Cardinal Josip Bozanic

Archbishop of Zagreb

Josip Bozanić is currently an observer for Croatia at the ComECE (Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community).  In the Vatican he is a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Congregation for Catholic Education,  the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. In 2001, he was chosen to serve as the first Vice President of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences and served a second term in this position from 2006 to 2011.

Ordained to the priesthood in 1975 in Krk, Josip Bozanić was appointed secretary to the bishop the same year. In May 1989, Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop coadjutor of Krk.  He served as the bishop coadjutor until November 1989, when he became the diocesan bishop of Krk. In 1997, he was appointed the Archbishop of Zagreb.  The same year, he was elected as the President of the Croatian Bishops' Conference. In 2002, he was re-elected as President of the Croatian Bishops' Conference and served until October 2007.

Josip Bozanić graduated from the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Zagreb with a master of theology in dogmantics in 1979. He also graduated with a licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. Josip Bozanić of Zagreb was born on 20 March 1949 in Rijeka.