Two Bishops from the Franciscan Order

Riječ je o fra Antunu Primoviću (1625.–1703.) i fra Vinku Lupiju Vukoviću (o. 1641.–1709.), članovima Dubrovačke franjevačke provincije. Primović je bio najpoznatiji dubrovački franjevac druge polovine XVII. st. Rođen je u bogatoj i uglednoj pučkoj dubrovačkoj obitelji. Osnovnu i srednju naobrazbu stekao je u rodnom gradu. Stupio je u franjevački red i završio filozofsko-teološki studij. God. 1666. izabran je za provincijala. Nakon velikog dubrovačkog potresa god. 1667. dubrovačka ga vlada šalje na europske dvorove da traži pomoć postradalima u Dubrovniku. Na prijedlog dubrovačke vlade, papa je god. 1669. imenovao Primovića za trebinjsko-mrkanskog biskupa, koju je službu obavljao pod neprestanim turskim zulumom 34 godine. Odigrao je pozitivnu ulogu u pokretu pravoslavnih redovnika i svećenika za ponovnim sjedinjenjem s Rimom na teritoriju Trebinjske biskupije. Žestoko se borio protiv pećkog patrijarha koji je god. 1674. isposlovao kod sultana ferman po kojem su i katolici postali podložni pravoslavnom patrijarhu. Tijekom Bečkog rata (1683.–1699.) odlučno je zahtijevao od mletačkog generalnog providura u Zadru da opozove odluku o preseljenu pučanstva iz istočne Hercegovine u močvarnu okolicu Opuzena. Fra Vinko Lupi Vuković je rođen u dubrovačkom zaleđu, u konavoskom selu Radovčići u siromašnoj obitelji Vukovića, koji su se tamo doselili iz Duvna. U potrazi za njegovim hrvatskim prezimenom, pojedinci su ga nazivali Vukić i Vučić. U ranoj mladosti došao je u Dubrovnik i služio nekom trgovcu, nakon toga je primljen u samostan Male braće u kojem stječe osnovnu naobrazbu i postaje franjevac Dubrovačke provincije sv. Franje. U to su vrijeme dubrovački franjevci svoje nadarenije mlade fratre, uz pomoć dubrovačke vlade, slali na poznatija franjevačka učilišta u Italiju pa je i fra Vinko imao sreću otići u Italiju i u franjevačkim gimnazijama učiti najprije humanističke predmete, a zatim studirati teologiju. Sve je ispite položio s odličnim uspjehom. Tijekom studija nastavnici i poglavari uočili su njegove intelektualne sposobnosti, radnu naviku, primjeren ljudski i franjevački život te umijeće prenošenja stečenog znanja. Nakon svećeničkog ređenja ostao je u Italiji. Imenovan je za profesora. Nastavničku službu vršio je u franjevačkim samostanima, a najduže u Mantovi. Poznavao je dobro sve teološke predmete, posebice egzegezu, Sv. pismo i nauku svetih Otaca. Godinama je poučavao mlade franjevce u svetim znanostima. Kao znak priznanja za stručno i savjesno vršenje nastavničke službe, vrhovna uprava Reda počastila ga je najvišim franjevačkim akademskim naslovom: jubilarni lektor svetog bogoslovlja. Bio je vrstan propovjednik, posjedovao je opću i nadasve teološku naobrazbu i govornički dar. Vjernicima se obraćao hrvatskim i talijanskim jezikom. Vojvoda Mantove Ferdinand Karlo imenovao ga je za dvorskog teologa i propovjednika, što mu je dalo prigodu da upozna više uglednih i poznatih osoba. Premda stranac, izabran je za gvardijana poznatog i velikog samostana u Mantovi. U vrijeme njegova boravka u Italiji, u Dubrovniku se 1667. dogodio katastrofalni potres u kojem je izgorjela crkva Male braće i knjižnica sa 7.500 svezaka s arhivom punim starih dokumenata. U osnivanju nove knjižnice darovao je kolekciju knjiga u vrijednosti od preko 500 mletačkih dukata. God. 1702. izabran je a 1703. potvrđen od pape Klementa XI. za stonskog biskupa. Prije odlaska u Rim, dubrovačka mu je vlada dala upute da u njezino ime u mjerodavnim papinskim uredima obavi važne poslove. Po povratku iz Rima preuzeo je upravu siromašne i male Stonske biskupije. Znao je biskupske obveze, ali i okolnosti u kojima će vršiti svoje poslanje. Djelomično je ublažio nestašicu svećenika ustupanjem crkve sv. Marije Loretske dubrovačkim franjevcima i davanjem dozvole da uz crkvu mogu podići samostan. Branio je izbjeglog svećenika don Marka Andrijaševića koji je poslije fra Vinkove smrti imenovan sofijskim nadbiskupom. Sve što je u životu postigao, plod je njegova talenta, marljivosti, primjerna ljudskog i svećeničkog života. Tijekom života bio je skroman. Takav je ostao do groba na kojem nije ostavio ni svoga imena.The article deals with the friars Antun Primović (1625–1703) and Vinko Lupi Vuković (around 1641–1709) who were members of the Dubrovnik Franciscan province. Primović was the most famous Franciscan from Dubrovnik of the second half of the XVIIth century. He was born in a rich and renowned Dubrovnik family. He finished his elementary and secondary