On April 29, 2026, an international symposium focused renewed attention on Friar Antun Marcello DE PETRIS, a humanist, theologian, and church dignitary originally from Cres, Croatia.
Until recently, there had been no scholarly studies in Croatian about Friar Antun Marcello DE PETRIS, who was one of the most influential men in the history of the island of Cres and in the history of the Conventual Franciscan Order. The Conventual Franciscan Province of St. Jerome in Croatia, the St. Francis Friary in Cres and the City of Cres, partially filled this gap by organizing an international symposium to mark the 500th anniversary of DE PETRIS’ death. The symposium took place at Moise Palace in Cres, where a group of nine scholars and experts each presented the results of their research, offering a comprehensive look at the life of this still little-known friar.
About DE PETRIS
Friar Matija Antun MANDIĆ gave the first lecture. In it, he presented a biographical overview of the life and work of Friar Antun Marcello DE PETRIS, who was born in Cres around 1450, and died there in 1526, having spent most of his life in various cities in Italy. Monsignor Franjo VELČIĆ lectured on the civil and spiritual context of Cres during DE PETRIS’s life. Giovanna JEROLIMIĆ TOIĆ lectured on the Petris Family in Cres.
Friar Ljudevit MARAČIĆ spoke about DE PETRIS’ role as a Minister Provincial in the Province of St. Jerome in Dalmatia. Friar Luciano BERTAZZO examined DE PETRIS’ tenure as the Minister Provincial of the Province of Padua. Friar Felice AUTIERI lectured on DE PETRIS as Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, who coincidentally served as the first Conventual Franciscan Minister General after the 1517 split between the Conventual Franciscans and the Observant Franciscans.
Friar Ljudevit and Elvis ORBANIĆ gave a joint presentation on DE PETRIS as the Bishop of Cittanova (today Novigrad, Croatia). Marijana DLAČIĆ spoke about DE PETRIS as a patron of the arts, who initiated the construction of two important buildings in Cres in the early 16th century: the Arsan Palace (now the Cres Museum) and the chapel annexed to the Church of St. Francis in Cres, served by the Conventual Franciscans, where DE PETRIS was later buried.
Vlasta ZAJEC gave the final lecture, which focused on DE PETRIS’ tombstone, a highly valued work of art distinguished by a motif of books that surround the body of the deceased.
At the opening of the symposium, the participants were welcomed by the Prefect of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Ivica LUKANOVIĆ, the President of the City Council, Marina MEDARIĆ, and the Vicar General of the Conventual Franciscan Order, Friar Igor SALMIČ. Friar Igor also read a message from the Minister General of the Order, Friar Carlos A. TROVARELLI.
The Minister Provincial of the Province of Croatia, Friar Miljenko HONTIĆ, gave the opening address. He welcomed all the guests, especially the friars from the Provinces of Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. He also thanked the organizers, Friars Zlatko VLAHEK and Ljudevit MARAČIĆ―who was the initiator and driving force behind the symposium. “A great anniversary has brought us together: the 500th anniversary of the death of Friar Antun Marcello DE PETRIS,” said the Minister Provincial. “But we are not here simply to browse through documents from the past. We are here because Antun DE PETRIS was not only a son of this island, but a beacon of intellect and spirit who illuminated the Christian world of his day. He was a man of dialogue between faith and reason, a philosopher and a theologian of the highest caliber. Above all, he was a humble Conventual Franciscan friar. His importance transcends the confines of our island of Cres.”
Faithful to His Vocation
The friars sang Latin hymns at the beginning and end of the program. Friar Josip PETONJIĆ, the Guardian of the friary in Cres, gave the closing address and thanked all those present for making the symposium a true encounter of scholarship, spirituality, and communion.
At the conclusion of the proceedings, The Most Reverend Ivica PETANJAK, OFM Cap., Bishop of Krk, Croatia, presided over Mass in the Church of St. Francis. Around twenty priests concelebrated. In his homily, Bishop PETANJAK presented Friar Antun Marcello DE PETRIS as a reformer during difficult times for the Catholic Church: while some reformers, such as Martin LUTHER, left the Church, others renewed it from within.
He mentioned that the Protestant Reformation began in 1517, while in the same year, the Franciscan Order was formally divided into Conventuals and Observants.
“As Minister General, he faced the difficult task of calming tensions within the Order, preventing new divisions, accepting the decisions of the Holy See, and urging the friars to set aside all desire for hatred and revenge and return to their original charism, evangelical spirit, and Franciscan roots. This required great patience and a journey taken with small, steady, and faithful steps. Above all, it required remaining faithful to one’s vocation and being obedient to the Church even in difficult times. A family cannot be renewed by abandoning it, but only by remaining within it. Everything has its cost, but also its reward,” concluded Bishop PETANJAK.
Friar Zlatko VLAHEK, Provincial Secretary
