Croatian Orthodox Church
Encyclopedia
The Croatian Orthodox Church was a religious body created during World War II
by the Ustasha regime in the Independent State of Croatia
(NDH
).
The reason for formation of this church was that Orthodox Christian Churches are state-based. Since Orthodox Christians lived on the territory of NDH, and not that of Serbia, as well as the fact that many countries and peoples of Orthodox Christian faith, that were friendly to NDH, couldn't have properly organized religious life in NDH (Bulgarians, Romanians, Ukrainians, Montenegrins etc.). Authorities finally made a move to organize domestic Orthodox Church. This was also part of policy to eliminate Serbian culture -- and the Serbs -- from Nazi Croatia.
It existed from 1942 to 1945, and was intended as a national church to which Serbs living in Croatia would be forced to convert, thus making it possible to describe them as "Croats of Orthodox faith". It had little or no popular support. It was only recognized by one other Orthodox church, the Romanian Orthodox Church
, on August 4, 1944 (at the time, Romania was also under the control of the Fascist
regime of Ion Antonescu
). Its manager was Savić Marković Štedimlija
.
There were some discussions during the 1990s, after the break-up of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
, regarding the revival of such a church.
Its leader was Germogen, Metropolitan of Zagreb, a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
, who is said to have had Uniate sympathies. Most of the church's priests were Serbian priests who were compelled to change churches in order to survive, together with defrocked Orthodox priests, émigré priests from Russia, and some Uniate and Roman Catholic priests.
The church was formed by a government statute (No. XC-800-Z-1942) on April 4, 1942. On June 5, using the statute issued by the government, the church's constitution was passed. On June 7 Germogen became the only Orthodox Metropolitan
of Zagreb
. The church lasted until the NDH collapsed, as the Serbians destroyed it. Germogen was shot to death the same day by serbians.
The reasons for the creation of this Church was to make a concession to the Serbian population, as some in the Ustasha leadership felt this would decrease the will to rebel in Serbs. Another main reason was an attempt among some Croats to distinguish between Serbian nationality and Orthodox faith, as a sign of respect to the founders of the Party of Rights from which the Ustasha movement developed. The Ustasha evolved from this party's extremist wing after the King of Yugoslavia banned all political parties
in 1929, and murdered croatian politic Stjepan Radic . The two main founders of the Party of Rights, Ante Starčević
and Eugen Kvaternik
, were not antagonistic towards Orthodoxy, although they were to a large degree anti-Serb, leaving a clear statement those two are two different things, being serbian and being Orthodox. Ante Starčević's mother was Orthodox, and Kvaternik had promoted in the early days of the party the creation of an Orthodox Patriarch
in Croatia.
Before the Croatian Orthodox Church was formed , the NDH officially described the Eastern Orthodox Church as the "Greek-Eastern Church", and would refer to it as the "Schismatic Church" or the "Greek non-Uniate Church". The Ustasha wanted to make their church legitimate; they asked for recognition from the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul.
news agency as stating that the "Orthodox Church in Croatia should be organized along the Macedonian
principle, with its patriarch
, and break away as far as territory was concerned, from Serbia”. Kolaric had several times tried to start an initiative to start such a church and that it should be started by the "Croat Orthodox believers and possible Croatian Orthodox clergy, because then all the conditions for an autocephalous church would be met." He claimed that if a church was formed it would eventually by recognized by the Patriarch of Constantinople because the Serb Orthodox Church would never be present in Croatia again. Kolaric claimed that his statements were not influenced by the Roman Catholic Church. The initiatives of Kolaric for the creation of such a church was protested by the Serbian Orthodox Church several times.
On March 10, 2011 Croatian Orthodox Church was registreted in Canada
.
It is just a way of recognize fact that there is Eastern Orthodox Christians who are ethnic
Croatians and they need their national church.
http://www.hrvatskipravoslavci.com/ - The official website of Croatian Orthodox Community
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by the Ustasha regime in the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
(NDH
NDH
The letters NDH can mean:* The Independent State of Croatia * New German Hardness, or Neue Deutsche Härte * National Dairy Holdings L.P.* In ads for used vehicles, particularly aircraft: No damage history...
).
The reason for formation of this church was that Orthodox Christian Churches are state-based. Since Orthodox Christians lived on the territory of NDH, and not that of Serbia, as well as the fact that many countries and peoples of Orthodox Christian faith, that were friendly to NDH, couldn't have properly organized religious life in NDH (Bulgarians, Romanians, Ukrainians, Montenegrins etc.). Authorities finally made a move to organize domestic Orthodox Church. This was also part of policy to eliminate Serbian culture -- and the Serbs -- from Nazi Croatia.
