The Concordat Crisis in Yugoslavia in the Memories of Patriarch Gavrilo (Dožić) and Milan Stojadinović

Abstract

This article analyzes the memoirs of Patriarch Gavrilo (Dožić) and Milan Stojadinović as two different sources for studying the Concordat crisis in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. A comparative approach examines their interpretations of the causes of the crisis, the roles of the state and the Serbian Orthodox Church, and how both authors form their own positions. Patriarch Gavrilo emphasizes the institutional difficulties of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the need to defend its position within the state, while Milan Stojadinović presents the crisis as unacceptable interference by the Church and political opponents in state jurisdiction. The differences between them stem not from the Concordat itself, but from their different understandings of the relationship between the state and the Church. The relevance of this topic lies in the fact that the Concordat crisis represents a striking historical example of the tensions between secular authorities and religious communities, which allows for a better understanding of contemporary debates about the boundaries of state and church autonomy in the Balkans. The article's innovation is based on a systematic comparative analysis of two memoir sources rarely considered together in historiography. The article contributes to a more accurate interpretation of the actors and the broader context of church-state relations in interwar Yugoslavia.