The Diocese of Mostar-Duvno (, Croatian: Mostarsko-duvanjska biskupija) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It encompasses northern Herzegovina. The episcopal seat is in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was formed on 5 July 1881, when the Apostolic Vicariate of Herzegovina was elevated to the diocese. It is the largest Catholic diocese in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the number of Catholics.
The Diocese of Mostar-Duvno also retains the episcopal tradition from the Diocese of Duvno, an antique diocese first mentioned in 591, suppressed in the 7th century and reestablished in the 14th century.
The diocese covers area of , with 175,395 Catholics in 66 parishes of the diocese. There are 67 diocesan priests. The Franciscan Province of Herzegovina is serving 29 parishes. The seat of the diocese is the Cathedral of Mary, Mother of the Church. The current bishop of Mostar-Duvno is Petar Palić. He also serves as Apostolic Administrator of Trebinje-Mrkan, which is administered by the bishops of Mostar-Duvno since 1890.
The diocese releases a monthly magazine Crkva na kamenu. Patron saint of the diocese is Saint Joseph.
History
Roman Empire and the Middle Ages
During the Roman Empire, on the territory of the present-day Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, there were two dioceses: the Duvno and Narona-Sarsenterum. The Diocese of Duvno (Delminium) was first mentioned in 591, by Pope Gregory the Great. Venantius of Salona was martyred on the territory of the Diocese of Duvno in the 3rd century.
The Diocese of Duvno was suppressed in the 7th century, but re-established in 1337 by Pope Benedict XII as a defence against the Bosnian Church which was widespread in the Kingdom of Bosnia and was expending its influence on the territory of Croatia.
Ottoman rule
In 1482, Herzegovina was conquered by the Ottomans. Many people fled after the conquest or migrated later. In the 17th century, bishops in West Herzegovina were no longer present among the population, so the bishop of Makarska expanded his jurisdictions over West Herzegovina, including the Diocese of Duvno.
In 1709 and 1722, there were two petitions from the Catholics from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Propaganda to send them a bishop that would reside among them. In 1722, the Propaganda tried to return the seat of the Bishop of Duvno that would have the jurisdiction over them, asking for the advice from the archbishops of Split and Zadar as well as the bishop of Makarska, however, they opposed claiming that the "Church of Duvno is canonically united" with their dioceses. On a session of the Propaganda from April 1722, it was concluded that the Propaganda could draw the new borders of the Diocese of Duvno, however, no further efforts were made on the matter.
The Catholics of Bosnia and Herzegovina continued sending the petitions to the Propaganda in 1723, 1729 and 1734. In 1734, the Propaganda started to study the matter inquiring about the status of Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Diocese of Duvno. They asked the nuncio in Vienna, Austrian Empire to discuss the issue with the bishop of Bosnia who resided in Đakovo since the beginning of the 13th century, about establishing the new diocese. The Propaganda had another session on the matter in June 1735 and discussed the proposition of the Archbishop of Zadar about the reestablishment of the Diocese of Duvno. They also received an answer from the nuncio who informed them that the Austrian Emperor will not object to sending an apostolic vicar to Bosnia. Finally, the Propaganda agreed to grant the requests from the Catholics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, asking the archbishop of Zadar to propose them a suitable bishop.
The archbishop of Zadar made a suggestion that the jurisdiction of the apostolic vicariate should include the territory of the Diocese of Duvno, without an appointment of a special bishop of Duvno, in order to avoid the conflict with the archbishop of Split and bishop of Makarska. Finally, on 25 September 1735, Pope Clement XII granted the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Bosnia.
The new Apostolic Vicar Bishop Mate Delivić, a Franciscan, made an apostolic visitation in whole Bosnia in 1736–37, but not in Herzegovina, due to the obstruction from the bishop of Makarska. Thus the new dispute arose between the bishop of Makarska and the archbishop of Split (who controlled parts of the territory around Livno) on one side, and the apostolic vicar of Bosnia and the other. The bishop of Makarska and the archbishop of Split tried to maintain their influence appointing the diocesan clergy in parishes, trying to replace the Franciscans. The new Apostolic Vicar, also a Franciscan, Bishop Pavao Dragičević, instructed the Franciscans that they musn't allowed any church function to any priest without his approval.
Bishop Stjepan Blašković of Makarska proposed a compromise solution to the Propaganda in 1759, that included the establishment of another diocese seated in Mostar that would include the territory of Herzegovina. The proposal was denied by the Propaganda.
Apostolic Vicariate of Herzegovina
There is no document that would indicate the exact date of the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate in Herzegovina. Herzegovinian Franciscans, mostly from the monastery in Kreševo, who took pastoral care over Herzegovina, decided to establish their own monastery in Herzegovina in Široki Brijeg in 1840. Leaders of this initiative were Nikola Kordić, Anđeo Kraljević and Ilija Vidošević. At the time, Apostolic Vicar of Bosnia Rafael Barišić had an uneasy relationship with the Bosnian Franciscans. The Herzegovinian Franciscans established contact with Vizier of Herzegovina Ali Pasha Rizvanbegović was granted his own eyalet by the Ottoman sultan for his loyalty during the Bosnian uprising. The Franciscans considered that they will build their own monastery faster if the apostolic vicar would come to Herzegovina.
