Bishops of Bosnia

This is part 35 in a series on Daniel Farlati’s Illyricum Sacrum.

The early history of the Church in Bosnia is uncertain. Farlati suggests based on the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja that its jurisdiction originally fell under the Metropolitan of Split. More reliable documents point to the Church being under the Archdiocese of Bar, Montenegro in the 11th century and then Dubrovnik in the 12th. By the 13th century, the church became independent of Papal authority. Bosnia expanded greatly in the 14th century under Stephen II and his successor Tvrtko. In the 15th century, the Ottomans invaded, and had complete control by 1463. At the time of Farlati’s publication in 1769, Bosnia was still under Ottoman control.

Uladislavus (~1141)

The earliest in writing to be called Episcopus Bosnensis. A date of 1141 puts Uladislavus as bishop shortly after the King Béla II brought the region back in to the sphere of Latin influence.

Micovanus (~1150)

Referred to as the Bishop of Kreševo in Bosnia. Farlati cites Mavro Orbini, who suggests at the time there was a dispute between Dubrovnik and Spalato over Bosnia’s jurisdiction. The matter was eventually settled in Dubrovnik’s favor.

Rhadagastus (~1191)

During his time Ban Kulin became sympathetic to a certain Heresy. Farlati refers to it both as the Paterenes and the Albigensens.

Daniel

Mentioned by the Archbishop of Bar, Andrija Zmajević. He was said to be sympathic to the Paterenes, which continued to expand in Bosnia.

Johannes Teutonicus

Also called John of Wildeshausen. He accepted the assignment as bishop out of obedience. He served about 4 years before asking to resign. He was remembered Fondly by King Béla IV. He was said to have performed miracles, but was never canonized as a saint.

Aimus

He was bishop during the Tartar invasion of 1243, and resisted the Paterenes. Little else is remembered of him.

Joannes II.

Lucas Vadingus is the source of this bishop, who he says was German, from the family of Friburg, and died in Germany. He held the position barely a year.

Andreas

He administered the church in Bosnia for 20 years.

Nicolaus

He was in attendence at a Hungarian-Polish synod conducted by Gentile Portino da Montefiore, but is otherwise unknown.

Benedictus

He succeeded Nicolaus at the recommendation of Gentile. He governed about 5 years and may have been transfered. Leandro Alberti says he went on to become bishop of Transylvania.

Petrus

There is little direct mention of Peter. During his time The church was still attempting to root out heresy in Bosnia. The Franciscians and Dominicans were disputing over who had jurisdiction to conduct an inquisition in Bosnia, with John XXII siding in the Franciscan’s favor. Peter died in 1334 while in Avignon.

Laurentius

Laurentius was a church canon traveling with Peter to Avignon and was elected his successor. When he returned to Bosnia, he found King Charles I of Hungary meddling in church affairs. Laurentius inteded to return to Avignon and seek Papal support, but was hindered by Charles. Benedict XII wrote to Charles to assert his jurisdiction over church property.

BonJoannes

Nothing remembered besides his name. He would transfer to Firmo, Italy in 1349.

Peregrinus De Saxonia

He was held in high regard by Stephen II, Ban of Bosnia. When King Louis of Hungary Captured Vidin. Peregrinus was involved in sending 8 Franciscian missionaries to the area. Lucas Vadingus writes that 200,000 were converted to catholicism.

Petrus II.

He was bishop during the death of Stephen and succession of his nephew Tvrtko. Trvko was less receptive to Catholics than Stephen. Farlati shares this report from A Cuthei about a great fire that consumed the mountainous regions inhabited by the Patarines in 1367.

Item de anno 1367 in vigilia S. Catharinae virginis in partibus orientalibus caelestis ignis maximus de hora tertia, cum intensa luce terribiliter apparens universo orbi: tunc temporis dicunt quod in Bosna maximos montes cum omnibus lapidibus, animalibus, brutis, feris, ac avibus mirabiliter cremavit, ita ut illi in planities conversi sunt: et sunt ibi positae et situatae multae villae: et ibi manent Patereni Bosnensium, qui dicuntur Manazei; et ipsi dicunt, quod Deus cremavit et combussit illos montes ad utilitatem ipsorum quia Deus diligit fidem ipsorum.

