Bishop Petar Palić

Rev. Petar Palić, originally from Janjevo – the oldest Croatian diaspora in Kosovo – was born on 3 July 1972 in Prishtina. After elementary school, he carried out his classical studies at the minor seminary in Skopje (1986- 1988) and at the seminary of Subotica (1988-1990). He then studied at the Faculty of Theology of Zagreb (1990- 1995) where he obtained a baccalaureate in theology. From 2005 to 2009 he studied at the Faculty of Theology of the Karl-Franzens University in Graz, Austria, where in 2009 he obtained a doctorate in moral theology. He was ordained a priest on 1 June 1996, and was incardinated in the diocese of Dubrovnik. Since priestly ordination he has held the following offices: director of the diocesan Catechetical Office (1996-2005); special secretary to the bishop of Dubrovnik (1998-2005); director of the diocesan Office for the Support of the Clergy (from 1997-2017); distributor of the parish of Dobl in the diocese of Graz-Seckau (2005-2008); and episcopal vicar for pastoral ministry (2009-2011). From 2011 to 2017 he served as vicar general of the diocese of Dubrovnik. In addition, he was a member of the Presbyteral Council and of the College of Consultors of the diocese of Dubrovnik, as well as member of the Council of the Episcopal Conference for Catechesis and New Evangelization. In 2003 he was president of the Central Committee for the preparation of the visit of the Holy Father John Paul II to Dubrovnik and president of the Committee for the preparation of the National Meeting of Croatian Youth in Dubrovnik in 2014. On 25 January 2017 he was elected as secretary general of the Croatian Episcopal Conference. In addition to Croatian, he speaks German and Italian, and uses English, Russian and Macedonian.