Tracing the Letters of Benedikt Rogačić

The Dubrovnik Republic’s First Steps Towards the New Officium proprium sancti Blasii (1687–1712)

Abstract

Traces of early attempts of the Dubrovnik Republic towards composing and approving a new Officium proprium sancti Blasii can be found in sources from 1687 till 1712. Six stages in this process are noticed: 1) By March 1687, the Jesuit Benedikt Rogačić, professor of rhetoric at the Roman novitiate of the Society of Jesus, composed three hymns, readings, oration, and antiphons for the Office of St. Blaise, yet was reluctant to compose the Mass of St. Blaise as he did not consider himself capable of carrying out the task. 2) In March 1687 Rogačić sent a new version of his three hymns in honour of St. Blaise to his Jesuit fellow brother Rafo Tudišević, Vice–Rector of the Collegium Ragusinum, which he revised in keeping with Tudišević’s critical remarks. In addition, on the same occasion Rogačić also revised the oration and antiphons. 3) Petitioned by the Dubrovnik authorities in December 1689, Giovanni Vincenzo Lucchesini, the new Archbishop of Dubrovnik, succeeded in obtaining a decree from the Sacred Congregation of Rites on February 11, 1690, according to which three readings on the life and martyrdom of St. Blaise composed by Honoré Fabri, approved for the Vatican Basilica of St. Peter in 1672, may henceforth be read regularly on the territory of the Republic and Archdiocese of Dubrovnik. 4) In February 1701, Dubrovnik authorities ordered Paolo Francesco Pierizzi, their permanent agent at the Holy See, to persuade Tommaso Antonio Scotti, the newly–ordained Archbishop of Dubrovnik, to submit the request either directly to the Pope or to the Sacred Congregation of Rites. 5) In February 1710, Dubrovnik authorities ordered Frano Volanti, the elected bishop of Ston, to arrange a meeting with Fr. Rogačić in Rome in order to obtain from him the integral texts of the Office and the Mass of St. Blaise for the purpose of attaining approval by the Sacred Congregation of Rites, after which he was to have 100 copies of their editions printed by one of the printers in Rome. 6) In October 1712, Marin Marinov Caboga, special envoy of the Republic of Dubrovnik to the Holy See, had a meeting with Fr. Rogačić and managed to obtain from him the texts of the Office and the Mass of St. Blaise, while Dubrovnik authorities doubled the number of copies to be printed. At the prompting of Cardinal Francesco Barberini Jr., Caboga received an audience with Pope Clement XI, whom he presented with Memoriale, accompanied by the texts of the Mass and Office of St. Blaise. The pope stated that, upon reading Rogačić’s texts, he would forward the Ragusan request to the Sacred Congregation of Rites for their approval, and for the Ponente of the Ragusan Memoriale he appointed Cardinal Barberini.