Luka Musulin: dr. Juraj Dobrila

(inauguracija biste 1970. godine)

Juraj Dobrila, biskup, narodni preporoditelj i političar (Veli Ježenj, 16. IV. 1812 – Trst, 13. I. 1882). Školovao se u župnoj pučkoj školi u Tinjanu (1820 – 1824), zatim kod franjevaca u Pazinu (1824 – 1826) te Karlovcu (1826 – 1832) u kojem je završio gimnaziju u franjevačkom samostanu. Polazio je sjemenište u Gorici (1834 – 1838) gdje je studirao filozofiju (1832 – 1834) i bogosloviju (1834 – 1838). Nakon treće godine bogoslovije zaredio ga je za svećenika Matej Ravnikar, prvi slovenski biskup u Trstu. Kao mladi svećenik 1838. bio je na ispomoći župniku u Munama, odnosno Hrušici, a potom je 1839. primljen u bečki zavod Augustineum. U Beču je 1842. doktorirao s tezom Nauka crkvenih otaca o sakramentu ispovjedi. Ondje je upoznao Josipa Jurja Strossmayera, budućeg đakovačkog biskupa, koji je svojim slavenskim idejama nedvojbeno utjecao na mladoga Dobrilu. Od 1842. do 1858. službovao je u Trstu gdje je bio kapelan i propovjednik u crkvi sv. Antuna Novog, zatim vjeroučitelj i ravnatelj djevojačke pučke škole, savjetnik Biskupijskog konzistorija, ispitivač dogmatskog bogoslovlja, od 1849. rektor i profesor sjemeništa za četvrti tečaj bogoslova tršćansko-koparske biskupije. Godine 1854. imenovan je kanonikom i župnikom katedralne crkve sv. Justa. Na prijedlog cara Franje Josipa Prvog papa Pio IX. ga je 21. prosinca 1857. godine imenovao porečko-pulskim biskupom. U Gorici je 2. svibnja posvećen, a u Poreču svečano ustoličen 17. svibnja 1858. te je postao prvi istarski Hrvat novijeg doba na Mavrovoj katedri. Prvi je biskup koji je svoju inauguralnu poslanicu uputio vjernicima i na hrvatskom jeziku. Uspješno je vodio poslovanje biskupije, riješivši naslijeđene dugove i povećavši prihode. Na carev prijedlog 1875. razriješen je dužnosti porečko-pulskog  te imenovan tršćansko-koparskim biskupom. Ustoličen je u Trstu 26. rujna 1875. godine i tu je dužnost obnašao do svoje smrti. Politički se javno opredijelio revolucionarne 1848. kad je pristupio Slavjanskom društvu u Trstu koje je 1849. pokrenulo mjesečnik Slavjanski rodoljub dijelom namijenjen i Istri s člancima na hrvatskom i slovenskom jeziku. Odgojno-obrazovna djelatnost bila je središte njegova preporodnog djelovanja. Osnivao je škole i stipendije za pomoć nadarenim dječacima iz siromašnih obitelji koje je slao, ukoliko je trebalo, u pučku školu u Kastav, a zatim u gimnaziju u Rijeku ili Senj, jer je znao da se tamo neće odnaroditi. Godine 1865. utemeljio je stipendijsku fondaciju za izobrazbu domaćih svećeničkih kandidata pod nazivom Stipendijska zaklada dr. Jurja Dobrile, porečko-pulskog biskupa.  Od prve godine na Eufrazijevoj katedri u Poreču, što kočijom, što jašući na konju, što pješačeći, sustavno je obilazio istarske župe, a svoje je vizitacije koristio i za neposredni, živi kontakt s narodom i svećenstvom, uvijek djelujući u duhu preporodnog buđenja. Siromašnim župama pružao je novčanu pomoć, a u Juršićima je kupio zemljište te uz pomoć koju je isposlovao od cara Franje Josipa, dao sagraditi crkvu sv. Franje Asiškog, župni stan i školu. O svom trošku tiskao je 1854. opširan molitvenik Otče, budi volja tvoja! koji je vrlo brzo postao omiljen u cijeloj Istri, šireći zajedno s vjerskim naukom pismenost i hrvatski jezik. Drugi molitvenik Mladi Bogoljub dao je tiskati posthumno (1889) svećenik Antun Karabaić. Od osnivanja Istarskog sabora do smrti bio je njegov virilni član (po pozivu), a kako bi očuvao dostojanstvo biskupskog položaja, od 1868. više nije sudjelovao u njegovom radu. Bio je i predstavnik u bečkom parlamentu. Na zasjedanjima Istarskog sabora zalagao se za ravnopravnost hrvatskog i slovenskog s talijanskim jezikom, za uvođenje hrvatskog i slovenskog jezika u škole, za gospodarsko uzdizanje sela, za utemeljenje zemljišnih knjiga, za pomoć u izgradnji crkava i župnih stanova, za stalni fond za siromašne, snižavanje poreza za Istru, za