Ex hac augusta

Ex hac augusta Principis Apostolorum cathedra (English: From this exalted seat of the Prince of Apostles; Croatian: S ove uzvišene stolice apostolskog Prvaka) is a papal bull issued by Pope Leo XIII on 5 July 1881, by which he restored the regular Church hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina after its occupation by Austria-Hungary from the Ottoman Empire, with Archdiocese of Vrhbosna seated in Sarajevo having three suffragan dioceses: Banja Luka, Mostar-Duvno and Trebinje-Mrkan, with latter being under the administration of the bishop of Dubrovnik.

After the Austrian-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Ottoman Empire in 1878, the new government tried to impose its dominance over the three religious groups living there: the Muslims, the Eastern Orthodox, and the Catholics by separating them from their spiritual centres.

[2] In 1327, Pope John XXII gave the Franciscans exclusive right over inquisition and pastoral care in Bosnia and Herzegovina,[3] who in return gained many privileges, including the election of provincials, apostolic visitors, vicars and bishops.

The Curia also requested the establishment of a seminary in Sarajevo for the education of the secular clergy for all the dioceses, with the expense being paid by the Monarchy, who will also finance the bishops and priests.

[8] On 5 July 1881, Pope Leo XIII issued Ex hac augusta Principis Apostolorum cathedra, a bull by which he restored the regular Church hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

[11] Although the Franciscans felt endangered by the restoration of the regular church hierarchy, they showed loyalty to the new regime, represented by the Joint Minister of Finance Béni Kállay.

In return, the new government had a full understanding of the interests of the Franciscans and supported them in their dispute with the church hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by Archbishop of Vrhbosna Stadler.

Pope Leo XIII considered the issue of restoration of the church hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina as very important, while his Secretary of State Cardinal Luigi Jacobini thought that Stadler would have serious obstacles in this task due to the support of the Austrian-Hungarian government for the Franciscans.

As a compromise, Von Paar supported Jacobini's idea that an agreement between the church hierarchy and the Franciscans should be provisional so that the future restoration process wouldn't be prevented.

[13] Finally, Congregation on the Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, with the approval from the Pope, issued a decree on 14 March 1883 conceding 35 parishes to the secular clergy, and keeping the rest for the Franciscans.