Ivan Rafael Rodić

Archbishop Ivan Rafael Rodić, O.F.M. (also Ivo Rodić, Italian: Giovanni Raffaele Rodic; June 15, 1870 – May 10, 1954) was a Croatian Franciscan prelate, who served as the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Belgrade-Smederevo between 1924 and 1936.^[1][2][3][4]

Archbishop I. R. Rodic of Belgrade

Biography

Rodić was born on June 15, 1870, in the village of Nurkovac, at the time in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. As a Franciscan, he graduated from the Vienna University of Theology and started teaching theology in Baja, Hungary in 1893, where he remained until 1898.^[2][5]

He became the Abbot of the Franciscan monastery in Vienna, and the provincial minister of several monasteries in Croatia.^[2] Between 1881 and 1884, he was the provincial of the Province of St. John of Capistrano that included Slavonia, Syrmia and much of southern Hungary.^[5] In 1884, Rodić in his capacity as provincial declined the request of Ivan Antunović to help start a newspaper for the Bunjevci Croats in Bačka, fearing opposition from higher authorities, but supported his cause - using their native language and relaying them news from Croatia. Antunović did nevertheless manage to start the newspaper, Neven, and eventually in 1909 Rodić contributed several articles to it.^[5]

He later served as the visitor general of the Order, travelling to numerous monasteries in Europe and America.^[2]

On February 10, 1923, Rodić became the apostolic administrator of the newly created Diocese of Banat and moved to Veliki Bečkerek (today Zrenjanin, Serbia).^[2][4] The following year, on October 29, 1924, he was named the archbishop of Belgrade-Smederevo.^[2][3][4]

On November 28, 1936, he was replaced as an archbishop of Belgrade and instead became the titular archbishop of Philippopolis in Thracia.^[4] He died on May 10, 1954, in Požega.^[5]

References

1. "Giovanni Raffaele Rodic". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
2. Leopold Gedö (1926) [1887]. "P. Ivan Rafael Rodić". Zbirka portreta i biografija znamenitih ljudi kraljevstva Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca. New York Public Library. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
3. "Istorija" [History] (in Serbian). Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Belgrade. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
4. "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Beograd Serbia". GCatholic.org. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
5. Robert Skenderović (October 2006). "Sudjelovanje slavonskih franjevaca u nacionalnom pokretu podunavskih Hrvata tijekom 19. i početkom 20. stoljeća" [Role of Slavonian Franciscans in the national movement of the Danubian Croats during the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century] (PDF). Scrinia Slavonica (in Croatian). 6 (1). Croatian Historical Institute - Department of History of Slavonia, Srijem and Baranja: 194–216. ISSN 1332-4853. Retrieved 2011-09-13.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by New creation	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Belgrade 1924–1936	Succeeded by Josip Ujčić
	Apostolic Administration of Banat 1923–1936 (as Apostolic Administrator)	Succeeded by Josip Ujčić