Friar Bazilije (Stjepan) Pandžić was born on January 30th, 1918 in Drinovci, Herzegovina, to Nikola Pandžić and his wife Matija born Brnadić. He finished elementary school in his native village, the Franciscan high school in Široki Brijeg, and theological studies in Mostar and Rome. He entered the Franciscan order on July 4th, 1935, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 29th, 1941. In 1943, he went to Rome to pursue postgraduate studies. Besides obtaining graduate degrees in archival studies and paleography, he obtained two doctoral degrees, one in theology at the Franciscan University „Antonianum“ and the second in oriental studies at „La Sapienza“ University.
The titles of his dissertations were About theTrebinje-Mrkanj Diocese/De dioecesi tribuniensi et mercanensi and (the second) Trebinje diocese under Turkish occupation (1466-1878). In the year 1947, he was appointed General archivist and keeper of the Annals of the Little Brother Order (O.F.M.) in Rome, where he served for 37 years. In the silence of the Franciscan General Curia and using its rich historical depositories, he wrote a memorable two-volume book entitled Annales Minorum - Annals of the Franciscan Order from 1661 to 1680. In July of 1969, together with friars Dionizije Lasić and Lucijan Kordić, he cofounded ZIRAL, a prestigious publishing house among the Croatians living in exile. After 22 years in Rome, he visited his native land (1965) but with an Italian passport.
In 1990, he finally returned from Rome to Mostar. However, because of the war, he returned to Rome in September of 1991. Then, in December of 1995, he moved from Rome to our newly constructed Franciscan monastery in Zagreb, Dubrava. Friar Bazilije is the author of many books and articles dealing with history and spirituality. Now he lives and writes new pages for his Chronicles at the Franciscan monastery in Humac. We are grateful to the Lord that he lives in our times and with us, and with his distinguished personality and scholarly mind, he opens new horizons to our thoughts and attitudes. (Friar Andrija Nikić)
