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- 2018
Elections and Appointments of Bishops in Herzegovina at the Time of Austro-Hungarian Rule (1878-1918) - the Case of Bishop Fr. Alojzije Misic (1912)Keywords: Herzegovina, Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan, State Government of Bosnia-Hercegovina, Joint Ministry of Finance, Austria-Hungary, Bosnian Franciscans, Herzegovinian Franciscans, Bishop Paskal Buconjic, Provincial Alojzije Misic, Fr. Frano Lulic, Archbishop Stadler, Dom Pierre Bastien Abstract: Sa?etak In this second paper on the election of the bishops in Herzegovina at the time of Austro-Hungarian rule (1878-1918), which in some ways follows the topic discussed in the first paper, shows a very tense and resistant struggle over the election of the second bishop in Herzegovina, a Franciscan monk and Provincial Alojzije Misic. After a brief overview of the historical-legal context of the Catholic Church in Herzegovina at the time of Austro-Hungarian rule, the first chapter covers the situation of finding a new bishop cum iure successionis, (a coadjutor bishop with the right of succession) to assist the elderly bishop Buconjic in Mostar. The interested parties in a very close competition were: The State Government of Bosnia-Hercegovina in Sarajevo, the Joint Ministry of Finance in Vienna, Archbishop Josip Stadler as the Metropolitan Bishop of Vrhbosna, Bishop Buconji? in Mostar, the Provincial of Bosnian Franciscan Province (Bosna Srebrena) - Fr Alojzije Misic and the Provincial of the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina – Fr. Luka Begi? as well as the Holy See in Rome (Vatican). This competition, which turned into a real struggle, including even the disparaging of opponents in BiH, Vienna and Rome, lasted from the end of January to the beginning of December 1910. As the Holy See in Rome was not convinced of the suitability of the only candidate who was supported by the State Government in Sarajevo - Provincial Misic, his appointment was suspended until the Bishop Buconjic's death on December 8, 1910. The Bishop Buconjic's death was followed by the second round of the competition, described in the third chapter of this paper, in which, apart from the old ones, some new actors and candidates took part. First of all, Archbishop Stadler appeared as a metropolitan and appointed temporary administrators in spiritualibus (in spiritual matters) and in materialibus (in the material goods) of the diocese of Mostar-Duvno. This ensured the minimum functioning of dioceses. After that his candidate list the State Government, as well as to the Holy See. Stadler's list of candidates could not be accepted by the Government because he had, for years, publicly criticized the State Government and their actions against him, his institutions, the priests and the Catholic Church in BiH in general. In Rome, Stadler's candidates were looked at with certain understanding and sympathy, especially the auxiliary bishop Dr. Ivan Saric. But the State Government further supported its candidate, the Bosnian Provincial Misic, not only as a suitable man of the Church, but also as
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