The Diocese of Bosnia (Latin: Dioecesis Bosniensis) existed in Bosnia between the 11th and 15th centuries, and remained as a single title until 1773[2][3] when it was given to the Bishop of Sirmia.
It is not known precisely when the Bosnian diocese was established. Based on a collection of historical documents Provinciale Vetus, published in 1188, which mention it twice, once subordinated to the Archdiocese of Split, and another time under the Archdiocese of Ragusa, it is assumed that it came into existence between 1060 and 1075.[4] During the 12th century, it was contested between those two archdioceses as well as another two, the Archdiocese of Antivari and the Archdiocese of Kalocsa.[5] In 1244, an endowment of the parishes of Đakovo and Blezna by King Bela IV of Hungary listed the other parishes of the diocese, namely Vrhbosna, Neretva, Lepenica, Vidgossa (Viduša), Mile (near today's Visoko), Lašva, Uskoplje, Brod (near today's Zenica), Borač (near today's Rogatica).[6][7]
In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Bishops of Bosnia were mainly Dominican missionaries who were sent in to combat the spread of the Bosnian Church.[8] At the turn of the 14th century, the Franciscans also arrived with the same purpose, at first in Usora and Soli, at the request of Stephen Dragutin of Serbia.[9] The two orders engaged in a prolonged dispute over the control of the province, in which the Franciscans ultimately prevailed, yet the weakened diocese still succumbed to the Ottoman conquest of Bosnia in 1463.[10]
During the Ottoman occupation, the bishop of Bosnia had no effective control over the territory of Bosnia, rather, the Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena remained the primary vessel of Catholicism in the area. In 1735, the Holy See founded the Apostolic Vicariate for Bosnia, and assigned Franciscans as apostolic vicars to direct it, thereby formally ending the jurisdiction of this diocese over Bosnia.
On 5 July 1881, Pope Leo XIII issued Ex hac augusta Principis Apostolorum cathedra, a bull by which he restored the regular Church hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With the restoration, both vicariates, the Bosnian (1735–1881) and the Herzegovinian (1846–81) were abolished.[12]
The old Diocase of Bosnia was elevated as the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna.[13] The pope subordinated to it three other dioceses: the newly established Diocese of Banja Luka, the already existing Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan (under the apostolic administration from the bishop of Dubrovnik at the time) and the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, to which he added the title of bishop of Duvno as well. The Diocese of Mostar-Duvno encompassed the territory of the Apostolic Vicariate of Herzegovina, which was abolished.[14]
The Apostolic Vicar of Bosnia Paškal Vuičić was simply retired after the abolishment of the vicariate, while the Apostolic Vicar of Herzegovina Paškal Buconjić was appointed Bishop of Mostar-Duvno. Josip Stadler was appointed the Archbishop of Vrhbosna and Administrator of Banja Luka.[15]
The Bosnian War, which resulted in the Siege of Sarajevo on the archdiocese's home, gravely impacted the archdiocese. In the war's aftermath, repairs had to be completed to many damaged churches and chapels. The biggest struggle has been the exodus of Croats, causing the Catholic population in the diocese to drop to less than half of what it was before the conflict.
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Vrhbosna on 8 April 1908 and consecrated on 28 May 1908. Appointed Archbishop of Vrhbosna on 2 May 1922. Died in office on 16 July 1960.
1960
1970
Marko Alaupović
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Vrhbosna on 21 May 1950 and consecrated on 24 September 1950. Appointed Archbishop of Vrhbosna on 7 September 1960. Resigned on 13 January 1970 and died on 8 April 1979.
1970
1976
Smiljan Franjo Čekada
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Vrhbosna on 6 June 1939 and consecrated on 6 August 1939. Translated to Skopje on 18 August 1940. Appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Vrhbosna on 12 June 1967. Succeeded Archbishop of Vrhbosna on 13 January 1970. Died in office on 16 July 1976.
Formerly Priest of Banja Luka. Appointed Archbishop of Vrhbosna on 19 November 1990 and consecrated on 6 January 1991. Elevated to Cardinal on 26 November 1994. Participated on the 2005, 2013, and 2025 conclaves. Retired on 29 January 2022.
Josip Stadler, Servant of God - the first modern archbishop of Vrhbosna and the founder of the religious order of the Servants of the Infant Jesus. The process for his canonization began in Sarajevo on June 20, 2002.
Džaja, Srećko (2002). Bosna i Hercegovina u austrougarskom razdoblju (1878 - 1918)[Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Austrian-Hungarian period (1878 - 1918)] (in Croatian). Mostar: ZIRAL. ISBN9958370298.
Povijest Bosne i Hercegovine od najstarijih vremena do godine 1463 (in Croatian). Vol.I. Sarajevo: HKD Napredak. 1998.
Šanjek, Franjo (1996). Kršćanstvo na hrvatskom prostoru. Pregled religiozne povijesti Hrvata (7.-20. st.) (in Croatian). Zagreb: Kršćanska sadašnjost.
Vrankić, Petar (2016). "Izbori i imenovanja biskupa u Hercegovini u doba austro-ugarske vladavine (1878. - 1918.) na primjeru biskupa fra Paškala Buconjića" [Elections and appointments of bishops in Herzegovina during the Austrian-Hungarian rule (1878 - 1918) on the example of Bishop Fr. Paškal Buconjić]. Hercegovina (in Croatian). 2: 109–140.
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