Review article
JORDAN ZANINOVIĆ, THE BISHOP OF HVAR (1903-1917)
Joško BRACANOVIĆ
Abstract
Jordan Zaninović was a Dominican and the fifty first bishop of Hvar. At the same time, he was only the fourth bishop of Hvar that originated from this island, and the sixth that came from the Dominican order. He was one of the best contemporary philosophers in Dalmatia, and he was also well known by his poems written in Italian. Zaninović was born in peasantry family in Stari Grad on 13th February 1840. His father was Dominik and mother Marija (born as Plančić). His first humanistic teacher was famous archeologist
don Šime Ljubić, and since Jordan was quite a good pupil his parents decided to send him to Split. During his education at Split’s gymnasium Zaninović decided to join the Dominican order. When he was sixteen (1856), he received the Dominican habit in the church of
St. Sabine in Rome. The next year he solemnly pledged oath in Viterbo in the church of the Our Lady of the Oak, and in the 1862 he was ordained. Already at the beginning of 1863 he returned to Split, and joined the convent of St. Catherine. During this time he lectured
Italian and Latin in the local gymnasium. In 1878 he gained the highest scholarly rank in the Dominican order – Dottore e maestro in Sacra Teologia. Consequently, when he was only 29 he became a prior of the convent, and he maintained this duty for many years.
Similarly, in 1886 he was appointed to the provincial duty for the first time, and then was three times reappointed. In 1902 the emperor Francis Joseph appointed him to the duty of the bishop of Hvar, and the pope Leo XIII confirmed this decision on 6th February 1903. Zaninović was ordained in Split on 19th April by the Dalmatian Metropolitan Mate Dvornik, and then he came to Hvar on 10th May 1903, where local population warmly welcomed the new bishop. As bishop, Zaninović founded deaneries’ choirs and promoted
Eucharistic piety. During his reign he undertook two pastoral visitations but the third one he could not undertake because of his illness. In the period between 1910 and 1912 he initiated renovation and building extension of the Bishop’s Palace in Hvar. Still, the major
part of his pontificate was marked by the conflict with Kuzma Scarpo, the parish priest in Stari Grad, and the entire case was even brought to the Roman court Sacra Romana Rota. At the same time, Zaninović also actively participated in the finding solution regarding the problem of the Old Church Slavonic liturgy. However, because of the illness from 1914 he rarely participated in the public life of the community. He died on 20th October 1917 at the age of 78. The chief part of his property he bequeathed to the poor and to the Endowment
Skakoc which took care about education of poor clerics. Zanininović was buried in the Hvar cathedral; although he wanted that his grave should be in the convent of St. Peter in Stari Grad.
Keywords
Jordan Zaninović; Diocese of Hvar; bishops of Hvar; Old Church Slavonic liturgy; National Revival in Dalmatia
Hrčak ID:
74303
URI
Publication date:
21.6.2011.
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