gradnju i održavanje nedržavnih  i glavnih cesta, ustanovljenje bolnice za duševne bolesnike, dodjeljivanje školskih stipendija te posvećivao veliku pažnju gospodarskim problemima Istre. Svoj najznačajniji i najpoznatiji govor održao je na saborskoj sjednici 13. siječnja 1863. godine. Prema stenografskom zapisniku u tom svom povijesnom govoru izrečenom na talijanskom jeziku rekao je sljedeće: Slavenski narod spava, ali tko spava nije umro. Tko spava može se probuditi i kad se probudi, mogao bi to učiniti na način, koji bi bio možda neugodan za talijanski element. U jednom od svojih prvih istupa u porečkom Saboru zatražio je da uz talijanski jezik i hrvatski postane službeni jezik u Saboru i u uredima. U bečkom parlamentu, gdje mu je zastupnički mandat trajao od 1861. do 1867, održao je nekoliko zapaženih, značajnih govora i to kao zastupnik iz Istre, ali i kao biskup Katoličke crkve. Podupirao je biskupa J. J. Strossmayera u njegovim nastojanjima protiv prihvaćanja dogme o papinoj nepogrešivosti kada kao vrhovni poglavar Crkve ex cathedra donosi za svu Crkvu neku konačnu odluku o vjeri ili moralu, što je bila središnja tema na Prvom vatikanskom koncilu (1869 – 1870). To ga je svrstalo u mali krug liberalno-demokratskog krila crkve, a u Istri mu nije pridonijelo popularnosti. Od 1868. pokrenuo je drugi način borbe za narodno prosvjećivanje – čitaonice, glasila, prosvjetu, gospodarstvo… te svojim autoritetom i organizacijskim sposobnostima predvodi nacionalni pokret. Njegova koncepcija bila je: aktivirati narod na planu nacionalne samoobrane, njegovati narodni jezik, čuvati tradiciju, podići se gospodarski i politički, prihvatiti nove civilizacijske i kulturne tekovine, a pomoću svega toga naći put da se narod izvuče iz očajne bijede. Na planu političke borbe s talijanskim građanstvom njegov je zahtjev bio da se Hrvatima i njihovu jeziku u svim javnim poslovima priznaju ista prava koja su imali Talijani. Odlučno je utjecao na pokretanje prvih hrvatskih pisanih medija u Istri. Sva dosadašnja istraživanja upućuju na Dobrilu kao glavnog financijera i inicijatora za izdavanje kalendara Istran (1869. i 1870), prvog periodičkog glasila na hrvatskom jeziku u Istri. Prema potpisima autora pojedinačnih priloga (potpisani su inicijalima) autor je Basni, a vjerojatno i priloga Narodne poslovice te članka Što je uzrok groznici po Istriji? Koristeći basnu prenosio je  poruke siromašnom i priprostom narodu Istre (kako je navedeno u uvodniku pod naslovom Pozdrav) koje će ga nacionalno osvijestiti i učvrstiti, u prvom redu upućuje na potrebu sloge u narodu. Na pokretanje lista vjerojatno se odlučio u Rimu, u kojem je krajem 1869. i u prvoj polovini 1870. gotovo stalno prisustvovao Prvome vatikanskome saboru. Naša sloga je osmišljena kao poučni, gospodarski i politički list. Počela je izlaziti u Trstu 1. lipnja 1870. godine kao dvotjednik, a od srpnja 1899. do 25. svibnja 1915. izlazila je u Puli. Naša sloga posvećivala je veliku pažnju općinskim izborima i borbi da općine dođu u hrvatske ruke, zatim pokrajinskim i parlamentarnim izborima. Dobrilino publicističko djelovanje vrlo je plodno. Ostavio je više rukopisa: zbirku poslovica, poučnih priča, kritike pod naslovom Različito cvijeće, propovijedi, pastirske poslanice i dr. te veliku korespondenciju (koja je uništena), a nije dovršio Povijest o posljednjem obćem crkvenom saboru vatikanskom (rukopis nije sačuvan). Objavio je mnogo članaka anonimno, najviše u listu Naša sloga, stoga ih je nemoguće sa sigurnošću prepoznati. Dr. Juraj Dobrila, biskup porečko-pulski i tršćansko-koparski te narodni preporoditelj istarskog hrvatskog puka, bio je inicijator bitnih akcija koje su 50-ih, 60-ih i 70-ih godina 19. stoljeća išle za buđenjem nacionalne svijesti među istarskim Hrvatima i za stvaranjem širokog narodnog pokreta koji će u svom teškom i neravnomjernom povijesnom razvoju konačno dovesti do integracije istarskih Hrvata u hrvatsku naciju.

