Ancient Diocese of Saintes
The former French diocese of Saintes existed from the sixth century to the French Revolution. Its see was located in Saintes in western France, in the modern department of Charente-Maritime. After the Concordat of 1801, its territory passed mainly to the diocese of La Rochelle.
History
Saintes has numerous Roman monuments. The oldest bishop of known date is Peter, who took part in the Council of Orléans (511).
The first bishop, however, is St. Eutropius. Venantius Fortunatus, in a poem written in the second half of the sixth century, makes explicit mention of him in connection with Saintes. Eutropius was said to be a Persian of royal descent, ordained and sent to Gaul by St. Clement; at Saintes he converted to Christianity the governor's daughter, St. Eustelle, and like her suffered martyrdom. This tradition is noted by Gregory of Tours, with a cautious ut fertur; Saintes is thus the only church of Gaul which Gregory traces back to the first century. This evidence is much weakened, says Louis Duchesne, by Gregory's remark to the effect that no one knew the history of St. Eutropius before the removal of his relics by Bishop Palladius, which took place about 590. At this tardy date seems to have arisen the account of Eutropius as a martyr.
Among the bishops of Saintes are mentioned:
- St. Vivianus (d. 490), once Count of Saintes, later a monk
- St. Trojanus, died about 532
- St. Concordius (middle of the sixth century)
- St. Pallais (Palladius) (573–596), to whom Gregory the Great recommended St. Augustine on way to England
- St. Leontius, bishop 625 to 627–634.
- Cardinal Raimond Perauld (1503–05), an ecclesiastical writer, several times nuncio, legate for a crusade, against the infidels, and the re-establishment of peace between Maximilian and Louis XII
- Cardinal François Soderini (1507–16), who died in Rome as dean of the Sacred College
- his nephew Jules Soderini (1516–44)
- Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon (1544–50), cardinal in 1548, afterward Archbishop of Rouen, whom Mayenne wished later to make King of France
- Pierre Louis de La Rochefoucauld (1782–92), killed at Paris with his brother, the Bishop of Beauvais, 2 September 1792.[1]
Councils
Several councils were held at Saintes: in 562 or 563, when Bishop Emerius, illegally elected, was deposed and Heraclius appointed in his stead; other councils were held in 579, 1074 or 1075, 1080, 1081, at which last, metropolitan authority over the sees of Lower Brittany was granted to Tours as against the claims of Dol, and William VII gave the church of St. Eutropius to the monks of Cluny; also in 1083, 1088, 1089, 1097.
Bishops
- Eutropius (4th century)
- Benedict? (4th century)[2]
- Palladius I? (4th century)[3]
- Leontius? (4th centjury)[4]
- Ambrose (beginning of 5th century)[5]
- Vivien or Bibianus (5th century)[6]
- Concorde (5th century)[7]
- Trojanus (late 5th century to beginning of 6th)[8]
- Peter I (511)[9]
- Eusebius (553–c.555)[10]
- Emerius (before 561)[11]
- Palladius (573–596)[12]
- Leodegarius (beginning of seventh century)[13]
- Audebertus (614)[14]
- Leontius (625 to 627–634)[15]
- Ailphus (637)[16]
- Bertarius (660)[17]
- Agnebertus (662–675)[18]
- Ulric (end of the 7th century–beginning of 8th)[19]
- Dizan (8th century)[20]
- Benjamin (c.785)[21]
- Ato (799)[22]
- Thebert (805)[23]
- Frotmundus (c.846)[24]
- Frecultus (862)[25]
- Abbon (989–c.990)[26]
- Islo (13 January 1000–June 1031)[27]
- Godefroy (1032–1036)[28]
- Arnulfus (March 1037 or 1038–31 May 1040)[29]
- Alo (1040–1043)[30]
- Engebricus (1044–1047)[31]
- Arnulfus (2 November 1047 – 1065)[32]
- Goderanus (1067–6 August 1072)[33]
- Boso (1072–1083)[34]
- Ramnulfus Focaudi (October 1083–11 June 1106)[35]
