| Type: | priest |
| Honorific-Prefix: | The Very Reverend Archpriest-Stavrophor |
| Robert Rapljenović | |
| Ordination: | May 24, 2010 |
| Ordained By: | vl. Nikola Kekić |
| Other Post: | Docent, Oriental College of Eichstätt, Eichstätt, Germany |
| Birth Name: | Robert John |
| Birth Date: | August 8, 1979 |
| Birth Place: | Frankfurt, Germany |
| Nationality: | German |
| Religion: | Greek Catholic Church |
| Alma Mater: | Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology and Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt |
Robert Rapljenović (August 8, 1979) is a German catholic Archpriest, church historian and Eastern Theologian. He is lead tutor at the Oriental College of Eichstätt, visiting docent at the Institutum Studiorum Philosophici et Theologici Societatis Jesu (FTI) in Zagreb and was rector of the Greek Catholic Seminary in Zagreb.
Robert Rapljenović studied computer science at the Technical University of Darmstadt, worked for Fraunhofer Society and finished philosophy studies and church history at Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt/Main.[1] He finished theology studies at Institutum Studiorum Philosophici et Theologici Societatis Jesu (FTI) in Zagreb, which is affiliated with Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained a priest in 2010 by Nikola Kekić of the Eparchy of Križevci in Croatia, worked with the parishes Sosice and Kast in Žumberak. He held several positions: Radio editor for Radio Maria, was a Member of the Family Council and the Council for Seminaries and Priestly and Religious Vocations of the Episcopal Conference of Croatia.
He was Rector of the Greek Catholic Seminary in Zagreb and visiting docent at the Institutum Studiorum Philosophici et Theologici Societatis Jesu (FTI) in Zagreb.[2] He is elevated to the rank of archpriest 2021 by bishop Milan Stipić of Križevci.[3]
He is lead tutor of scientific education (Ltd. Repetitor), at the Oriental College of Eichstätt in Eichstätt (Germany) and works as an Eastern Theologian in the fields of Church history (catholic-orthodox relations, church-state/church-nation Dilemma), Ecumenism and Eastern Orthodox Spirituality.[4]
In a large scale transnational study Rapljenović presented an overview to the hierarchical suppression of nations in the Habsburg monarchy.[5] He presented the role of denomination in National identity by examples of Away from Rome! movements at the end of the 19th century, a critical moment in the development of National consciousness. His work is inter alia a continuation of the studies of Andreas Moritsch.
Rapljenović is the only contemporary church historian who had the opportunity to study the church history of the Eparchy of Križevci in the major Vatican archives (Vatican Apostolic Archive, Archive of the Secretariat of State (Holy See)) and the non public Archive of the Eparchy of Križevci. Beside his mentioned study covering also the reign of bishop Julije Drohobeczky he published a directory for Church historians covering the Clergy of the Eparchy of Križevci.[6]
As an Eastern catholic theologian Rapljenović he is a rare representative of Hesychastic theology and Noetic prayer. Following Ioánnis S. Romanídes, Hierotheos Vlachos and especially Naum Ilievski he represents a synthesis of Orthodox psychology but strongly limited to the field of prayer and spiritual development.[7]