Besides a few diplomatic documents that he was a witness to, few other deeds are mentioned about his life here.

Dominicus

Dominicus was unknown to Farlati, but other writers say it was Dominic Thopia, who had previously been Archbishop of Zadar.

Georgius

Mentioned in a diplomatic document in 1382. The region of Bosnia became unstable after the death of King Louis. Vadingus writes that many Franciscians left to find more peaceful regions, and the locals were abandoning catholicism. This prompted Pope Boniface IX to decree that the Franciscians should not leave Bosnia without permission.

Joannis III.

called Tomcus Maravitius, similiarly to the 17th century bishop of the same name. He wrote a life of the Bishop of Lucera Augustin Kažotić. Little else is said of him.

Benedictus II.

Mentioned in diplomatic documents by Sigismund. Otherwise unknown.

Dionysius

He served less than a year before being transferred.

Joseph

He was bishop during the 1430s when the Franciscan James of the Marches (lt. Jacobus de Marchia) was active in Bosnia. In addition to the Paterenes who inhabited the region, Bosnia was now dealing with Turkish raids. Pope Eugene granted the Franciscans Ecclesistical authority to act in areas were there were no bishops.

Stephanus Radosnichii

Also called Stephen Radošnić. He is remembered in name only. The Bosnian kingdom went through significant changes during the middle of the 15th century. King Thomas of Bosnia converted to Catholicism and began to purge the Bosnian church. The Ottoman’s had reached the border when Thomas Died. The Ottoman’s invaded after Thomas’ son and successor Stephen Tomašević refused to pay tribute. He was captured and killed in 1463.

The result of the invasion resulted in relics claimed to be of Saint Luke coming from Bosnia to Venice. Cristoforo Moro tasked Count Andreas Venerio with validating the authenticity of the relics. Venerio responds in September 1463. He says that he has spoken with Maria of Serbia, Stephen Tomašević’s widow. She along with three servant’s from Smederevo, claimed the relics as Genuine. They state the relics were originally in Constantinople, then at the castle of Santa Maura, on the island of Lefkada. The Turks captures the island, but the relics were purchased by a Christian for 30,000 Ducats and brought to Smederevo¹. As the Ottoman’s began to capture Serbian Territory, the relics were moved to Teočak, then Jajce. Greek documents regarding the relics were present also. Padua challenged the authenticity, claiming they had the real relics of Saint Luke. After investigation from Rome, it was concluded that the relics in Venice were of the 10th century Luke of Stiris². The relics remained in Venice until 1986 when they were returned to the Hosios Loukas in Boeotia, Greece.

Benedictus III.

Mentioned in one privilege of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary. Otherwise unknown.

Matthias

mentioned by Martin Szentiványi in Dissertatio paralipomenonica rerum memorabilium Hungariae as having served 5 years starting in 1486.

Lucas

appointed in 1491. Transferred two years later to Csanád in Hungary.

Gabriel

He presided over Bosnia seven years before transferring to Sirmium.

Michael

Mihalj Kešerić de Chybarth. He was present at Louis II of Hungary’s wedding in 1515. Other sources say he translated some works of Isocrates, and eventually left the service of the church and married.

Donatus

Mentioned in a letter by the Archbishop of Zadar in 1516. Otherwise unknown.

Georgius II

Miklós Istvánffy wrote that he was well versed in Law and died along with King Louis II at the Battle of Mohács in 1526.

Blasius

He was accussed by the Turks of soliciting nations to come and take back the Bosnian region. He drowned in the Drin River while fleeing.

Thomas

Surnamed Skoroevich. Like his predecessor he was accussed of treason by the Turks. The franciscians raised a large sum of money in an attempt to appease them.

Antonius

There was no bishop for at least 40 years until Antonius was appointed in 1573. The Turks accussed him of enticing Christians with money to defect from Turkish rule. After his death the Turks raided the monestary where he was buried in search of his money.