The vicar of Čerigaj friar Ilija Vidošević wrote to Bishop Rafael about the idea of establishing a separate Herzegovinian apostolic vicariate, an idea also supported by Ali Pasha. In 1843, Bishop Rafael returned from a trip in Albania and stayed in Čerigaj, where Fr. Ilija helped him to establish a connection with Ali Pasha. In 1844, the Church authorities allowed the Franciscans to build a monastery in Široki Brijeg, so the Herzegovinian Franciscans left their former monasteries to build a new one. In 1845, Bishop Rafael wrote to the Propaganda to allow him to move to Herzegovina, stating that form there, he would also serve the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan and that Catholics and Muslims there "all love him and want him, including the Vizier".
Their main argument for the establishment of a special vicariate was the number of parishes and the faithful Catholics in Herzegovina. According to a report from Bishop Augustin Miletić from 1818–19, Herzegovina had 8 parishes and 3100 Catholic families, with 20.223 Catholics in total. Ten years later, the same bishop reported that there were 51.744 Catholics, a third of the total number of Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On 29 October 1845, Bishop Rafael informed the Propaganda that he will renounce his office as Apostolic Vicar in Bosnia. Rome and Istanbul entered the negotiations about the seat of Bishop Rafael, and both were compliant about his transfer to Herzegovina. The Church's negotiator was Mons. Andon Bedros IX Hassoun. The secretary of the Propaganda wrote to Bishop Rafael on 13 March 1846, informing him about the success in the negotiations and called him to resign from the office of the Apostolic Vicar of Bosnia "as soon as possible", which he did.
On 29 April 1846, the Propaganda informed Bishop Rafael that he should move to Herzegovina immediately after he receives a ferman of approval from the Sultan. Around the same day, Bishop Rafael, at the time in Istanbul, received the ferman, as well as two letters of approval from Ali Pasha. Bishop Rafael was granted a number of privileges, including the guarantee of freedom of religion. He informed the Propaganda about the approval on 26 May 1846. He left Istanbul for Trieste two days later and arrived in Herzegovina on 18 June 1846. The episcopal residence was being built in Vukodol near Mostar, while the Bishop resided in Seonica near Županjac (Duvno, present-day Tomislavgrad), where he established his curia. As the existing land parcel in Vukodol was too small for a residence, Ali Pasha bought privately owned land from a local Muslim and granted it to the Vicariate, with strong opposition from the Muslim locals. Ali Pasha also provided the protection during the construction. The construction was completed in the beginning of 1851, and Bishop Rafael moved there in June 1851.
After bishop moved in Mostar, the religious life of the local Catholics flourished. The Catholics from the neighboring hills around Mostar returned to the city and became involved in the public, cultural and political life of the city.
On 7 December 1864, Bishop Rafael was succeeded by Fr. Anđeo Kraljević, also a Franciscan and Custos of the Franciscan Custody of Herzegovina. He was consecrated a bishop in Zadar on 25 March 1865 and installed as apostolic vicar on 13 June 1865. Bishop Anđeo was one of the leaders of the initiative for the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate in Herzegovina back in the 1840s.
Bishop Anđeo started the construction of the cathedral church, initiated by Bishop Anđeo. On 7 March 1866, he blessed the cornerstone of the church, which was finally built in 1872, when the bishop consecrated it to the apostles Peter and Paul. Thus the seat of the vicariate was moved from Vukodol to the new church. The next year, 1873, the parish residence was built next to it.
Bishop Anđeo entered into a conflict with the Franciscan Custody of Herzegovina, due to the Franciscans controlling all of the parishes in Herzegovina, while Bishop Anđeo, even though a Franciscan himself, wanted to have diocesan clergy at his disposal. In 1878, he wrote to the nuncio in Vienna about the necessity of the introduction of the diocesan clergy in the vicariate because the head of the Franciscan Custody had all authority, with the apostolic vicar being only a figurehead that confirms his decisions. He also asked him to lobby with the Holy See to establish a diocese so he can found new parishes that will be controlled by the diocesan clergy, with the Franciscans retaining the rest of parishes.
The Franciscans of Herzegovina were on bad terms with the Bishop Anđeo, claiming he did not give them enough of the collected alms for the construction of the monastery in Humac. An anonymous letter was sent to Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, claiming the bishop is giving donations sent to him by Austria-Hungary to the Ottomans and accused him of being a turkophile. The Franciscan Custody barred itself from this letter. In February 1877, Bishop Anđeo requested from the Propaganda to send an apostolic visitor in Herzegovina and accused Paškal Buconjić, at the time guardian of the Humac monastery, of negligence towards the parishes and the Herzegovinian Franciscans of taking the payment for maintenance by force from the believers during the Easter Communion. The Congregation named Bishop Casimir Forlani the apostolic visitor, and he arrived in Mostar in February the next year. Forlani finished the report in May 1878, and advised Bishop to act in agreement with the Franciscans and to record revenues and expenditures, as well as to help the construction of the monastery in Humac. The question of the parishes remained unresolved.