Original scientific paper
FINANCIAL SITUATION IN THE DIOCESE OF SYRMIA AT THE END OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND DURING THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Dubravka BOŽIĆ BOGOVIĆ
Abstract
In order to properly investigate history of ecclesiastical institutions of the Catholic Church and religious history in general it is necessary to have a clear picture about financial circumstances of clerics and possibilities of standard cult services. Therefore, one should
investigate benefices, bishopric properties as well as income of bishops and lower clergy, together with properties and revenues of local churches and other sacral objects, taking into account their number and condition. The Council of Trent established a number of
ordinances in order to maintain dignity and authority of priestly service among which it was emphasized that priests should have substantial financial support and income. Situation in the Diocese of Syrmia was particularly difficult during the first decades after
liberation from the Ottoman rule, which was result of heavy war damages. Moreover, sparse population, small number of parishes and Catholics in comparison to a relatively great number of the Orthodox believers, together with general poverty influenced greatly
financial situation within the Diocese of Syrmia. Furthermore, bishops of Syrmia did not have any landed property within the borders of the Bishopric, they did not have cathedral or chapter, and though they had right to collect tithe this privilege was not carried out.
Therefore, revenues of Syrmia bishops mostly consisted of petty profits from praepositus office of Chapter and yearly imperial salary that was paid instead of tithes. Situation was particularly difficult for parish priests since their parishes were mostly occupied by Franciscans. During the next period the circumstances improved, especially after the Treaty of Passarowitz (1718) when entire Diocese of Syrmia came under the rule of the Habsburg Monarchy. After this bishops of Syrmia were able to visit regularly their diocese and reside
there. Still, financial situation of local parish priests remained modest – since they did not have any secure revenues, they depended on donations of believers. Similarly, income of local churches was modest because these churches also did not have any landed property and they were maintained from charity and other donations from the local communities. Such inconsistent financial support reflected on the architecture of local ecclesiastical objects – churches were relatively small, built out of cheap materials and relatively poor
regarding interior decoration. However, from the mid eighteenth century all the parish priests had their own parish home, and almost all Catholic settlements had churches or chapels with local cemeteries. Such unfortunate financial situation finally led to the merging of the bishoprics of Syrmia and Bosnia (i.e. Đakovo) which happened in 1773.
Keywords
Diocese of Syrmia; end of 17th beginning of 18th century; bishops’ income; priestly revenues; church buildings
Hrčak ID:
135383
URI
Publication date:
19.12.2014.
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