Archbishop Ivan Rafael Rodić, O.F.M. (also Croatian: Ivo Rodić, Italian: Giovanni Raffaele Rodic; June 15, 1870 - May 10, 1954) was a Croatian Franciscan prelate, who served as the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Belgrade-Smederevo between 1924 and 1936.[1] [2] [3] [4]
Rodić was born on June 15, 1870, in the village of Nurkovac, at the time in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. As a Franciscan, he graduated from the Vienna University of Theology and started teaching theology in Baja, Hungary in 1893, where he remained until 1898.[2]
He became the Abbot of the Franciscan monastery in Vienna, and the provincial minister of several monasteries in Croatia.[2] Between 1881 and 1884, he was the provincial of the Province of St. John of Capistrano that included Slavonia, Syrmia and much of southern Hungary.[5] In 1884, Rodić in his capacity as provincial declined the request of Ivan Antunović to help start a newspaper for the Bunjevci Croats in Bačka, fearing opposition from higher authorities, but supported his cause - using their native language and relaying them news from Croatia. Antunović did nevertheless manage to start the newspaper, Neven, and eventually in 1909 Rodić contributed several articles to it.[5]
He later served as the visitor general of the Order, travelling to numerous monasteries in Europe and America.[2]
On February 10, 1923, Rodić became the apostolic administrator of the newly created Diocese of Banat and moved to Veliki Bečkerek (today Zrenjanin, Serbia).[2] [4] The following year, on October 29, 1924, he was named the archbishop of Belgrade-Smederevo.[2] [3] [4]
On November 28, 1936, he was replaced as an archbishop of Belgrade and instead became the titular archbishop of Philippopolis in Thracia.[4] He died on May 10, 1954, in Požega.[5]