Misao i djelo dr. Dobrile evociraju se u okviru prigodnih obljetnica, znanstvenostručnih skupova, objavljivanjem radova u raznim publikacijama, periodikama i zbornicima. Pored toga, njegovo ime nose osnovne i srednje škole, sveučilište, udruge, ulice i trgovi. Republika Hrvatska iskazala mu je čast stavivši njegov lik na novčanicu od deset kuna.

Narativnim pristupom u portretiranju biskupa dr. Jurja Dobrile s realistično modeliranim i podrobnim pojedinostima fizionomije: visokim čelom, uskim kratkim nosom, uvučenim očima i borama na obrazima suoblikuje se prikaz muškarca srednjih godina kojeg jedino ruho određuje svećenikom. Uravnoteženi kompozicijski ritam brižljivo oblikovanih formi polučio je smiren izraz imanentan prelatu.

Luka Musulin, akademski kipar (Podaca, Općina Gradac, 1928 – Split, 1987). Kiparstvo na Akademiji likovnih umjetnosti u Zagrebu završio je 1953. u klasi prof. Vanje Radauša. Bio je suradnik majstorske radionice Antuna Augustinčića. Izlagao je u zemlji i inozemstvu, autor je većeg broja zapaženih spomenika i djela mu se nalaze u brojnim galerijama i muzejima. U Pazinu su dva su njegova poprsja odličnika iz crkvene i političke povijesti Istre: biskupa dr. Jurja Dobrile i Vjekoslava Ivančića Điđija.

