The Archdiocese of Zadar (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic church in Croatia."Archdiocese of Zadar" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016 The diocese was established in the 3rd century AD and was made an archdiocese by the Pope Anastasius IV in 1154. As of 2025, it is not part of any ecclesiastical province of Croatia; 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:
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 Saint Donatus Legendary 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 Sabinian I fl. c. 402 Saint Donatus II fl. c. 428 Vitalis I fl. c. 446 Paul I fl. c. 462 Julius fl. 464 Unknown fl. 489 Unknown fl. 518 Unknown 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 LampridiusLast 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.Sethre, Janet (2003). The Souls of Venice. pp. 54–55. . 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 Dominic Thopia From the Albanian noble Thopia family of Durrës. 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.Facts on File Yearbook. Vol. 5. p 78 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 BenkovacBenkovački dekanat Anđelko Buljat Benkovac Bruška Ervenik Kistanje Korlat Medviđa Nadin Nunić Perušić Popovići Pristeg Radošinovac Raštević Rodaljice BiogradBiogradski dekanat Biograd - St. John the Baptist Drage Pakoštane Polača Sv. Filip i Jakov Tinj Turanj Vrana Vrgada Dugi OtokDugootočki dekanat Martin Jadreško Benkovac Božava Brbinj Dragove Luka Mali Iž Rava Sali Savar Sestrunj Soline Veli Iž Veli Rat Zaglav Zverinac Žman NinNinski dekanat Don Jerko Vuleta Dračevac Ninski Nin Petrčane Poljica Privlaka Vir Vrsi Zaton NovigradNovigradski dekanat Islam Latinski Jasenice Karin Kruševo Novigrad Obrovac Podgradina Posedarje Pridraga Smilčić PagPaški dekanat Barbat Dinjiška Kolan Pag Povljana Vlašići PašmanPašmanski dekanat Banj Dobropoljana Neviđane Pašman Tkon Ždrelac
Deanery Dean Parishes RažanacRažanački dekanat Marinko Jelečević Ljubač Radovin Ražanac Seline Slivnica Straigrad-Paklenica Tribanj-Krušćica Vinjerac SilbaSilbanski dekanat Brgulje Ist Molat Olib Premuda Silba Zapuntel UgljanUgljanski dekanat Mario Soljačić Kali Kukljica Lukoran Preko Sutomišćica-Poljana Ugljan Zadar-EastZadar-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-WestZadar-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) ZemunikZemunički dekanat Briševo Galovac Gorica-Raštane Murvica Poličnik Škabrnja Suhovare Visočane Zemunik
Gallery
See also The church and monastery of St. Michael in Zadar - Croatia
References
External links