 20 August 1969. Retired on 2 February 1996 and died on 15 February 2008. |
| 1996 | 2010 | Ivan Prenđa | Appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Zadar on 29 March 1990 and consecrated on 9 June 1990. Succeeded Archbishop of Zadar on 2 February 1996. Died in office on 25 January 2010. |
| 2010 | present | Želimir Puljić | Appointed Bishop of Dubrovnik on 7 December 1989 and consecrated on 14 January 1990. Formerly Priest of Mostar-Duvno. Appointed Archbishop of Zadar on 15 March 2010. |
| Sources: ||||

## Deaneries and parishes

| Deanery | Dean | Parishes |
| Benkovac Benkovački dekanat | Anđelko Buljat | Benkovac Bruška Ervenik Kistanje Korlat Medviđa Nadin Nunić Perušić Popovići Pristeg Radošinovac Raštević Rodaljice |
| Biograd Biogradski dekanat | | Biograd - St. John the Baptist Drage Pakoštane Polača Sv. Filip i Jakov Tinj Turanj Vrana Vrgada |
| Dugi Otok Dugootočki dekanat | Martin Jadreško | Benkovac Božava Brbinj Dragove Luka Mali Iž Rava Sali Savar Sestrunj Soline Veli Iž Veli Rat Zaglav Zverinac Žman |
| Nin Ninski dekanat | Don Jerko Vuleta | Dračevac Ninski Nin Petrčane Poljica Privlaka Vir Vrsi Zaton |
| Novigrad Novigradski dekanat | | Islam Latinski Jasenice Karin Kruševo Novigrad Obrovac Podgradina Posedarje Pridraga Smilčić |
| Pag Paški dekanat | | Barbat Dinjiška Kolan Pag Povljana Vlašići |
| Pašman Pašmanski dekanat | | Banj Dobropoljana Neviđane Pašman Tkon Ždrelac |
| Deanery | Dean | Parishes |
| Ražanac Ražanački dekanat | Marinko Jelečević | Ljubač Radovin Ražanac Seline Slivnica Straigrad-Paklenica Tribanj-Krušćica Vinjerac |
| Silba Silbanski dekanat | | Brgulje Ist Molat Olib Premuda Silba Zapuntel |
| Ugljan Ugljanski dekanat | Mario Soljačić | Kali Kukljica Lukoran Preko Sutomišćica-Poljana Ugljan |
| Zadar-East Zadar-istok | Tomislav Sikirić | Arbanasi (Our Lady of Loreto) Bibinje Bili Brig (Bl. Aloysius Stepinac) Crno Dračevac Zadarski Ploče (St. Peter) Relja (St. John the Baptist) Smiljevac (St. Anthony of Padua) Stanovi (Queen of Peace) Sukošan |
| Zadar-West Zadar-zapad | Igor Ikić | Belafuža (Assumption) Bokanjac Diklo Kožino Plovanija (St. Joseph) Puntamika (Immaculate Conception) St. Simeon-Zadar (Sveti Šime-Zadar) St. Anastasia-Cathedral (Sveta Stošija-Katedrala) Voštarnica (Sacred Heart) |
| Zemunik Zemunički dekanat | | Briševo Galovac Gorica-Raštane Murvica Poličnik Škabrnja Suhovare Visočane Zemunik |

## Gallery

* Church of St. Donatus and Archbishops palace (orange building)
* St. Anastasia Cathedral
* Benedictine monastery of St. Mary
* St. Simeon's Church
* St Dominic's Church
* Church of Our Lady of Health
* Monastery of St. Francis Assisi (Zadar)
* Church of St Andrew's and St Peter the Elder's
* Chapel of St Demetrius
* Archdiocesan seminary
* Church of Our Lady of Loreto in Arbanasi
* Church of St. Grisogono
* Church of the Holy Cross in Nin
* Church of St. Nicholas in Nin