- 18 Jun 2012 10:55
#13986905
Archbishop Zmajević and de-Serbianization of Serb territories
The content of this article sheds light on a matter which gives a significant contribution to the understanding of the root-cause of the conflicts on the Balkans. This article will discuss the de-serbianisation which took place in Dalmatia, Krajina and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The term de-serbianisation explains why there is so much hostility between the natives of the Balkans, especially amongst Serbs, Croats and Bosnian muslims. Some characters from the middle ages will be put forward to explain the root-cause of the Balkan conflicts. History is necessary to understand the contemporary circumstances, especially when it comes to this topic, the Balkan conflicts.
The archbishop of the city of Zadar, Vinćentije Vinko Zmajević, who lived in the 18th century in the Republic of Venice, was at the time one of the most important instruments of the Vatican and West to de-nationalize Serbs on their historic, national and ethnic territories and subsequently assimilate them into the Croatian nation. Prior to the activities by the Roman-Catholic occupying forces and Turkey, in Dalmatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina Orthodox Serbs were the overwhelming majority, which even the writings of the archbishop of the city of Zadar, Vinćentije Vinko Zmajević testify about. According to his writings, a Serb could become a Catholic but after being converted into Catholicism he cannot be any longer a Serb! These facts will leave a sobering effect amongst today’s Roman-Catholic inhabitants of Dalmatia, Krajina, etc.
The archbishop Zmajević was unfortunately born to a Serbian family and he lived in the 17th and 18th century in the city of Zadar which was then occupied by Venice. His ancestors were from the village Vrbe at Njeguš in Montenegro. However, his ancestors moved to a place called Marlatovo in 1513. Following, they moved from Marlatovo to the island of Kotor in 1543 where Nikola Zmajević lived. His son Krsto Zmajević moved to Perast where he acquired the position of a captain in the Venetian navy. In the year of 1670 his son Vinćentije Vinko Zmajević was born. The family Zmajević was a prosperous and respected family. Therefore, Vinćentije will be allowed to attend an university on Catholic theology and missionary at Rome. There he completed theology and philosophy and later he became a priest in 1696. Pope Clement 11th installed him as the archbishop and apostolic visitor of the Roman Catholic church in Serbia, Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria. According to this catholic title, Montenegro and Dalmatia were regions within Serbia, which had been disregarded in Austria, Austro-Hungary and Yugoslavia. Even if archbishop Zmajević stated that his family related to the Serbian rulers of Montenegro prior to the Turkish occupation, it did not prevent him from expressing hatred towards Serbdom. From his headquarter in Zadar he tried to (forcedly) convert as much as possible Serbs into Roman-Catholicism. According to his policy a Serb could convert to Roman-Catholicism, however subsequently he could not any longer maintain his Serbian heritage! When a Serb would accept Catholicism he was supposed to change his nationality, in other words he will become gradually de-nationalized by the Roman authorities. Hence, Serbs had been de-nationalized due to the equation of religious affiliation with national affiliation. Moreover, such a policy has been maintained until today! If we trace this policy we will notice that in the 18th century Venetian authorities and Vatican’s representatives such as archbishop Zmajević were the first who introduced this principle. When the Venetian authorities discovered that the abandoning of the Orthodox Church was crucial for the de-nationalization of the Serbs, archbishop Zmajević was fully supported in his works to catholicize as much as possible Serbs. Although the at that time converted Serbs still associated themselves with Serbs, Zmajević did his best to convince them that they are only Catholics since their conversion. Because in those days Dalmatia was populated with Serbs and small minorities as Greeks and Italians. Archbishop Zmajević tried to incite Dalmatian Serbs against each other according to the principle Orthodox vs. Catholics. By means of insulting the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbdom, he instigated Catholic Serbs to stop considering themselves as Serbs.
Such a colonial policy that a Serb who converts, must also change his nationality, left catastrophic and tragic consequences amongst the natives of the Balkans.
It caused that catholicized Serbs, under the authority of the Vatican and Western powers, were to be assimilated into the Croatian nation and completely alienated from their Orthodox brethrens. The peak of effects of this evil colonial engineering occurred during WW2 when the Croatian state relying on the Nazi-ideology passed laws calling for the extermination of Orthodox Serbs, but also between 1990 and 1995 when the Croatian army ethnically cleansed the Krajina-region and Croatia from Orthodox Serbs.
