SEBENICO (SIBENIK), diocese of. – A city and diocese in northern Dalmatia, in Croatia (Yugoslavia). The diocese covers an area of 3,625 km² with a population of 176,570, of whom 135,826 are Catholics, distributed across 60 parishes served by 60 diocesan priests and 35 regular clergy; it has a seminary, 6 male and 15 female religious communities (*Ann. Pont. 1952*, p. 372).
The diocese was established by Pope Boniface VIII on 19 May 1298 as a suffragan of Split, carved out of the diocese of Traù. It was enlarged with the territories of the suppressed dioceses of Knin (1688) and Scardona (1828). From that year until 1920, the diocese was a suffragan of Zara, after which it became immediately subject to the Holy See. It is the only major Dalmatian city without ancient origins. Sebenico arose in the High Middle Ages and is first mentioned in 1066, when it was part of the Croatian kingdom of Cressimiro IV. In 1107, Sebenico acknowledged the sovereignty of King Coloman of Hungary, followed in turn by Venice, Hungary-Croatia, Byzantium, and Hungary-Croatia. In 1221, King Andrew of Hungary and Croatia confirmed Sebenico’s privileges.