It existed from 1942 to 1945, and was intended as a national church to which Serbs living in Croatia would be forced to convert, thus making it possible to describe them as "Croats of Orthodox faith". It had little or no popular support. It was only recognized by one other Orthodox church, the Romanian Orthodox Church
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
, on August 4, 1944 (at the time, Romania was also under the control of the Fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
regime of Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
). Its manager was Savić Marković Štedimlija
Savic Markovic Štedimlija
Savić Marković Štedimlija was a Montenegrin-Croatian nationalist publicist and writer, best known for his revisionist theories on the origins of the Montenegrin people...
.
There were some discussions during the 1990s, after the break-up of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
, regarding the revival of such a church.
The Croatian Orthodox Church 1942-1945
Croat Orthodox Church was created, to be considered one of the three faiths to which Croats could officially belong (the main being Catholicism and Islam). To try to get conversions to this church, some incentives were given. Since one of the Serbians motto for the invasion in Croatia was a "Religious" reason, the creation of this Church was leaving with no pretexts for war.Its leader was Germogen, Metropolitan of Zagreb, a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia , also called the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, ROCA, or ROCOR) is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church....
, who is said to have had Uniate sympathies. Most of the church's priests were Serbian priests who were compelled to change churches in order to survive, together with defrocked Orthodox priests, émigré priests from Russia, and some Uniate and Roman Catholic priests.
The church was formed by a government statute (No. XC-800-Z-1942) on April 4, 1942. On June 5, using the statute issued by the government, the church's constitution was passed. On June 7 Germogen became the only Orthodox Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. The church lasted until the NDH collapsed, as the Serbians destroyed it. Germogen was shot to death the same day by serbians.
The reasons for the creation of this Church was to make a concession to the Serbian population, as some in the Ustasha leadership felt this would decrease the will to rebel in Serbs. Another main reason was an attempt among some Croats to distinguish between Serbian nationality and Orthodox faith, as a sign of respect to the founders of the Party of Rights from which the Ustasha movement developed. The Ustasha evolved from this party's extremist wing after the King of Yugoslavia banned all political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
in 1929, and murdered croatian politic Stjepan Radic . The two main founders of the Party of Rights, Ante Starčević
Ante Starcevic
Ante Starčević , was a Croatian politician and writer whose activities and works laid the foundations for the modern Croatian state.His works are base for Croatian nationalism, he is often referred to as Father of the Fatherland by Croats.-Life:...
and Eugen Kvaternik
Eugen Kvaternik
Eugen Kvaternik was a Croatian politician and revolutionary. Kvaternik and Ante Starčević formed the original Croatian Party of Rights together....
, were not antagonistic towards Orthodoxy, although they were to a large degree anti-Serb, leaving a clear statement those two are two different things, being serbian and being Orthodox. Ante Starčević's mother was Orthodox, and Kvaternik had promoted in the early days of the party the creation of an Orthodox Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
in Croatia.
Before the Croatian Orthodox Church was formed , the NDH officially described the Eastern Orthodox Church as the "Greek-Eastern Church", and would refer to it as the "Schismatic Church" or the "Greek non-Uniate Church". The Ustasha wanted to make their church legitimate; they asked for recognition from the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul.
Proposals for a revival in the 1990s
On 6 March 1993, Juraj Kolaric, dean of the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Zagreb, was reported by the TanjugTanjug
Tanjug was founded on November 5, 1943. It is now a Serbian news agency based in Belgrade....
news agency as stating that the "Orthodox Church in Croatia should be organized along the Macedonian
Macedonian Orthodox Church
The Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric or just Macedonian Orthodox Church is the body of Christians who are united under the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, exercising jurisdiction over Macedonian Orthodox Christians in the Republic of Macedonia and in exarchates in the Macedonian...
principle, with its patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
, and break away as far as territory was concerned, from Serbia”. Kolaric had several times tried to start an initiative to start such a church and that it should be started by the "Croat Orthodox believers and possible Croatian Orthodox clergy, because then all the conditions for an autocephalous church would be met." He claimed that if a church was formed it would eventually by recognized by the Patriarch of Constantinople because the Serb Orthodox Church would never be present in Croatia again. Kolaric claimed that his statements were not influenced by the Roman Catholic Church. The initiatives of Kolaric for the creation of such a church was protested by the Serbian Orthodox Church several times.
On March 10, 2011 Croatian Orthodox Church was registreted in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
It is just a way of recognize fact that there is Eastern Orthodox Christians who are ethnic
Croatians and they need their national church.
External links
- Savic Markovic Stedimlija - Ideologist of "Red Croatia"
- New Attacks on the Serbian Orthodox Church HR-Net news service
- The Orthodox Church in Croatia March 15, 1993 Vreme News Digest Agency No 77
http://www.hrvatskipravoslavci.com/ - The official website of Croatian Orthodox Community