schooling in the city of his birth. He entered the Franciscan order and completed a philosophical-theological course of study. In 1666 he was elected provincial. After the great earthquake which hit Dubrovnik in 1667, the government of Dubrovnik sent him to European courts to seek aid for those who underwent suffering from the earthquake. At the suggestion of the Dubrovnik government, in 1669 the Pope named Primović as the Trebinje-Mrkanj bishop which office he held for 34 years under constant harrasment from the Turks. He played a positive role in the movement amongst Orthodox monks and priests for the reunification with Rome within the territory of the Trebinje bishopric. He waged a fierce battle with the patriarch of Peć who in 1674 had succeeded with the sultan to issue a ferman under which decree Catholics were subservient to the Orthodox patriarch. During the Wien war (1683–1699) he sternly demanded from the Venice general providotore in Zadar to repeal the ruling concerning the dislocation of people from Herzegovina into the swampy surrounding area nearby Opuzen. Friar Vinko Lupi Vuković was born in the Dubrovnik hinterland in the Konavle village Radovčić into the poor Vuković family who had resettled there from Duvno. In searching out his Croatian surname, some people called him Vukić and Vučić. In his early youth he came to Dubrovnik where he served some merchant after which he was accepted into the monastery of the Small Friars where he received his education and became a Franciscan in the Dubrovnik province of St. Francis. At that time, the Dubrovnik Franciscans sent their most talented young friars, with the support of the Dubrovnik administration, to the more renowned Franciscan places of learning in Italy so that friar Vinko was fortunate enough to go to Italy and in the Franciscan gymnasiums learn humanistic subjects initially and then to study theology. He received excellent marks in all of his subjects. During his studies his teachers and superiors recognized his intellectual abilities, his work habits, his exemplary human and Franciscan way of life and his ability to transport to others his acquired knowledge. After he entered the priesthood he remained in Italy. He was named a professor. He did his teaching service in Franciscan monasteries and spent the longest period of time in Mantova. He was well acquainted with all theological subjects, especially exegesis, the Holy Writ and the teachings of the Holy Fathers. For years he taught the young Franciscans in the sacred doctrines. As a sign of recognition for his professional and conscientious teaching service, the supreme authority of the Order honored him with the highest Franciscan academic title of the jubilary lector of holy theology. He was an excellent preacher, possessing a general but primarily a theological education and a gift of speech. He addressed his flock in Croatian and in Italian. The duke of Mantova, Ferdinand Charles, named him as the court theologian and preacher which gave him the opportunity to get to know numerous renowned and famous persons. Although a foreigner, he was elected to the position of the superior of the well-known and large monastery in Mantova. During his stay in Italy, a catastrophic earthquake hit Dubrovnik in 1667 in which the church of the Small Friars and its library with 7.500 manuscripts with the archive full of old documents burned down. During the founding of the new library, he gifted a collection of books worth more then 500 Venetian ducats. In 1702 he was elected and in 1703 he was confirmed by Pope Clement XI as the bishop of Ston. Before his departure for Rome, the Dubrovnik authorities gave him instructions to carry out some important missions in their name at authorized papal offices. Upon returning from Rome, he took over the running of the poor and small Ston bishopric. He knew what were his duties as a bishop but also the circumstances in which he will work. He partially alleviated the shortage of priests, by relinquishing the Church of St. Mary of Loreto to the Dubrovnik Franciscans and by issuing a permit that they can erect a monastery next to the church. He defended the fleeing priest don Marko Andrijašević who after friar Vinko’s death was named the archbishop of Sofia. All that he achieved during his lifetime was the fruit of his talent, diligence, exemplary human and priestly life. Throughout his life he was a modest man. He remained that kind of person up to his death so that his grave does not even bear his name