Lazar Lazarević

Lazarević was born in 1838 in Hotanj Hutovski near Neum in Herzegovina, Ottoman Empire.[1] From 1853 until 1865 he was educated in Rome,[2] at the Pontifical Urban University, where he was ordained a priest in 1865.[1] He was appointed a chaplain in Prenj, and in 1867 was appointed a parson in Stolac and a provicar of the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan,[3] which was at the time administered by the Bishop of Dubrovnik.[4]

During the uprising of Christians against the Ottoman Empire in 1875, Lazarević was asked by the Ottoman authorities to try to pacify the Catholics involved in the uprising, however, he failed. Out of fear, he didn't return to his parish, but instead left for Dubrovnik on 1 July 1875. Many other priests also fled for Dalmatia,[5] along with the Catholic population. Many churches and houses were destroyed.[4]

After the Austrian-Hungarian occupation in 1878, the situation improved, and the refugees returned to their homes.[4] The churches and schools were being renovated and built and the number of Catholics increased.[6] With the arrival of the Austrian-Hungarian troops, Lazarević led the celebrations across the diocese.[7]

During the talks about the organisation of the Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Governor of Dalmatia General Gavrilo Rodić and Bishop of Dubrovnik Ivan Zaffron opposed the idea that Trebinje-Mrkan should be exempted from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Dubrovnik, however, the Catholic population and clergy wanted their own bishop. Bishop Ivan Zaffron later supported the initiative, and proposed Apostolic Vicar of Egypt Bishop Ljudevit Ćurčija as a new bishop of Trebinje-Mrkan.[8]

However, the Austrian-Hungarian government couldn't meet these requests due to financial obligations and the consideration for the Eastern Orthodox, as it couldn't allow the Catholics who were fewer in numbers, to have more bishops than the Eastern Orthodox, so they agreed in the Convention of 1881 to leave Trebinje-Mrkan under the administration of the bishop of Dubrovnik.[8]

The Catholics of Trebinje-Mrkan became frustrated with the lack of material aid from the new authorities, as well as the inactivity of the new Bishop of Dubrovnik Mato Vodopić. Moreover, Bishop Paškal Buconjić of Mostar-Duvno systematically usurped northern and north-eastern parts of the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan for his own diocese.[6] Namely, according to Ex hac augusta, the borders of the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno reached Novi Pazar, while the northern border between the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno and the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan remained unclear.[9]

Lazarević wrote to the Propaganda in Rome on 11 June 1887, requesting again the appointment of the new bishop and protection of Catholics from the new authorities.[6] In Sommer of the same year, Lazarević also wrote to the Austrian-Hungarian government in Sarajevo about Bishop Buconjić's encroachment in Trebinje-Mrkan, however, his petition had no positive answer. Lazarević also warned Bishop of Dubrovnik Mato Vodopić about his duties as Apostolic Administrator, but Bishop Vodopić didn't show much interest.[10]

Head of the Propaganda Cardinal Giovanni Simeoni asked the State Secretary Cardinal Mariano Rampolla to help with the improvement of the condition of Catholics in Trebinje-Mrkan. Cardinal Rampolla informed the Pope about the situation, who requested the new negotiations with the Austrian-Hungarian government. Cardinal Luigi Galimberti, the new Nuncio in Vienna, started the negotiations with Foreign Minister Count Gustav Kálnoky, and presented him Cardinal Rampolla's letter. Kálnoky in turn informed the Minister of Finances Béni Kállay about the situation, after which in June 1888, Kállay ordered an investigation about the Bishop Paškal's pretensions to Trebinje-Mrkan.[11]

Again, on 5 September 1888, the clergy of Trebinje-Mrkan asked Nuncio Galimberti for the new bishop and requested that Bishop Buconjić respects the borders of Trebinje-Mrkan, as established in the Papal decree Ex hac augusta of 1881.[12] Finally, on 17 June 1889, the Austrian-Hungarian government in Sarajevo and the Joint Ministry of Finance presented their Proposal to Galimberti, in which they suggested that Bishop of Mostar-Duvno should administer Trebinje-Mrkan.[13] The main motive for such a proposal was not to dissatisfy the Eastern Orthodox population.[14] The Austrian-Hungarian government also requested that the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno, even though just an apostolic administrator, should have a regular jurisdiction in Trebinje-Mrkan and that he could appoint the Franciscans to priestly duties.[15] Cardinals Simeoni and Rampolla agreed with the first proposal,[14] but rejected the latter two.[15] The Austrian-Hungarian government was informed about their decision on 23 September 1889.[14] The Propaganda ordered that the bishop of Mostar-Duvno administers Trebinje-Mrkan on 16 June 1890, a decision confirmed by the Pope on 8 July 1890. With the new decree, Bishop Buconjić extended his jurisdiction over the entire Herzegovina.[16]

In 1899, Fr. Vide Putica replaced Lazarević as a parson in Stolac.[3] After Bishop of Mostar-Duvno Paškal Buconjić took over the administration over Trebinje-Mrkan in 1890, Lazarević moved to Mostar, where he served as an advisor to the bishop for Trebinje-Mrkan.[1] In 1907, he was named general vicar of the two Herzegovinian dioceses.[17]

Buconjić died in Mostar on 8 December 1910.[18] As requested by the canon law, on 19 December 1910, the Metropolitan Archbishop Josip Stadler named Lazarević administrator in spiritual matters of the two Herzegovinian dioceses after Buconjić's death. The material care of the dioceses was given to the Franciscan Radoslav Glavaš.[1] The Franciscans saw Lazarević's appointment as a vicar capitular a prelude to his episcopal nomination and a threat to their interests.[17]

The clergy of Trebinje-Mrkan once again asked for its own bishop and requested Lazarević's appointment, and later Anđelko Glavinić's, a parson in Trebinje. However, Archbishop Stadler wanted to appoint his own General Vicar Stjepan Hadrović to the episcopal office. The clergy of Trebinje-Mrkan saw this as treason and fiercely opposed the Stadler's plan.[19]

Provincial of the Franciscan Province of Bosnia Alojzije Mišić, the government's candidate for the episcopal post, wrote to his fellow Franciscan and Apostolic Administrator of Banja Luka Marijan Marković, that he was advised from the government that the Franciscans should do everything in their power to retain the episcopal seat in Mostar.[20]

After all the frictions about the candidate for bishop in Mostar, the Austrian-Hungarian authorities officially proposed Rome Mišić to the post for the second time on 5 January 1912.[21] The Pope accepted the proposal so Burián asked the Emperor to appoint Mišić, which Emperor did on 14 February.[22] Pope proclaimed Mišić the new bishop on 29 April 1912.[23]

Lazarević died in Mostar in 1919 and was buried in front of the church in Gradac, Neum.[1]