dr.sc. Juraj Dobrila

Sculptor: Luka Musulin, inauguration of the bust: 1970

Juraj Dobrila, bishop, national revivalist and politician (Veli Ježenj, April 16, 1812 – Trieste, January 13, 1882). He was educated at the parish school in Tinjan (1820–24), then with the Franciscans in Pazin (1824–26), and finally in Karlovac (1826–32), where he finished high school in the Franciscan monastery. He attended the seminary in Gorica (1834–38) where he studied philosophy (1832–34) and theology (1834–38). After his third year studying theology, he was ordained a priest by Matej Ravnikar, the first Slovenian bishop in Trieste. As a young priest, in 1838, he assisted the pastor in Mune, that is, Hrušica, and then in 1839 he was admitted to the Augustineum Institute in Vienna. In 1842, he got a PhD in Vienna with a thesis on the Doctrine of the church fathers on the sacrament of confession. There he met J. J. Strossmayer, the future bishop of Đakovo, who undoubtedly influenced the young Dobrila with his Slavic ideas. From 1842 to 1858 he served in Trieste, where he was chaplain and preacher in the church of St. Anthony the New, becoming a religious teacher and director of the girls’ folk school, an advisor to the Bishopric Consistory and an examiner of dogmatic theology.  From 1849 he was rector and professor of the seminary for the fourth course of theology of the Diocese of Trieste-Koper. In 1854, he was appointed canon and pastor of the cathedral church of St. Justin. At the suggestion of Emperor Franz Joseph I, Pope Pius IX appointed him as bishop of Poreč-Pula on December 21, 1857. He was consecrated in Gorica on May 2, and ceremonially enthroned in Poreč on May 17, 1858, becoming the first Istrian Croat of the modern age to hold the St. Maurus’ cathedra and the first bishop to address his inaugural message to the faithful in the Croatian language. He successfully managed the affairs of the diocese, resolving inherited debts and increasing revenues. In 1875, at the Emperor’s suggestion, he was relieved of his duties as Poreč-Pula bishop and appointed bishop of Trieste-Koper. He was enthroned in Trieste on September 26, 1875 and held this position until his death. He publicly decided for political orientation in revolutionary 1848, when he joined the Slavic Society in Trieste, which in 1849 launched the monthly Slavjanski rodoljub, partly intended for Istria, with articles in Croatian and Slovenian. Educational activity was the centre of his renaissance activity. He founded schools and scholarships to help gifted boys from poor families, whom he sent, if necessary, to the public school in Kastav, and then to the high school in Rijeka or Senj, where he knew that they would not be alienated from the people. In 1865, he founded a scholarship foundation for the education of local priestly candidates, called the Stipendijska zaklada dr. Jurja Dobrile, porečko-pulskog biskupa (Dr.sc. Juraj Dobrila, Bishop of Poreč-Pula Scholarship Foundation). From his first year at the Euphrasian cathedra in Poreč, he systematically visited Istrian parishes, sometimes by carriage, sometimes on horseback and sometimes on foot, and he also used his visitations for direct, live contact with the people and the clergy, always acting in the spirit of revival awakening. He provided financial aid to poor parishes, and he bought land in Juršići and, with the help he received from Emperor Franz Joseph, built the church of St. Francis of Assisi, a parish apartment and a school. In 1854, at his own expense, he printed an extensive prayer book Otče, budi volja tvoja!, which very quickly became a favourite throughout Istria, spreading literacy and the Croatian language along with religious education. The second prayer book Mladi Bogoljub was printed posthumously in 1889 by priest Antun Karabaić. Since the foundation of the Istrian Council until his death, he was its virile (by invitation) member (so as to preserve the dignity of the episcopal position, he no longer participated in its work from 1868), and a representative in the Viennese parliament. At the sessions of the Istrian Council, he advocated for the equality of the Croatian and Slovenian languages with the Italian language, for the introduction of the Croatian and Slovenian languages in schools, for the economic development of villages, for the establishment of land registers, for assistance in the construction of churches and parish apartments, for a permanent fund for the poor, lowering taxes for Istria, for the construction and maintenance of non-state and main roads, for the establishment of a hospital for the mentally ill, the awarding of scholarships, and he paid great attention to the economic problems of Istria. He gave his most significant and famous speech at the council session on January 13, 1863. According to the shorthand record, in his historic speech, delivered in Italian, he said the following: The Slavic people are sleeping, but those who sleep are not yet dead. He who sleeps can wake up and when he wakes, he might do it in a way that could be unpleasant for the Italian element. In one of his first speeches to the Poreč Council, he requested that, along with