The persecution of Catholic Albanians by Tsar Stefan Dušan was a series of events in the Middle ages when Tsar Stefan Dusan (1331-1355) occupied most of the Byzantine Empire, including many Albanian regions and persecuted Albanian Catholics in 1349, referring to the Latins as “half-believers” and the Latin faith as “heresy”, according to Code of Dusan.[1][2] The code also explained in detail how Albanians and Vlachs would suffer special punishment if found guilty. Accorindg to article 82 in the code, if an Albanian walked through a Serb village, he was to be alone. If joined by someone, the person would be fined.[3]

When Tsar Dusan occupied most Albania, including Durres, Catholic Albanians were forced to convert to the Orthodox faith and many were assimilated[4] and forcibly baptized. Although most of Kosovo was Orthodox during the Byzantine Empire, there was at least two Catholic churches in Trepca and Gracanica in 1303. There was also many Catholic churches in Prizren, Novoberde and Janjeva. Ragusan and German immigrants in Kosovo were given special privileges in order to maintain their Catholic faith and many Catholic bishops were appointed in Prizren during 1330-1380s.

The Code of Dusan explained in detail worse punishments for Vlachs and Albanians than for Serbs.[5][6] Though Tsar Dusans empire fell shortly after the Albanians revolted in Epirus.[7] In december 1354 Tsar Dusan sent a letter to Pope Innocent VI explaining in detail persecution of Catholics. Tsar Dusan feared the Catholic Albanians as they were powerful despite being under the Serbian kingdom.[8] In 1321 the Catholic Albanians appealed to Charles of Anjou and to Prince Filippo of Taranto to force King Milutin to recognize and respect the religious rights of the Albanians.

A french friar named Frere Brocardus described in 1332 how the Abbanos (Albanians) and Latins “suffered under the hateful and abdominal lordships of the Slavs”.[9] The Serbian occupation after 1347 prompted a mass-immigration of Catholic and Orthodox Albanians to Greece.[10] In 1354 Stefan Dusan promised Pope Innocent VI that he would not persecute Catholics but continued to do so. Resistance by the Albanians increased, specially after they entered an anti-serb block of Catholic Europe in 1319 and 1336.[11] The Catholic Albanians joined in the Crusades of 1319 and 1331 with the alliance of the Papacy, Naples and Hungary, together with Croats, against the Serbian empire. In Kosovo, most of the Albanians in the eastern part were gradually assimilated into the Eastern Orthodox faith by baptism of infants with Serbian names and by enforcing religious ceremonies in the Serbian languages. Albanian tribes like Kuc, Bjellopavliq, Palabardha, Piprraj and Vasovic were fully assimilated.[12]

References

1. Bajraktari, Jusuf; RSH), Instituti i Historisë (Akademia e Shkencave e (1996). The Kosova issue–a historic and current problem: symposium held in Tirana on April 15-16, 1993. Institute of history. p. 42, 46, 72.
2. Murzaku, Ines Angeli (2015). Monasticism in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Republics Routledge Religion, Society and Government in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet States (Ines Angeli Murzaku is Professor of Ecclesiastical History and Founding Chair of the Department of Catholic Studies, Seton Hall University. ed.). US: Routledge. p. 249. ISBN9781317391050.
3. JASHARI, Hasan (2015). Essays on Politics and Society. Lulu.com. p. 53. ISBN9781326271848.
4. Pipa, Arshi. Albanian Stalinism: Ideo-Political Aspects ((According to Albanian Historians) ed.). Eastern European Monographs. p. 94. ISBN9780880331845.
5. Waugh, Earle H.; Dimić, Milan V.; Institute, M. V. Dimić Research. Diaspora Serbs: a cultural analysis. M.V. Dimic Research Institute, University of Alberta. p. 25. ISBN9780921490159.
6. Elsie, Robert (2015). Historical Dictionary of Kosovo (obert Elsie is the author of over 50 books and numerous articles. He has served as a translator and interpreter of Albanian, most recently before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and he presently works for the Hague Tribunal. Volym 79 av Historical Dictionaries of Europe ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 57. ISBN9780810874831.
7. France, John (2006). The Crusades and the Expansion of Catholic Christendom, 1000–1714 (John France is Professor of History and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Wales, Swansea. His previous publications include Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000-1300 (1999). ed.). Routledge. p. 269. ISBN9781134196180.
8. Bajraktari, Jusuf; RSH), Instituti i Historisë (Akademia e Shkencave e. The Kosova issue–a historic and current problem: symposium held in Tirana on April 15-16, 1993. Institute of history. p. 46.
9. Durham, M. Edith; Hodgkinson, Harry; Destani, Bejtullah. Albania and the Albanians: Selected Articles and Letters, 1903-1944. I.B.Tauris. p. 95. ISBN9781850439394.
10. Vance, Charles; Paik, Yongsun. Managing a Global Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities in International Human Resource Management. M.E. Sharpe. p. 674. ISBN9780765620163.
11. Prifti, Kristaq (1993). Truth on Kosova. Encyclopaedia Publishing House. p. 37, 51, 53.
12. Vickers, Miranda. “Between Serb and Albanian”. http://www.nytimes.com. New York Times.