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dr. sc. Matko Marušić, dr. med., prof. emer.

SENSATIONAL DISCOVERY IN THE VATICAN ARCHIVES:

The Croatian language was chosen by the pope in the 16th century as the common Slavic language and it was taught in 17 th century as a compulsory subject at European universities, including ones in Oxford and Paris.

Professor Dr. Stjepan Krasić, O.P., a Dominican friar from Dubrovnik, has published an article in the journal of the University of Split, ST-OPEN, titled:

Croatian as an international language in the 16th and 17th centuries: evidence from the Vatican Archives. ST-OPEN. 2025;6:e2025.2519.39

Link to the article (open access):

https://st-open.unist.hr/index.php/st-open/article/view/184/149

Summary of the article

The author performed a detailed analysis of documents from the 16th and 17th centuries concerning the Croatian language preserved in the Vatican archives.

The study was conducted in the historical archive of the former Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (Congregatio de Propaganda Fide) and focused on periods of intensive missionary activity and the linguistic policies of the Catholic Church during the 16th and 17th centuries, when strategies for the evangelization of Slavic peoples were being formulated.

Based on consultations with prominent linguists, the Catholic Church selected the Croatian language (lingua croatica) as the most suitable for communication with Slavic populations. Consequently, in 1599, the Academy of the Illyrian Language (Academia linguae Illyricae) was established at the Roman College, as “Illyrian” was at that time a common term used in Italy to refer to the Croatian language. This article presents the letter from Slovak linguist Theophilus Kristek to Sp nish linguist Alfonso Carrillo, dated September 27, 1599, advocating for Croatian as the most appropriate Slavic language for inclusion in the educational system, and Carrillo’s subsequent letter to the Jesuit Superior General Claudio Acquaviva, dated January 24, 1600, recommending Croatian as the most suitable language for printing liturgical books for the Eastern Slavic peoples.

The article further reproduces the Decree of Pope Gregory XV dated December 6, 1622 mandating the teaching of Illyrian and Arabic throughout the Venetian Republic; the Decree of Pope Urban VIII dated October 16, 1623, which includes Hebrew, Greek (both classical and vernacular), Arabic, Chaldean, and Illyrian in the curricula of the most prestigious European universities; the official instructions from the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, dated 17 December 1624, to all heads of religious orders concerning the thorough linguistic preparation of future missionaries; and the correspondence between the Congregation and the Dominican Order on the same matter, which concluded in 1628 with a text adopted by the General Chapter of the Order.

Shortly, in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Croatian language acquired a prestigious status within European intellectual circles as an “international language”, enjoying equal importance with traditionally esteemed languages such as Hebrew, Chaldean, Greek, Latin, and Arabic. Church authorities promoted Croatian as a pan-Slavic language, elevating it to a status of an obligatory curricular study subject. It was studied at the most distinguished European universities, including those in Paris, Salamanca, Oxford and Bologna.