Italian, Croatian would become the official language in both the Council and in the offices. In the Viennese Council, where his parliamentary mandate lasted from 1861 to 1867, he gave several notable and, significant speeches: both as a representative from Istria, but also as a bishop of the Catholic Church. He supported Bishop J.J. Strossmayer in his efforts against the acceptance of the dogma of papal infallibility when, as the supreme head of the Church ex cathedra, he made a final decision on faith or morality for the Church as a whole, which was a central topic at the First Vatican Council (1869–70). This placed him within a small circle of the liberal-democratic wing of the church, and did not contribute to his popularity in Istria. From 1868, he initiated another way of fighting for national enlightenment – reading rooms, journals, education, economy…, and led the national movement with his authority and organizational skills. His conception was: to activate the people in terms of national self-defence, to nurture the national language, to preserve traditions, to rise economically and politically, to accept new civilizational and cultural achievements, and by means of all this to find a way for the people to get out of desperate misery. In terms of the political struggle with the Italian citizenry, his request was that the Croats and their language should be recognized in all public affairs with the same rights as the Italians. He decisively influenced the launch of the first Croatian print media in Istria. All previous research points to Dobrila as the main financier and initiator for publishing the Istran calendar (1869 and 1870), which was the first periodical journal in the Croatian language in Istria. According to the signatures of the authors of each individual article (they are signed with initials), he is the author of Basne, and probably also of the article Narodne poslovice and the article Što je uzrok groznici po Istriji ?. Using a fable, he was able to convey messages to the poor and simple people of Istria (as stated in the editorial under the title Pozdrav), which would make them nationally aware and strengthen them; first of all, he referred to the need for harmony among the people themselves. He probably decided to start the newspaper in Rome, where he attended the first Vatican Council almost constantly at the end of 1869 and in the first half of 1870. Naša sloga was designed as an educational, economic and political newspaper. It started being published in Trieste on June 1, 1870 as a biweekly, and from July 1899 to May 25, 1915, it was published in Pula too. Naša sloga paid a lot of attention to municipal elections and the struggle for municipalities to come into Croatian hands, then to provincial and parliamentary elections. Dobrila’s journalistic activity was very fruitful. He left several manuscripts: a collection of proverbs, instructive stories, criticisms entitled Različito cvijeće, sermons, pastoral epistles, etc., and a large correspondence (which was destroyed), but he did not complete the Povijest o posljednjem obćem crkvenom saboru vatikanskom and this manuscript has not been preserved. He published a number of articles anonymously, mostly in the Naša sloga newspaper, so it is impossible to identify them with certainty. Dr.sc. Juraj Dobrila, bishop of Poreč-Pula and Trieste-Koper and a national revivalist of the Istrian Croatian people, was the initiator of important actions that in the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s aimed at awakening national consciousness among the Istrian Croats and at creating a broad national movement which, in its difficult and uneven historical development, would finally lead to the integration of the Istrian Croats into the Croatian nation. The thoughts and works of dr.sc. Dobrila are evoked in the framework of special anniversaries, scientific and professional gatherings and in the publication of works in various reports, periodicals and anthologies. Furthermore, primary and secondary schools, universities, associations, streets and squares bear his name. The Republic of Croatia also honoured him by putting his image onto the ten kuna banknote.

In portraying bishop dr.sc. Juraj Dobrila with a narrative approach with realistically modelled, detailed physiognomy details: a high forehead, short narrow nose, sunken eyes, wrinkles on the cheeks, that shape the image of a middle-aged man who is only identified as a priest by his clothes. With a balanced compositional rhythm of carefully shaped forms, he has a calm expression, immanent to the prelate.

Luka Musulin was an academic sculptor (Podaca, Gradac Municipality, 1928 – Split, 1987). He graduated in sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 1953 under prof. Vanja Radauš, and was an associate of Antun Augustinčić’s master workshop. He exhibited both in Croatia and abroad, is the author of a number of notable monuments and his works can be found in numerous galleries and museums; Pazin hosts two of his busts of outstanding figures from the ecclesiastical and political history of Istria: bishop dr.sc. Juraj Dobrila and Vjekoslav Ivančić – Điđi.