Toma Jederlinić

With the aid of the priest of Trebinje-Mrkan Vidoje Maslać, Jederlinić brought Italian Jesuits to the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan, which remained to serve in the diocese for another ten years.[1] Namely, the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan became priestless, as the two Franciscans who served there were relocated by the order of their Franciscan Province of Bosnia. Vidoje Maslać, who served as general vicar there, informed Jederlinić of the Province's decision and asked the bishop to send some priests to serve in the parishes of Hrasno and Gradac. Jederlinić informed Maslać of his intention to send the Jesuits there, to which Maslać agreed. Jederlinić unsuccessfully tried to get the Austrian diplomacy to receive a ferman from the Ottoman central government to allow the Jesuits to work there. He then asked Maslać to try to get permission from the local governor of the Eyalet of Herzegovina, Ali Pasha Rizvanbegović who was Maslać's personal friend. The Jesuits went alongside Maslać to Rizvanbegvić's summer residence in Blagaj and managed to get a buyruldu which allowed the Jesuits their work on the territory of the Eyalet of Herzegovina. One of the Jesuits informed the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Lyon of their permission on 30 September 1845. Their mission lasted until 1855. The Jesuits worked as missionaries, parish administrators and chaplains.[7] They also manage to open a school for boys in 1848, preparing them for the priesthood, however, it was soon closed in 1850.[8]

Jederlinić also managed to ordain two local students from Trebinje-Mrkan as priests and sent numerous seminarians for education in Italy, some of whom later became priests.[1] He raised a seminary in Dubrovnik in 1850.[4] The seminary was also attended by seminarians from the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan, which had three quotas reserved for its seminarians.[9]

In 1846, the former apostolic vicar of Bosnia Rafael Barišić was appointed the apostolic vicar of the newly established Apostolic Vicariate of Herzegovina.[10] Barišić asked the Ottoman authorities to gain control over the whole of Herzegovina, including the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan. The Sublime Porte asked Rizvanbegović for his opinion. The Propaganda in Rome was unaware of such Barišić's intention. Jederlinić also questioned the Propaganda if they have any knowledge of this, to which he was informed that they do not know anything nor they ever discussed such matter.[11]

Rizvanbegović's physician Jure Kačić briefly informed Maslać of Barišić's intention in a letter from 22 January 1846. The clergy of Trebinje-Mrkan was disturbed with the news and had a meeting some 15 days later and voiced their opposition to Barišić's intentions in a letter to Jederlinić. The letter was supposed to serve in an eventual discussion before the Propaganda or the Austrian Emperor. Barišić arrived in Seonica, Tomislavgrad on 1 June 1846 to take over the administration of the new apostolic vicariate and met with Rizvanbegović on 25 June, presenting him with a beratlı from the Sultan, according to which he was to get the administration over the "entire Turkish Herzegovina". Two days later, Kačić informed Jederlinić and Maslać of the event. Rizvanbegović asked Barišić for the opinion of the bishop of Dubrovnik, and Kačić responded already knowing the bishop's stance. The Franciscans became displeased and threatened Kačić to sue him before the regional Dalmatian government in Zadar, Austria. Kačić, after not receiving a response from Jederlinić, wrote him again.[12]

Jederlinić, after receiving the two letters from Kačić, informed Rizvanbegović via Maslać that any unification of the dioceses in impossible without explicit order of the Holy See and the Austrian Emperor. He also informed him that he question the Propaganda over the issue, to which they informed him they know nothing of the matter, nor they ever discussed it. Expressing his personal opinion, Jederlinić wrote that he also cannot accept the unification of the dioceses without the order from the Holy See. Jederlinić also wrote to Barišić to explain the matter, since "he also knows very well that he cannot establish, unify or abolish a diocese without the explicit and special order of the Holy See". Barišić's response remains unknown. The issue seemed to be resolved, as the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan continued to be administered by the bishops of Dubrovnik, while Barišić served as the apostolic administrator on the territory of the Apostolic Vicariate of Herzegovina, controlled by the Herzegovinian Franciscans.[13]

Rizvanegović was deposed in March 1851, and the rule was taken over by Hajrudin Pasha and Omer Pasha Latas. Hajrudin Pasha met with Maslać and expressed his disagreement with the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan being controlled by a bishop from Austria. Expecting to be asked the same by Latas, Maslać asked Jederlinić for his opinion and a ferman held in the archives received by the bishop of Trebinje-Mrkan Nikola Ferić, by which the sultan allowed the clergy to act freely on the territory of the Ottoman Empire. Maslać managed to secure the continued work of the clergy in front of Latas. The clergy of Trebinje-Mrkan asked Latas to allow Jederlinić to come to the diocese, which was rejected several times. For this reason, Maslać asked the Propaganda to appoint a bishop of Trebinje-Mrkan, but without success.[14]

Due to the opposition from the Ottoman authorities, Jederlinić was unable to make any official visitations to the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan.[15]