Prvi marčanski grkokatolički biskup Simeon (1611.-1630.)
Simeon (1611-1630) - The first uniate bishop of Marča

Summary/Abstract: The article explains the facts about Simeon Vratanje who was nominated and inaugurated as the first Uniate bishop of Marča in Rome in 1611. It also covers the influence of Uniate church among the Orthodox inhabitants (Vlachs) of the Croatian-Slavonian Military border during Simeon’s prelacy. Analyzing the available sources about Simeon’s prelacy, the author concludes that Orthodox population of the Military border did not accept Eastern-Rite in the spring of 1611, as some historians have previously claimed. Instead, first elaborate reports, made on the initiative of the Catholic church between 1625 and 1630, suggest that the introduction of Eastern-Rite was not successful and bishop Simeon did not have significant influence over the Orthodox population in the Military border. This population remained under the strong influence of the Orthodox clergy and Peć Orthodox patriarchate. Catholic church hierarchy in Rome proposed to the authorities in Vienna that all Orthodox clergymen should be expelled from the Military border. They also proposed that elderly bishop Simeon should be replaced by a new Uniate bishop. Vienna rejected these proposals fearing the rebellion of the Orthodox population of the Military border which considered the introduction of the Eastern-Rite as a violation of their right to religious freedom and also as an attempt to turn them into serfs of the bishop of Zagreb and Croatian nobility. The Emperor Ferdinand II attempted to solve this problem by electing a member of the Orthodox clergy to the position of the Uniate bishop. Aware of the political circumstances, the Catholic church accepted this proposal, but it suggested that the new Uniate bishop should come from Ruthenian Uniate monks of the Basilian order. Despite this, in May 1630 and after Simeon had voluntarily retired, Ferdinand II appointed Maksim Predojević (archimandrite of the Marča monastry) as a new Uniate bishop. This decision was made without the agreement of the Catholic church and bishop of Zagreb Franjo Ergalski. The Emperor used right of the Habsburg rulers to appoint bishops in ten Hungarian dioceses and appointed Predojević after he was recommended by the Military border officers. The Catholic church in Rome found out about Predojević’s appointemnt in 1632, but it refused to consent and inaugurate him. They considered Predojević to be an enemy of the Eastern-Rite and hoped that he would soon be replaced by an Uniate bishop. The first bishop of Marča Simeon died in 1634. His attempt to spread Eastern-Rite had no influence over the Military border population. Predojević openly opposed the Easter-Rite and supported the Orthodox church. Between 1637 and 1642 the bishop of Zagreb Benedikt Vinković, who succeded Franjo Ergalski, tried to influence Vatican and Vienna to replace Predojević. Vinković also suggested that future Marča bishops should be subjugated to the Zagreb diocese, as their vicar for Easter-Rite.

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