Anton Mahnič was Slovenian theologist, bishop, poet, writer, and critic of Slovenian cultural and spiritual life and editor, who was born on September 14th, 1850 in Kobdilj, in parish Štanjel on Gorica Karst, he died on December 14th, 1920 in Zagreb.

Anton finished gymnasium in Gorica in the year 1871, in the year 1874 he finished theology studies and becomes a priest. August 30th, 1874 he accept mass ordination in Gorica monastery church. Between October 1875 and September 1891, he was a perfect or educator, after the principal in boy’s seminary in Gorica until the year 1895. In seminary, he was preparing for his Ph.D., at the same time he enrolled in Vienna university. On May 11th, 1881 he received his Ph.D. in theology in Vienna. He becomes supplicant in Gorica divinity on September 20th, 1880, New Testament Bible professor in the blessed teaching in Gorica on July 29th, 1881, where he works until his appointment as bishop.

He was appointed as bishop by Leon XIII in the year 1896 in Krk. He was dedicated in Gorica monastery church on December 3rd, 1896. On Krk, he was a defender of the Croatian nation on the island against Italian occupation and was because of that persecuted. Proitalian-oriented members have sued him even in Vatikan, he alone after First World War protested several times against Italian authorities. Because of that, he was confined for a year in Italy in Frascati near Rome, from here returned sick and in the end, he died in Zagreb.

At his young age, he published poetry and prose. Editorial work of the diocesan paper Folium preiodicum in November 1884, where in the Latin language he wrote educational letters Paedagogica (1881 until 1891). Among others, he acted as critic already in Latin articles. In popular form, he spilled his thoughts into sub papers of Twelve evenings (si. Dvanajst noči), where he evolved the ideas of Catholic aesthetics. In the paper Roman Catholic (si. Rimski katolik) he deals with realism, naturalism, atheism, pantheism and nihilism, which he recognized in works of Trdina, Jurčič, Tavčar and Levstik. To give his thesis a weight, at first he tackled Prešeren when he refused his sinful love. In the same way, he analyzed Gregorčič, mostly his poem Human don’t (si. Človeka nikar).

This is how the pen war started, started by Mahnič, and for the same reason, Ivan Tavčar, in the year 1891, wrote satirical utopia 4000, with which he decided to ridicule Mahnič’s doings and his view on the world and life. According to Tavčar, Mahnič judged everyone, who was not in accordance with church dogmas, he demanded that all Slovenians as the Catholic nation regulate their patriotic, political and literary life according to Catholic principles.

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Monument to Anton Mahnič
On the façade of the vestry of St. Daniel church in Štanjel is inbuilt monument to bishop Anton Mahnič. Monument is the work of Evgen Guštin. Monument was erected at 150th anniversary of his birth and the 80th anniversary of the deat of Anton Mahnič. Inscription in the engraving says IN CRUCE SALU. [_Read more_]

Štanjel
Štanjel is located on the northeastern edge of Karst plateau, it is combined by old part or Gornja vas, which is located on the slope of Turn and newer part or Dolnja vas. It is one of the oldest settlements on Karst, it was written for its old city center. It got its name after the patron of the church, St. Danijel. [_Read more_]