Historical Path Towards the Establishment of the Metropolitan Archdiocese

Autor prikazuje teškoće koje su priječile Rijeci postati regionalnim središtem. Obalni smještaj pružao je Rijeci otvoren pristup morskim putovima, a okruženost planinskim lancima priječila joj je povezanost na kopnenoj strani. Takav položaj bio je glavni razlog što je Rijeka bila više stoljeća pogranično područje. S vremenom su uspostavljene veze koje su išle u prilog njezinu središnjem položaju u društvenom i crkvenom smislu. Riječki arhiđakon imao je u vrijeme habsburške vlasti jaku podršku u jačanju svoje crkvene autonomije prema svome biskupu u Puli, mletačkom podaniku. Pokušaji osnivanja biskupskog sjedišta u Rijeci oko 1610. i nakon Bečkog kongresa 1815. nisu uspjeli. Biskupija je osnovana 1925., kad je Rijeka bila pod talijanskom vlašću. Budući da ju je nakon Drugog svjetskog rata talijanski biskup napustio, davana je ona u administraciju susjednim biskupima, a od 1951. do 1969. senjskom biskupu. Godine 1969. postaje nadbiskupijsko i metropolitansko središte.The inconvenient geographical position of Rijeka prevented the possible connections with its contitental background for a long time, in addition, it diminished the advantages of city’s coastal position in profiling itself as the center of a broader region. For a long time, Rijeka preserved the features of a bordering region. The development and economic circumstances helped the growth towards a central position. With this evolution, there developed a consciousness that Rijeka should become the centre of the diocese. The arch-diacons of Rijeka had many episcopal jurisdictions. But there was no success in elevating Rijeka to an independent diocese. When in 1787 Rijeka was given to the jurisdiction of the bishop of Senj (senjskomodruški), it still remained at the outskirts of the diocese, just as it was when being a part of the Pula diocese. The most serious attempt took place after the congress of Vienna (1815), when the government tried to make Rijeka the centre of the diocese of Modruš, without administrative ties with Senj. Rijeka becomes the centre of the diocese only in 1925, when political issues demanded the separation of the city from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Senj. From 1951 its Croatian part was under the administration to the bishop of Senj and Modruš. In the year 1969 Rijeka becomes the centre of the metropolitan archdiocese, with a resident bishop. By time it was clearer that Rijeka doesn’t need the entire region of Senj and Modruš. This correction was done in 2000, when 5 of 10 deaneries were subtracted to Rijeka, forming the newly established diocese of Gospić and Senj. Rijeka today is still the centre of the metropolitan archdiocese