Pavao Žanić (May 20, 1918 – January 11, 2000) was the bishop of Mostar-Duvno in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1980 to 1993.[1] A leading critic of the alleged apparitions at Međugorje, he was the local ordinary in 1981 when the apparitions began.
Born in 1918 in Kaštel Novi, Croatia, he was ordained a priest on June 1, 1941.[1] In 1970, he was appointed coadjutor of Mostar-Duvno and titular bishop of Edistiana.[1] In 1980, became the ordinary bishop of Mostar-Duvno.[1]
Bishop Pavao Žanić was originally in favor of the Marian apparitions in Međugorje, but later denounced them. This was attributed mainly to hostilities with the Franciscans, the administrators of St. James Church, where the visions were allegedly taking place. In April 1986, Žanić submitted a negative report of the apparitions to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, at the time Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, but his conclusions were not accepted. Cardinal Ratzinger then removed Bishop Žanić from his position as overseer of the investigation and dissolved the bishop's commission. The Bishops' Conference of Yugoslavia was then given responsibility for overseeing the matter.[2]
Bishop Žanić retired in 1993 at age 75[1] and was succeeded by Bishop Ratko Perić.
He died in 2000 at the age of 81.[1]