Cardinal Josip Bozanić, Archbishop emeritus of Zagreb, was born on 20 March 1949 in Rijeka, Croatia. He was ordained a priest on 29 June 1975 and holds a licentiate in dogmatic theology and in canon law.

Cardinal Bozanić served as chancellor and as vicar general of the Curia of Krk. He was lecturer of dogmatic theology and of canon law at the Theological Institute of Rijeka. 

On 10 May 1989 he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Krk and was ordained on 25 June 1989. On 14 November 1989 he became Bishop of Krk.

He has served as Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Rijeka-Senj.

Within the Bishops’ Conference of Croatia, he served as President of the Commission for the Laity, President of the Commission for Relations with the State and as member of the Permanent Council.

In 1997, he was elected President of the Bishops’ Conference of Croatia and served until 2007.

He served as Vice-President of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences from 2001 until 2011. He participated in the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 2014) on The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization.

On 5 July 1997 he was nominated Archbishop of Zagreb.

He participated in the conclave of April 2005, which elected Pope Benedict XVI and in the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis.

On 15 April 2023 the Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Archbishop of Zagreb presented by Cardinal Bozanić.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the St. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 October 2003, of the Title of S. Girolamo dei Croati (St. Jerome of the Croatians).

Member of:

• Dicasteries: for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; for  Evangelization, for Evangelization, Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World.