Senj, April 27, 1999 (IKA) – A Solemn Mass was celebrated in the Old Slavic language in Senj on April 25, 1999, to conclude the commemoration of the Year of Bishop Philip. The Year of Bishop Philip began on March 29, 1998, i.e. on the 750th anniversary of the date Pope Innocent IV sent a letter to Bishop Philip of Senj. The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Anton Tamarut of Rijeka-Senj, together with the members of the Archdiocesan Committee for the Celebration of the Year of Bishop Philip and many of the faithful.
The letter sent by Pope Innocent IV to Bishop Philip on March 29, 1248 granted him permission to celebrate the Mass in the national language, i.e. Old Slavic, in his cathedral and the Slavic regions
Archbishop Tamarut spoke about this great anniversary during introductory remarks to the assembled faithful and the Croatian Television viewers watching a direct broadcast of the Mass: “This is a great privilege that was granted not only to the Church in Senj but to the entire Church among the Croatian nation. This was a historical landmark not only for the ecclesiastical life in our territories but for Croatian culture and literature.” He also pointed out that “this glorious anniversary could not be passed over in silence … It would be desirable for it to be celebrated to a greater extent among the general Croatian public than has been the case,” said the archbishop of Rijeka-Senj.
When Pope Innocent IV issued his written approval to Bishop Philip#!s request for permission to use the Glagolitic alphabet and the Old Slavic language, they had already been in use by the clergy in Slavonia. “Slavonia” was then used as a broad term for the territories where Slavic languages were spoken. In the writings of the time, this term often encompassed Croatia, Dalmatia and Bosnia. Therefore, Bishop Philip obtained approval for the use the Glagolitic alphabet in all the territories where the Glagolitic tradition existed. Until then, the Old Slavic language and the Glagolitic alphabet had only been used by village clergy, often causing problems. Owing to the efforts by Bishop Philip, the Glagolitic alphabet entered the cathedral and the Old Slavic language was used for Solemn Masses. This event also laid the cornerstone for the ascent of Croatian Glagolitic culture during the 14th and 15th centuries.