Preliminary communication
The Church in Rijeka and the Annexation to Italy in 1924
Marko Medved
orcid.org/0000-0002-2221-9121
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Katolički bogoslovni fakultet, Teologija u Rijeci, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Abstract
The paper deals with the position of the Rijeka clergy toward the annexation of the city of Rijeka to Italy based on the agreements of 27 January 1924. The fact that the Italian priests, together with the Apostolic Administrator Isidoro Sain, O.S.B., were confronted with the Croatian priests and monks, becomes manifest here. The bilateral agreement between the governments in Belgrade and in Rome definitely altered the position of the city in the ecclesiastic area as well. The national structure of the Rijeka clergy and religious orders began changing as early as in September 1919, when many Croats fled the city after D’Annunzio’s arrival. The years 1923 and 1924 were of crucial importance regarding the Italianisation of the pastoral of the city of Rijeka: new parishes were formed and Italian priests introduced to their posts. The independent diocese of Rijeka was formed on 25 April 1925 as a direct effect of the annexation to the Kingdom of Italy. The role of the Holy See in relation to Rijeka should be regarded in the light of the then present relationship between the Church and Benito Mussolini’s government, taking into account the fact that Mussolini had improved the relationship with the Church, following several decades of anticlerical policy of the liberal parties.
Keywords
Apostolic Administration; Rijeka; Isidoro Sain; annexation
Hrčak ID:
55533
URI
Publication date:
10.6.2010.
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