Želimir Puljić

The Most Reverend Želimir Puljić
Archbishop emeritus of Zadar
Archdiocese	Zadar
See	Zadar
Appointed	15 March 2010
Predecessor	Ivan Prenđa
Successor	Milan Zgrablić
Other post(s)	Bishop of Dubrovnik (1989–2010)
Orders
Ordination	24 March 1974 by Agnelo Rossi
Consecration	14 January 1990 by Franjo Kuharić
Personal details
Born	Želimir Puljić (1947-03-07) 7 March 1947 Kamena, Mostar, FPR Yugoslavia (present day Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Alma mater	Pontifical Urban University Pontifical Lateran University
Motto	Unitas, libertas, caritas Unity, Freedom, Love
Coat of arms

Styles of Želimir Puljić
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Archbishop

Ordination history of Želimir Puljić
History Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Franjo Kuharić Co-consecrators Ante Jurić I Pavao Žanić Date 14. siječnja 1990.
Episcopal succession Bishops consecrated by Želimir Puljić as principal consecrator Petar Palić 30. travnja 2018. Milan Zgrablić 25. lipnja 2022.

Želimir Puljić (7 March 1947) is Croatian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the archbishop of Zadar from 2010 to 2023 and bishop of Dubrovnik from 1989 to 2010. He briefly served as the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Split-Makarska in 2023.

Early life and education

Puljic attended primary school in Blagaj and Mostar and finished school in Pozega, where his parents moved. From 1962 to 1966 he attended classical high school at the Diocesan Seminary in Dubrovnik. From 1966 to 1970 he studied theology in Split and continued his studies in Rome at the Pontifical Urbaniana University. In 1978 he received a diploma in Pastoral Theology from the Lateran University. In addition to his theological studies, he graduated from the Faculty of Pedagogy at the Salesian University of Rome, where he received his doctorate on 12 March 1980.

Priesthood

Ordained to the priesthood on 24 March 1974, for the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, Puljić was appointed Bishop Dubrovnik on 7 December 1989 and was ordained into that office on 14 January 1990. Bishop Puljić became the archbishop of Zadar on 15 March 2010.

In October 2010, Archbishop Puljić, following up on the wish of his predecessor, conveyed a small silver reliquary containing a portion of the relics of Saint Simeon to Archbishop Theofylactus of Jordan, representative of Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, for the monastery of Saint Simeon the Godbearer in Katamon, Jerusalem. It is popularly believed that the relics of Saint Simeon, one of the patron saints of Zadar, lie in the Church of Saint Simeon, in Zadar.

On 14 January 2023, the Apostolic Nunciature announced that the Pope accepted Puljić's renunciation from the service and appointed Milan Zgrablić his successor.

Memberships

Puljić served in various capacities in the Croatian Bishops' Conference. He was a member of the Permanent Council of the HBK from 1996 to 2002, president of the Family Council from 199 to 1998, member of the Commission for the Croatian Institute of St. Jerome in Rome from 1997 to 2002, member of the Commission for the Regulation of Relations with the State from 1996 to 2002, and president of the HBK from 1999 to 2002.

He was also president of the HBK Council for Culture and Church Heritage, president of the HBK and BC BiH Council for Croatian Foreign Pesti and a member of the HBK Episcopal Commission for Relations with the European Union.

Puljić is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

He was a member of the Governing Council of the University of Zagreb from 1993 to 1995 and a member of the Council of the University of Dubrovnik from 2005 to 2009.