Despite his hatred against Serbs, archbishop Zmajević provided us with important historic data on the Dalmatian population from the 18th century. These data could leave a sobering effect upon the current Catholic inhabitants of Dalmatia who (by means of a colonial engineering) have been misled that they are Croats. Zmajević writes explicitly that the inhabitants of Dalmatia are Serbs, however he instigated Catholic Serbs of that region not to consider themselves as Serbs. This information is incorporated in Zmajević’s books ‘’the mirror of truth’’ and ‘’dialog between a Serb and Catholic’’. What matters is, is that the data of these books clearly point out that Croats did not live in Dalmatia in the 18th century. Then, Serbs were called Morlaks or Ilyrians. Zmajević writes about Orthodox and Catholic Morlaks of Dalmatia. Since he could not tolerate Serbs, it was much easier for him to refer to them in terms as Morlaks, which was also the official policy of Venice at the time. However, in his book “the mirror of truth’’ Zmajević writes about the Serb Catholic inhabitants of Dalmatia. Furthermore, Venetian documents also testify that whole Dalmatia was Serbian and that the majority was Orthodox. Bishop Stefan Kupilija from the 18th century wrote in his writings about Catholic and Orthodox Serb inhabitants of Šibenik, Trogir, Adriatic coast etc. He wrote also that many Serbs of those areas had been catholicized and that a certain amount managed to resist it. Following that, Venetian state organs decided to demolish a Serbian church in the place Radušić and arrested the local Serbian priests. Due to such repressive state measures more Serbs became catholicized. This happening is described in the book “Venice and Dalmatian Serbs in the 18th century” by historician Marko Jačov.
It is obviously that the archbishop of Zadar from the 18th century, Zmajević, was one of the founders of the fraud that Catholics cannot be Serbs. Every nation in Europe has members that belong to the Roman Catholic Church. However, since WW2 on the Balkans you could not find even one Serbian Roman Catholic family despite the fact that in the 18th century Roman Catholic Serbs existed as testified by the writings of archbishop Zmajević. This is because the policy of Zmajević was to be continued by German, Austrian and Venetian state organs. In WW2 for instance, those Catholics who had not yet stopped identifying themselves with Serbs and accepted the Croatian nationality, were to be exterminated along with Orthodox Serbs, Jews and Gypsies by the German and Croatian army.
Hence, the colonial and imperial Empire Republic of Venice introduced in the early 18th century measures on behalf of the de-nationalization of the Serb historic and national territories such as Dalmatia. In 1941, the successor of Venice, fascist Italy will, along with Hitler’s Germany, install Nazi-Croatia which will be obligated to exterminate Orthodox Serbs, but also those Catholics who regardless the century long de-serbianisation, still identified themselves with Serbs.
The content of this article sheds light on a matter which gives a significant contribution to the understanding of the root-cause of the conflicts on the Balkans. This article will discuss the de-serbianisation which took place in Dalmatia, Krajina and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The term de-serbianisation explains why there is so much hostility between the natives of the Balkans, especially amongst Serbs, Croats and Bosnian muslims. Some characters from the middle ages will be put forward to explain the root-cause of the Balkan conflicts. History is necessary to understand the contemporary circumstances, especially when it comes to this topic, the Balkan conflicts.
The archbishop of the city of Zadar, Vinćentije Vinko Zmajević, who lived in the 18th century in the Republic of Venice, was at the time one of the most important instruments of the Vatican and West to de-nationalize Serbs on their historic, national and ethnic territories and subsequently assimilate them into the Croatian nation. Prior to the activities by the Roman-Catholic occupying forces and Turkey, in Dalmatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina Orthodox Serbs were the overwhelming majority, which even the writings of the archbishop of the city of Zadar, Vinćentije Vinko Zmajević testify about. According to his writings, a Serb could become a Catholic but after being converted into Catholicism he cannot be any longer a Serb! These facts will leave a sobering effect amongst today’s Roman-Catholic inhabitants of Dalmatia, Krajina, etc.
