Imenovanje Alojzija Stepinca nadbiskupom koadjutorom Zagrebačke nadbiskupije

U članku autor istražuje tijek postupka potrage za podobnim kandidatom za nasljednika nadbiskupa zagrebačkoga mons. Antuna Bauera početkom tridesetih godina 20. stoljeća na dosad nekorištenom arhivskom gradivu koje se čuva u Povijesnom arhivu Sekcije za odnose s državama Državnoga tajništva Svete Stolice. Autor daje prikaz crkvenoga stanja u Kraljevini SHS u vremenu nakon Velikoga rata, kao i sukoba u odnosima Svete Stolice i novih vlasti u Beogradu, osobito glede valjanosti konkordata koji su bili sklopljeni u vrijeme trajanja Habsburške i Austro-Ugarske Monarhije. Također se razrađuje uloga biskupa u različitim oblicima njihove službe. U analizi neuobičajenoga i vrlo dugotrajnoga postupka imenovanja nadbiskupa koadjutora, koji je zatražio nadbiskup Bauer, prikazano je stanje Zagrebačke nadbiskupije u tom razdoblju, kao i činjenica da je papa Pio XI. imenovao čak dvojicu prezbitera novim nadbiskupima, u jednom slučaju jedinstvenim “uvjetnim” imenovanjem. Opisani su i razlozi zbog kojih ta dva imenovanja nisu uspjela, te se je u trenutku teškoga i opasnoga zdravstvenoga stanja nadbiskupa Bauera pribjeglo neočekivanomu imenovanju do tada nepoznatoga prezbitera, koji je i postao nadbiskupom koadjutorom zagrebačkim. When the Holy See on 30 May 1934 published – among other regular nominations – the Papal appointment of Father Aloysius Stepinac to the Titular See of Nicopsis, at the same time nominating him the Archbishop-Coadjutor of Zagreb with the right of succession to Archbishop Antun Bauer, it seemed as a regular change in the Episcopate of the Catholic Church in the world. This, however, was the culmination of a dramatic story that lasted for almost four years behind the scenes. The Archives of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See shed new light on that process that received personal attention of Pope Pius XI, and show a guiding hand of his successor, then Secretary of State Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, later Pope Pius XII.The search for the successor of the long-standing Archbishop of Zagreb started in 1930, when he himself felt that his health was failing and his age was catching up with him, so he wanted to ensure a smooth transition of governance over the largest Archdiocese in Europe at the time.Also, the frail relations of the Holy See with the newly formed Kingdom of Yugoslavia had to be taken into consideration. After the Great War, a multination state of South Slavs was formed, out of the multitude of other former states on that territory. Cons