- Pierre II de Soubise (1106 or 1107–1112)[36]
- Rainaldus Chainel (1112–1116)[37]
- Pierre III de Confolens (1117–c.1126)[38]
- William Gardradus (1127–9 November 1142)[39]
- Bernard (1142–c.1165)[40]
- Ademar Charbonnel (1167–1189)[41]
- Helias I (August 1189)[42]
- Henry (1190–1217)[43]
- Ponce de Pons (1216–1221)
- Michel I (1221)
- Helias II (1222–1231)
- John I (1231–1235)
- Peter IV (1235–1237)
- William III (1237–1239)
- Hélie III (1239–1241)
- Peter V (1241–1250)
- Hugues II de Féletz (1250–1256)
- Ponce II. de Pons (1257–1266)
- Helias IV de Fors (1266)
- Peter VI Laud (1267–1271)
- Ponce III de Pons (1271–1275)
- Peter VII (1275–1277)
- Geoffroy II de Saint-Briçon (1277–1284)
- Peter VIII (1284–1287)
- Gimer (1288)
- Geoffroy III d'Archiac (1288–1294)
- Ramnufle de Carel (1296)
- Guy de Neuville (1296–1312)
- Geoffroy IV (1313)
- William IV de La Mothe (1313–1322)
- Thibaud de Castillon (1322–1342)
- Etienne de La Garde (1343–1351) (Cardinal)
- Gaillard du Puy (1351–1361) (Cardinal)
- Bernard II du Sault (1362–1381) (Rome nomination)
- Raymond d'Angoulême (1380) (Avignon nomination)
- Helias V de Lestrange (1381–1396)
- Peter Mignot (1380–1397)
- Bernard III de Chevenon (1398–1413)
- Geoffroy de Pérusse des Cars (1411–1418)
- John II Boursier (1415–1424)
- Guy II de Rochechouart (1424–1460)
- Louis I de Rochechouart (1461–1493)
- Peter IX de Rochechouart (1493–1503)
- Raymond Péraud (1503–1505) (Cardinal)
- Eustache (1505–1506)
- François Soderini (1506–1515) (Cardinal)
- Julien Soderini (1515–1544)
- Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon (1545–1550) (Cardinal)
- Tristan de Bizet (1550–1576)
- Nicolas Le Cornu de la Courbe de Brée (1576–1617)
- Michel II Raoul (1617–1630)
- Jacques-Raoul de la Guibougère (1631–1648)
- Louis II de Bassompierre (1648–1676)
- William V du Plessis de Gesté (1677–1702)
- Bertrand de Senaux (1702)
- Alexandre de Chevrières de Saint-Mauris (1703–1710)
- Henry III Augustin Le Pileur (1711–1716)
- Léon de Beaumont (1718–1744)
- Simon-Pierre de Lacoré (1744–1762)
- Germain du Chastergner de la Chasteigneraye (1763–1781)
- The Blessed Pierre-Louis de La Rochefoucauld (1781–1792)
- Isaac-Etienne Robinet (1791–1797)
- Jean François de Couet du Vivier de Lorry (La Rochelle) (1802)
Notes
- ↑ Catholic Encyclopedia: La Rochelle
- ↑ Known only from late medieval sources. Favreau, 82.
- ↑ Known only from late medieval sources. Favreau, 82.
- ↑ Known only from late medieval sources. Favreau, 82.
- ↑ Favreau, 82.
- ↑ Favreau, 82–83.
- ↑ Favreau, 83.
- ↑ Favreau, 83–84.
- ↑ Favreau, 84.
- ↑ Favreau, 84–85.
- ↑ Favreau, 85.
- ↑ Favreau, 85–86.
- ↑ Favreau, 86–87.
- ↑ Favreau, 87.
- ↑ Favreau, 87.
- ↑ Favreau, 87.
- ↑ Favreau, 88.
- ↑ Favreau, 88.
- ↑ Favreau, 88.
- ↑ Favreau, 88–89.
- ↑ Favreau, 89.
- ↑ Favreau, 89–90.
- ↑ Favreau, 90.
- ↑ Favreau, 90.
- ↑ Favreau, 90–91. Favreau notes that certain episcopal lists place sevearl bishops between Frecultus and Abbon: Maynardus, Alo, Grimoardus, Justus, or Machan, Mainard, Alo, Grimoardus, Abbon I, Gilbert, Ardoin, Benedicti II, and Emond. These are unverifiable or found on spurious documents.
- ↑ Favreau, 91.
- ↑ Favreau, 92–93.
- ↑ Favreau, 93.
- ↑ Favreau, 94.
- ↑ Favreau, 94.
- ↑ Favreau, 94.
- ↑ Pope Alexander II deposed Arnulfus for simony. Bishop William of Angoulême then briefly administered the diocese of Saintes. Favreau, 94–95.
- ↑ Favreau, 96.
- ↑ Favreau, 97.
- ↑ Favreau, 98–99.
- ↑ Favreau, 100–1.
- ↑ Favreau, 101–2.
- ↑ Favreau, 102–3.
- ↑ Favreau, 103–4.
- ↑ Favreau, 105–106.
- ↑ Favreau, 106–108.
- ↑ Favreau, 108.
- ↑ Favreau, 108–110.
Sources
- Favreau, Robert. "Évêques d’Angoulême et Saintes avant 1200." Revue historique du Centre-Ouest 9, no. 1 (2010): 7–142.
|