The Archdiocese of Split-Makarska (; ; ) is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic church in Croatia and Montenegro. The diocese was established in the 3rd century AD and was made an archdiocese and metropolitan see in the 10th century. The modern diocese was erected in 1828, when the historical archdiocese of Salona was combined with the Diocese of Makarska. It was elevated as an archdiocese and metropolitan see in 1969, restoring the earlier status of the archdiocese of Split, as it is also known. The diocese was also known as Spalato-Macarsca.
History
The see was founded in or before 300 AD as Diocese of Salona. Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I (r. 457–474) appointed Glycerius as Bishop of Salona in 474, Glycerius had earlier served as Western Roman Emperor but was deposed by Julius Nepos. Around 500 AD it was promoted to a Metropolitan archdiocese.
The Archbishopric of Spalathon or Spalatum (also Salona, ) was a Christian archbishopric with seat in Salona, Dalmatia (modern Split, Croatia) in the early Middle Ages. After the Fall of the Western Roman Empire it recognised the supremacy of the Patriarch of Constantinople. During this period, the Salona archdiocese, in year 590, gained territory from the suppressed Roman Church of Makarska.
Salona was ravaged by the South Slavs (Sclaveni) in 614, but in its place, Spalatum subsequently emerged. In 639 the city was again razed by the Slavs.
In 647 the city of Spalato (now Split) began to arise from the ruins of Salona, and after an interregnum of eleven years its archbishops took over the territory of the archbishops of Salona.
During the rule of Vladislav of Croatia (821–835), all of Croatia except the Archdiocese of Nin became subject to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, under the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Spalatum. It lost territory in 1144 to establish the Diocese of Hvar.
It lost territory again in 1344 to re-establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Makarska, in 1400 it regained that territory from the re-suppressed the Diocese of Makarska, but again lost territory in 1615 to re-re-establish the Diocese of Makarska.
With the death of Archbishop Laelius Cippico (1807) began another interregnum which lasted twenty-three years. By papal bull Locum Beati Petri the Church in Dalmatia was reorganized in 1828, Makarska united with Split, and the latter demoted as a simple bishopric of Split-Makarska, made subject to the Archdiocese of Zadar. Paul Miossich was appointed first bishop of the new diocese in 1830. It also absorbed the suppressed Tragurium (or Traù, now Trogir).
On 27 July 1969, it was promoted again as Metropolitan Archdiocese
It enjoyed a papal visit from Pope John Paul II in October 1998.
Special churches
Its cathedral episcopal see is the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (Katedrala sv. Dujma), in Split (Dalmatia). The city also has the co-cathedral of Saint Peter Apostle (Konkatedrala sv. Petar Apostola).
There are former cathedrals in three former sees absorbed in the archdiocese: World Heritage Site: Katedrala sv. Lovre, in Trogir, formerly Trau or Tragurium World Heritage Site: Crkva sv. Ivan Krstitelj, also in Trogir Katedrala sv. Marka, in Makarska
Ecclesiastical province
Its suffragans are
in Croatia: Diocese of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) Diocese of Hvar-Brac e Vis Diocese of Šibenik (Knin) in Montenegro: Diocese of Kotor (Cattaro)
Episcopal ordinaries
(all Roman Rite; many bio-data to be added)
Bishops of SalonaKnown bishops of Salona include : Saint Domnius is patron saint of both the Archdiocese and the city of Split. Hesychius III is mentioned in the twentieth book of St.Augustine of Hippo's De Civitate DeiGlycerius, 474 an epistle from Pope Gelasius I (492–496) is addressed to bishop Honorius.