Bishop of Požega
Friar Ivo Martinović was born on June 28, 1965, in Županja. He grew up and completed the lower grades of primary school in Matići (within the Tolisa parish in Bosnia and Herzegovina), while attending the upper grades in the neighboring village of Oštra Luka. He was admitted to the Third Order Franciscan seminary in 1980, completed his classical secondary education at the Interdiocesan High School for Priestly Formation in Zagreb, and graduated from the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Zagreb. He completed his studies in philosophy and theology in Zagreb, made his solemn religious vows on October 4, 1990, within the Province of the Third Order Regular Franciscans (Glagolitic) in Zagreb, and was ordained a priest on June 28, 1992, in the Zagreb Cathedral. He served pastorally as a parish vicar in Belišće (1992–1993), Split (1993–2001), and Zadar (2011–2013), and as guardian and parish priest in Zadar (2001–2005) and Zagreb (2005–2009). He served twice on the Provincial Council (2005–2009 and 2011–2013); in 2009, he was sent to Rome for postgraduate studies in pastoral theology at the Pontifical Lateran University, where he obtained a master's degree in 2011. Upon returning from his studies, he served as guardian and formator at the minor seminary in the St. Joseph Friary in Split (2013–2017), as parish priest of the Holy Family Parish, and as local and regional assistant to the Secular Franciscan Order. From 2013 to 2018, he was a member of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Split-Makarska. He also headed the Commission for the Ongoing Formation of Religious Men and Women within the Croatian Conference of Religious (2017–2020). From 2017 to 2024, he served as the Provincial Minister of the Franciscan Third Order Regular (Glagolitic). Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Požega on March 11, 2024. He was ordained bishop in the Cathedral of Požega on June 8, 2024.