On Wednesday, January 22nd, Pope Francis announced the name of the Archbishop Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna. The Pope’s decision was announced by the Apostolic Nuncio to BiH, Msgr. Luigi Pezzuto, during the celebration of name’s day of cardinal Vinko Puljić.
Pope Francis appointed msgr. Tomo Vukšić, the military bishop of BiH, as the Archbishop coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna.
Dr. Msgr. Tomo Vukšić was born on January 9th, 1954. in Studenci, in the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno. After attending the philosophical-theological studies in Sarajevo and serving in the army (1977.-1978.), he was ordained a priest of the Mostar-Duvno diocese in Studenci on June 29th, 1980. He was a parish vicar at Mostar cathedral since 1980. until 1982. Then, as a scholar of Propaganda Fida, he earned a master’s degree in ecumenical theology from the Pontifical Oriental Institute (1984.) and a master’s degree in canon law from the Pontifical University of Urbaniana (1986). From 1986. to 1988. he served as Secretary of the Diocese and of bishop Pavel Žanić. After that he was a member of the Pontifical Croatian Institute of St. Jerome in Rome (1988.-1991.), and again a student at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, where he obtained his doctorate (1991.) with the thesis: “Relations between Catholics and Orthodox in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1878. to 1903.”
Returning to his homeland, he was the head of the Theological Institute in Mostar (1991. to 1994.); Lecturer at the Theological Institute in Dubrovnik (1992.-1997.); Vice-rector of Vrhbosna Theological Seminary in Sarajevo (1993.-1998.); court vicar in the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno (1993.-2009.); Director of the Catholic Press Agency of the Bishop’s Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1998.-2005.), member of the Joint Commission for the Implementation of the Basic Treaty between the Holy See and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Pope Benedict XVI. established the Military Ordinary for Bosnia and Herzegovina on February 1st 2011., and appointed the Vicar General of the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno and a professor at the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Sarajevo, Msgr. Vukšić, as the first bishop of the Military Ordinary. He was ordained bishop on April 2nd 2011. at Mostar’s Cathedral of Mary the Mother of Church.
He is fluent in Italian; uses German and French. He is the author of numerous and esteemed publications in theology, canon law, Church history and contemporary issues.
KT
www.nedjelja.ba
Sarajevo, 22. January 2020.
