Roman Catholic Diocese of Banja Luka
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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Banja Luka is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in western Bosnia. The diocese is centred in the city of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The diocese was formed on July 5, 1881.
The original Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure in the city was built in 1887. However, an earthquake in 1969 levelled the church. Banja Luka's current cathedral was built in 1974. Currently, Bishop Franjo Komarica is head of the diocese.
The city of Banja Luka, and much of the territory that the diocese covers contains an Orthodox Serb majority. The Bosnian War greatly affected the diocese. Virtually all of the churches in the bishopric sustained some damage, and many were destroyed. Many Croats were expelled from the region or fled, leaving only a fraction of the original Catholic population remaining. Bishop Komarica has been urging people to return, to mixed results.
