VEGLIA (KRK), DIOCESE of. — Diocese of Croatia (Yugoslavia). It comprises the islands of the Quarnero: Veglia, Cherso, Lussino, as well as Arbe, the northern part of the island of Pago, and other smaller islets. It has an area of 1,000 sq. km. and 31,000 inhabitants, all Catholics, distributed among 29 parishes, served by 51 diocesan and 16 regular priests; there are 5 male and 6 female religious communities (Ann. Pont. 1953, p. 443; these figures, however, refer to 1951). It is immediately subject to the Holy See.
The present diocese resulted from the union of the ancient dioceses of V., Ossero, and Arbe.
1. V. (from the Romance Vekla or Vihla, probably from veclus, vetus [with «civitas» understood]; the Croatian name Krk derives from the pre-Roman and Latin Curicum), the chief town of the island of the same name. Until the end of the 12th century it comprised, in addition to the island, an extensive mainland territory, part of the present-day diocese of Segna. The first known bishop is Vitale (1018), under the Orseoli of Venice. At first a suffragan of the metropolitan of Salona (later Spalato), in 1154 the bishop of V. ARA, with whom he was, in 1155, subjected by Pope Anastasius IV to the Patriarch of Aquileia (from 1450, to Venice). In the Middle Ages the city of V. was a commune with its own statute and privileges. The other four communes—castles—are: Castelmuschio (Omišalj), Dobrigno (Dobrinj), Verbenico (Vrbnik), and Besca (Baška). Byzantine, Venetian, Croatian, Hungarian-Croatian, and once again Venetian rule (1480–1797) successively prevailed on the island. Until 1480 it was ruled by the local family of the Frankapani (Frangipani). The Cathedral is a Romanesque basilical structure with three apses (12th century) and preserves a precious 15th-century silver antependium, donated by the Frankapani, as well as other works of art.
2. Ossero (Auxeron, in Croatian Osor) is situated on the isthmus between Cherso and Lussino; it is highly doubtful that Bishop Lorenzo, who signed the acts of the Council of Nicaea (787), was the bishop of Ossero. A bishop named Domenico is mentioned in the letters of John VIII (879).
3. Arbe (Croatian Rab), on the island of the same name, had as its first known bishop a certain Pietro in 986. The metropolitans were the same as for V. and O.; until the 12th century, a large part of the present-day diocese of Segna and the island of Pago belonged to the diocese of Arbe. One of its bishops, Vincenzo Negusanti, ordained St. Ignatius of Loyola and his companions in Venice in 1537. Like V. and Ossero, Arbe was also an autonomous commune headed by a prior. The ancient Cathedral of S. Maria, in the Romanesque style (12th century), was consecrated by Pope Alexander III himself during his journey from Zara to Venice (1177). The marvelous bell tower (one of the four characteristic of the city) likewise dates from the 12th century.
4. After the fall of Venice (1797), the territory of the aforementioned dioceses first passed under Austria (1797–1806), then under the French (1806–1813), and thereafter once again under Austria until 1918, as part of the province of Istria and no longer of Dalmatia. By the bull Locum beati Petri, of 30 April 1828, the dioceses of Ossero and Arbe were suppressed and united with V., which became a suffragan of the metropolitan of Gorizia (1830–1933). By the Treaty of Rapallo (1920), the territory of the former diocese of Ossero passed to Italy, and on 1 August 1932 it was placed under the Archbishop of Zara. By the Treaty of Paris (10 February 1947), it was assigned to Yugoslavia. The Bishop of V. apostolic administrator.
The first bishop of the united diocese was Antonio Šintić (1792–1837). Bishop Antonio Mahnić (1895–1920) is especially deserving of credit for the organization of the diocese; he had already distinguished himself as the initiator and guiding spirit of the Catholic revival in Slovenia, especially among students. As Bishop of V. and author of theological-philosophical writings, he initiated a similar movement in Croatia, in the spirit of the directives of the contemporary popes Leo XIII and Pius X. He also has great merits in connection with the so-called Glagolitic liturgy, which has been in use in this diocese «ab immemorabili»; among other things, through his efforts the Palaeoslavic Academy was founded at V. (1902) for the study of the Old Slavonic liturgical language.