O ПОКУШАЈИМА ИЗГРАДЊЕ КАТОЛИЧКОГ ХРАМА У БЕОГРАДУ 1852–1868. (Француска дипломатска грађа)
ON ATTEMPTS TO BUILD A CATHOLIC TEMPLE IN BELGRADE 1852–1868 (French diplomatic material)

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents French diplomatic material, created in the period from 1852 to 1868. Based on the correspondence of the French consuls in Belgrade with their superior ministers, it is possible to see the activities of two great powers, Austria and France, whose political and strategic interests were opposed in the Principality of Serbia. Having followed the activities of Josip Juraj Štrosmajer, the administrator of the Belgrade and Smederevo bishoprics, through which the Roman Catholic population of the Principality of Serbia found themselves under the protection of Austrian diplomacy, the French consul in Belgrade interpreted the bishop’s actions as a convincing confirmation of the denial of France’s right to protect Roman Catholics in the East as a whole, and in particular in the area of the Balkans, which was one of the foundations of both internal and external policy of France during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III. Evaluating the ecclesiastical and religious interests of Austria as completely opposed to the interests of his government, the French consul presented a proposal to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that France actively participate in solving the position of Roman Catholics in Serbia, well aware of all the benefits that the opening of a Catholic chapel in the French consulate in Belgrade and then the building of the church would bring to French political interests. Later French consuls in Belgrade continued the activities of their predecessors. The focus of their activity was a mediating role when submitting Serbia’s request to the Holy Chair to enable the Principality to choose a church organization that would be completely independent in relation to the Diocese of Đakovo. In the mentioned period, the efforts of French diplomacy coincided with the actions of Russian diplomatic representatives in Serbia, who supported the Serbian government’s aspiration to free the Principality from Austrian religious, church and all kinds of other restraints. A compromise on these issues was never reached. As Consul de Botmilio concluded with disappointment, the Holy Chair refused to take advantage of the sincere good mood of the Serbian government, so for the sake of obtaining certain privileges in the Principality of Serbia, it gave up sending a Franciscan priest from Bosnia to Belgrade, which was a request, not understanding the full benefit which the governments in Rome and Paris would have from the fulfillment of Serbian demands. In this way, the almost two-decade-long mission of French diplomatic representatives proved to be completely unsuccessful. After the described attempts, French diplomacy marginalized its further activity in this field in Serbia, leaving Serbian diplomatic representatives to fight with Roman Catholic Austria and Strossmeier as the spiritual initiator, propagator and main executor of the idea of union.

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