The Vatican has threatened to replace Istrian bishop Ivan Milovan
over his refusal to lodge an appeal to the Ministry of Justice’s
decision to return disputed Dajla parish properties to the Croatian
state.
The rumours about the bishop’s removal are believed to be
pressure tactics the Vatican is employing to convince Milovan to give up
his decision not to hand over the disputed property to the Italian
Benedictine order.
Dajla had onced belonged to the order but was given
to Yugoslavia in 1947.
It was nationalised after Croatian independence
and handed over to the Croatian church.
The previous Italian owners,
however should have been compensated by Italy under the Osimo treaty,
which regulated many post-World War II disputes between the two states.
In
the midst of the dispute over the property and the order's request for
its return, Minister of Justice Drazen Bosnjakovic has annulled the
Istrian County Office of Property Rights decisions from 1996, 1997, 1999
and 2000 that gave the once state-owned property back to Dajla parish
and returned it to the state.
Bishop Milovan has not lodged a
complaint about the minister’s decision to the apparent dismay of the
Vatican.
Sources in the church say, however, that in order for a bishop
to be removed, the Pope himself must sign the order.
That means he would
have to be familiarised in detail with what is happening and so far
that has not been the case.