Povijest grkokatoličke Marčanske biskupije (“biskupije Vlaha”) zagrebačkog biskupa Petra Petretića iz 1662. godine
History of Eastern-Rite Marča diocese (“Vlach diocese”) written by Zagreb bishop Petar Petretić in 1662

Summary/Abstract: The emperor Leopold I requested Zagreb bishop Petar Petretić (1648-1667) to write a report of Greek Catholic Marča diocese. Petretić wrote the report in 1662 and described work of previous Marča bishops. He also gave an opinion about future candidates for a new Marča bishop. Petretić warned that the union of orthodox population of Military border with the catholic church was not successful and responsible for such situation were Marča bishops Maksim and Gabrijel Predojević and Sava Stanislavić. They accepted the religious union only generally and in fact they remained orthodox and protected orthodox population and considered orthodox Peć patriarchate as their religious leadership. Petretić accused Marča bishops for instigating rebellion of Military bordermen against Croatian nobility and Zagreb bishop. Military bordermen in the area of Varaždin general command lived on the land previously owned by Croatian nobility and Zagreb diocese. The conflict arose when previous owners demanded from bordermen tax for the use of their land. In his report Petretić warned that actions of Marča bishops caused the spread of orthodox religion in the Military border region. Connections between the orthodox clergy from Military border with Peć patriarchate was seen as a symbol of disloyalty toward the Austrian emperor and as a threat to the national security because orthodox clergy with its ties with Peć was also able to serve as spies of the Ottoman empire. Petretić thought that new bishop of MarËa must be a real Eastern-Rite clergyman, raised in Catholic schools. Such person would be able to break all ties with Peć patriarchate. Military border orthodox clergy would be forced to loyalty toward the Catholic Church and the emperor. This would finally result in a effective union of orthodox Military border population with the Catholic church. Vienna did not accept Petretić’s proposal because it feared that orthodox bordermen would rebel against it. It was usual for bordermen to choose Marča bishop on their own and to propose their candidate to the emperor. Contrarery to the Petretić proposals Marča deacon Gabrijel Mijakić remained the bishop. He was supported by the bodermen and he promised to accept the religious union. Although Petretić's proposals were not accepted, they were later partially put into force. Mijakić was arrested because he refused to accept the religious union. He was replaced by Pavle Zorčić, who was a real Eastern-Rite clergyman educated in the Illirian collegiate body in Bologna.

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