Franciscus

Franjo Baličević. He had previously been a professor of Theology. The Turks accussed him attempting to take large sums of money as a tribute to the Pope when travelling to Rome. He evaded capture, but the Turks plundered a monastery and received a ransom to spare the inhabitant’s lives.

Aloysius, Francis II, Joannes IV

In 1600, while Franciscus was still living, King Rudolf II invoked Jus Patronatus Regium and nominated his own bishop.

In 1607, Rudolf nominated Francis Erghelius. He served for 3 years and then transferred to Veszprém, Hungary. Matthias nominated Joannes Thelegdinus to succeed him.

Farlati says that all 3 bishops were held in title only, and that Franciscus continued to administer the region.

Thomas II, Stephanus II, Joannes V, Vincentius

Appointed by the king of Hungary but appear not to have been recognized by Rome. Franciscus died in 1625 at which point the bishop of Skradin took over administrative duties.

Joannes VI

Ivan Tomko Mrnavić. A native of Bosnia. He published several books, many of little historical value. Some where plagairised or outright forgeries. He published Indicia vetustatis et nobilitatis familiae Marciae, vulgo Marnavitiae in an attempt to connect him family name to ancient nobility.

He was made Bishop of Bosnia in 1631 and held the position for four years. He seems to have been mostly absent, with little to nothing remembered of his tenure.

The list of his works:

Unica gentis Aureliae, Valeriae, Salonitanae Dalmaticae Nobilitas
Regiae Sanctitatis Illyricanae Fecunditas
Sacra Columba Venerabilis Capituli AA. RR. DD. Canonicarum S. Petri Romaricensis ab impostrua vindicata suaeque origini restituta
Indicia vetustatis et nobilitatis familiae Marciae, vulgo Marnavitiae Nissensis S. Felix Episcopus et martyr Spalatensi urbi Dalmaticae, Croaticae Metropoli, Primatialique, et veritati vindicatus Vita B. Augustini Casotti Patricii Traguriensis ex ordine Dominicano, Episcopi Zagrabiensis, ac deinde Lucerinae Vita Magdalenae Modrussiensis sanctae mulieris, quae coenobium Arbense Sacrum Virginum S. Antonii fundavit Oratio in laudem Fausti Verantii Sibenicensis, Episcopi Chanadiensis in Ungaria Vinea Domini Acta Marcelli Pontificis, qui Cajo successit post Marcellinum Dialogi de Illyrio De Rebus Dalmaticis

Thomas III

A relative of his predecessor, also surnamed Mrnavić. He held the title from 1639 to 1645 but appears to have never been consecrated.

Joannes Hieronymus

Known only from a diploma issued by Ferdinand III in 1645.

Marianus

A native of Bosnia. He was a franciscian with a wealthy brother, who paid off the debts of his monastery. His elevation to rector and then provincial minister lead to questions of Simony. He traveled to Rome and defended himself against the Franciscan minister general. He became Bishop of duvno in 1645, and two years later was transferred to be bishop of Bosnia.

Nicolaus II

A Bosnian native. He was a Franciscan skilled in both theology and law. His legal expertise helped resolve a property dispute between Hungarian and Bosnian Franciscans in favor of the Bosnians. He was nominated by Emperor Leopold I in 1669 to vacancy for the bishop of Bosnia.

As Bishop he continued to live a frugal life. At the turn of the century he was living in Đakovo due to the ongoing war with the Ottomans. He initiated the construction of the Cathedral there, but never lived to see its completion. He was murdered in 1701 by robbers who had broken in to his house.

He left one literary work on the life of Sebastián de Aparicio.

Petrus III

He passed away before being consecrated.

Georgius

He was of the croatian Patačić family. He restored the bishop’s palace at Đakovo and cleared the surrounding territory of bandits.

Petrus IV

Petar Bakić, a native of Spalato. He was previously a Croatian Interpreter in the imperial court. He was bishop from 1716-1749.

Franciscus III

He served no later than 1751, when he was transferred to Zagreb.

Joseph Antonius

Josip Antun Ćolnić. A contemporary of Daniel Farlati who was serving as bishop at the time of publication. He would serve as the last bishop before the Diocese was merged with the diocese of Srijem in 1773.