Đakovo, (IKA/BTU) – The apostolic nuncio in Croatia, Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari, announced on June 18 at the Bishop’s Residence in Đakovo, in the presence of Cardinal Josip Bozanić, the bishops of the Croatian-Slavonian Ecclesiastical Province, canons, deans, priests, religious and seminarians, that Pope Benedict XVI has re-established the Diocese of Srijem – previously united “in persona Episcopi” to the Đakovo Diocese, and that Msgr. Đuro Gašparović, until now the titular bishop of Mattiana, auxiliary bishop of Đakovo and general vicar with special responsibility for Srijem, has been appointed as the bishop of Srijem. Msgr. Gašparović will be a member of the International Episcopal Conference of SS. Cyril and Methodius and will no longer belong to the Croatian Conference of Bishops. The Pope has established the ecclesiastical province of Đakovo-Osijek and has elevated Đakovo-Osijek to a metropolitan see, removing the title “Bosnian” and adding the title “Osijek,” because Osijek is the largest center in Slavonia, assigning to it as suffragans the dioceses of Požega and Srijem, which until now have been part of the ecclesiastical province of Zagreb-Croatia-Slavonia. Msgr. Marin Srakić, previously the bishop of Đakovo-Srijem, has been appointed as the first archbishop of the metropolitan see of Đakovo-Osijek. The Pope also changed the name of the Croatian-Slavonian Ecclesiastical Province to the Zagreb Ecclesiastical Province, with the metropolitan see in Zagreb, and the suffragan dioceses of Križevci and Varaždin.

After the announcement, Nuncio Cassari said that the decisions by the Holy Father once again demonstrates his great love and paternal concern. On Sunday, June 29, on the feast of the apostles SS. Peter and Paul, the Pope will personally present the pallium to the new metropolitan archbishop of Đakovo-Osijek.

Archbishop Srakić noted that 235 years ago Pope Clement XIV united the Srijem and Bosnian dioceses into a single diocese, which remained separate within their borders. This was required and suggested by the circumstances of the time. Great recent changes in the political, social and ecoomic areas have also had an impact on Church life in these territories, particularly in the Đakovo or Bosnian and Srijem Diocese. The diocese had been operating in two state systems.
“In this separation and establishment of the Srijem Diocese, we have in no way ignored the fact that our episcopate is united, trained in one seminary, and therefore we have insisted that the Srijem Diocese remains within the system of the Đakovačko-Osijek Ecclesiastical Province. We shall continue to have joint formation of seminarians at the seminary, a common residence for priests etc. Questions of incardination will be resolved during the course of the next several years,” said Archbishop Srakić. “We have submitted a request for a new ecclesiastical province to be established on the territory of the former Kingdom of Slavonia. This was suggested by the majority of the Croatian-Slavonian or Zagreb Ecclesiastical Province, which has more than 2,600,000 Catholics, as well as the geographical-historical reality that we share. “The basic reason for the establishment of the new ecclesiastical province is to further the joint pastoral activities of the neighboring dioceses and the mutual relationships of the diocesan bishops,” said Archbishop Srakić.
The cathedral of the Đakovo-Osijek Archdiocese is in Đakovo, and the parish Church of SS. Peter and Paul in Osijek is becoming a cathedral, minor basilica. In this manner, the city of Osijek has entered the title of our archdiocese … and as a see of the archdiocese and ecclesiastical province has assumed importance as the metropolis of Slavonia and the fourth largest city in our Homeland,” said Archbishop Srakić.

Bishop Gašparović of Srijem pointed out that the Srijem Diocese has 29 parishes and 19 priests. It is now a member of the International Episcopal Conference of SS. Cyril and Methodius. Therefore, the bishop of Srijem, as a full member, may enter into cooperation with the bishops of this region and speak with authority with the representatives of the local authorities. Church and religious communities are free and autonomous in the determination of their religious identity and have the right to determine their organization and perform their internal and public tasks independently. “We must preserve the integrity of the Srijem Diocese within its present borders. This means the rivers Sava and Danube from the east, north and southern borders, and the state border between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Serbia from the west,” said Bishop Gašparović.

Extending congratulations, Cardinal Josip Bozanić noted that the Croatian-Slavonian Ecclesiastical Province had been established in the year 1852, and included the newly established Zagreb Archdiocese, the Križevci Eparchy, the Đakovo and Srijem Diocese and the Senj-Modruš Diocese. In the year 1969, a new ecclesiastical province was established from the Senj-Modruš Diocese together with the neighboring dioceses, first as the Rijeka-Senj Province and today as the Rijeka Ecclesiastical Province. In the year 1997, in the territory of the Zagreb Archdiocese at the time, two new dioceses were established: Požega and Varaždin.
“Today, in the year 2008 in the territory of the Croatian-Slavonian Ecclesiastical Province, the new Đakovo-Osijek Ecclesiastical Province has been established. This is in no way a division or diminution. This is a new bolstering of the Catholic Church in Croatia and the Universal Catholic Church. Therefore, we celebrate and extend congratulations. We have done whatever we could have done regarding this matter and, therefore, we particularly rejoice on this day. I am pleased that the last session of the Croatian-Slavonian Ecclesiastical Province was held today in Đakovo. This is a day of joy and a day of a new beginning for the Catholic Church in Croatia and in general for the Catholic Church,” emphasized Cardinal Bozanić.

This celebration in Đakovo was preceded by the final meeting of the bishops of the Croatian-Slavonian Ecclesiastical Province.