The archbishop Zmajević was unfortunately born to a Serbian family and he lived in the 17th and 18th century in the city of Zadar which was then occupied by Venice. His ancestors were from the village Vrbe at Njeguš in Montenegro. However, his ancestors moved to a place called Marlatovo in 1513. Following, they moved from Marlatovo to the island of Kotor in 1543 where Nikola Zmajević lived. His son Krsto Zmajević moved to Perast where he acquired the position of a captain in the Venetian navy. In the year of 1670 his son Vinćentije Vinko Zmajević was born. The family Zmajević was a prosperous and respected family. Therefore, Vinćentije will be allowed to attend an university on Catholic theology and missionary at Rome. There he completed theology and philosophy and later he became a priest in 1696. Pope Clement 11th installed him as the archbishop and apostolic visitor of the Roman Catholic church in Serbia, Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria. According to this catholic title, Montenegro and Dalmatia were regions within Serbia, which had been disregarded in Austria, Austro-Hungary and Yugoslavia. Even if archbishop Zmajević stated that his family related to the Serbian rulers of Montenegro prior to the Turkish occupation, it did not prevent him from expressing hatred towards Serbdom. From his headquarter in Zadar he tried to (forcedly) convert as much as possible Serbs into Roman-Catholicism. According to his policy a Serb could convert to Roman-Catholicism, however subsequently he could not any longer maintain his Serbian heritage! When a Serb would accept Catholicism he was supposed to change his nationality, in other words he will become gradually de-nationalized by the Roman authorities. Hence, Serbs had been de-nationalized due to the equation of religious affiliation with national affiliation. Moreover, such a policy has been maintained until today! If we trace this policy we will notice that in the 18th century Venetian authorities and Vatican’s representatives such as archbishop Zmajević were the first who introduced this principle. When the Venetian authorities discovered that the abandoning of the Orthodox Church was crucial for the de-nationalization of the Serbs, archbishop Zmajević was fully supported in his works to catholicize as much as possible Serbs. Although the at that time converted Serbs still associated themselves with Serbs, Zmajević did his best to convince them that they are only Catholics since their conversion. Because in those days Dalmatia was populated with Serbs and small minorities as Greeks and Italians. Archbishop Zmajević tried to incite Dalmatian Serbs against each other according to the principle Orthodox vs. Catholics. By means of insulting the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbdom, he instigated Catholic Serbs to stop considering themselves as Serbs.
Such a colonial policy that a Serb who converts, must also change his nationality, left catastrophic and tragic consequences amongst the natives of the Balkans.
It caused that catholicized Serbs, under the authority of the Vatican and Western powers, were to be assimilated into the Croatian nation and completely alienated from their Orthodox brethrens. The peak of effects of this evil colonial engineering occurred during WW2 when the Croatian state relying on the Nazi-ideology passed laws calling for the extermination of Orthodox Serbs, but also between 1990 and 1995 when the Croatian army ethnically cleansed the Krajina-region and Croatia from Orthodox Serbs.
Despite his hatred against Serbs, archbishop Zmajević provided us with important historic data on the Dalmatian population from the 18th century. These data could leave a sobering effect upon the current Catholic inhabitants of Dalmatia who (by means of a colonial engineering) have been misled that they are Croats. Zmajević writes explicitly that the inhabitants of Dalmatia are Serbs, however he instigated Catholic Serbs of that region not to consider themselves as Serbs. This information is incorporated in Zmajević’s books ‘’the mirror of truth’’ and ‘’dialog between a Serb and Catholic’’. What matters is, is that the data of these books clearly point out that Croats did not live in Dalmatia in the 18th century. Then, Serbs were called Morlaks or Ilyrians. Zmajević writes about Orthodox and Catholic Morlaks of Dalmatia. Since he could not tolerate Serbs, it was much easier for him to refer to them in terms as Morlaks, which was also the official policy of Venice at the time. However, in his book “the mirror of truth’’ Zmajević writes about the Serb Catholic inhabitants of Dalmatia. Furthermore, Venetian documents also testify that whole Dalmatia was Serbian and that the majority was Orthodox. Bishop Stefan Kupilija from the 18th century wrote in his writings about Catholic and Orthodox Serb inhabitants of Šibenik, Trogir, Adriatic coast etc. He wrote also that many Serbs of those areas had been catholicized and that a certain amount managed to resist it. Following that, Venetian state organs decided to demolish a Serbian church in the place Radušić and arrested the local Serbian priests. Due to such repressive state measures more Serbs became catholicized. This happening is described in the book “Venice and Dalmatian Serbs in the 18th century” by historician Marko Jačov.
It is obviously that the archbishop of Zadar from the 18th century, Zmajević, was one of the founders of the fraud that Catholics cannot be Serbs. Every nation in Europe has members that belong to the Roman Catholic Church. However, since WW2 on the Balkans you could not find even one Serbian Roman Catholic family despite the fact that in the 18th century Roman Catholic Serbs existed as testified by the writings of archbishop Zmajević. This is because the policy of Zmajević was to be continued by German, Austrian and Venetian state organs. In WW2 for instance, those Catholics who had not yet stopped identifying themselves with Serbs and accepted the Croatian nationality, were to be exterminated along with Orthodox Serbs, Jews and Gypsies by the German and Croatian army.
Hence, the colonial and imperial Empire Republic of Venice introduced in the early 18th century measures on behalf of the de-nationalization of the Serb historic and national territories such as Dalmatia. In 1941, the successor of Venice, fascist Italy will, along with Hitler’s Germany, install Nazi-Croatia which will be obligated to exterminate Orthodox Serbs, but also those Catholics who regardless the century long de-serbianisation, still identified themselves with Serbs.
REPUBLIC OF SERBIAN KRAJINA
- By Agent Steel
- By Tainari88