Bishop of Catania

The Archdiocese of Catania ( la, Archidioecesis Catanensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastic territory in Sicily, southern Italy, with its seat in Catania. It was elevated to an archdiocese in 1859, and became a metropolitan see in 2000. Its suffragans are the diocese of Acireale and the diocese of Caltagirone."Archdiocese of Catania"
''Catholic-Hierarchy.org''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016"Metropolitan Archdiocese of Catania"
''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016

Historical notes

According to legend, Christianity was first preached in Catania by St. Beryllus. During the persecution of Decius the virgin St. Agatha suffered martyrdom. At the same period or a little later the Bishop of Catania was Everus, who is mentioned in the acts of the martyrs of Leontini (303). This same year is marked by the martyrdom of the Deacon Euplius and others.

Earliest bishops

It is said that a Domninus (or Domnicius) was Bishop of Catania and was present at the Council of Ephesus (431); the Acts of the council, however, show that he was bishop of 'Coliaeum' (Cotyaeum, Cotyaion) in Phrygia, not bishop of Catania.

A genuine bishop, Fortunatus, was twice sent with Bishop Ennodius of Pavia by Pope Hormisdas to Emperor Anastasius I to effect the union of the Eastern Churches with Rome (514, 516). Bishops Leo and Junius appear in the correspondence of Gregory the Great. In 730 Bishop Jacobus (Giacomo) suffered martyrdom for his defence of images. In 750, or thereabouts, Sabino was Bishop of Catania. His successor, Saint Leo of Catania, also known as Leo of Ravenna, was known as a wonder-worker (''thaumaturgus'').

Bishop Euthymius was at first an adherent of the Patriarch Photius, but in the Eighth General Council approved the restoration of Ignatius as patriarch. John of Ajello, who died in the 1169 Sicily earthquake, won a contested episcopal election against William of Blois in 1167.

In the 9th century, while still a Greek city, Catania became suffragan to the archdiocese of Monreale completely destroyed Catania, with a loss of life of some 15,000 persons. The Bishop of Catania, Ioannes de Agello, was among the dead.

On 7 July 1274 Pope Gregory X wrote to the Bishop of Syracuse that he had received information that the Bishop of Catania (Angelo Boccamazza), along with his cousin Bartolomeo Romano and two nephews, had attacked a Franciscan convent at Castro Orsino and destroyed its buildings; the Bishop of Syracuse was ordered to investigate, and if the charges were true, he was to excommunicate the offending parties.

In 1409 a severe earthquake reduced the monastery of S. Nicolo l'Arena to ruins.

Bishop Bellomi (1450–1472) petitioned Pope Nicholas V that the Cathedral Chapter of Catania should include the dignities of the Archdeacon, Prior, Cantor, the Dean, and the Treasurer. Papal permission was granted on 12 June 1453. There were twelve primary Canons and twelve secondary Canons. Pope Pius V (1566–1572) abolished the dignity of Archdeacon. Originally the Canons were all members of a monastic community and followed the Rule of St. Benedict (hence the office of Prior), but Bishop Vincenzo Cutelli (1577-1589) obtained permission from Pope Gregory XIII on 9 February 1578 to convert the Chapter into a corporation of secular priests. Bishop Ottavio Branciforte (1638-1646) revived the dignity of Archdeacon in April 1639, and appointed his brother Luigi Branciforte, ''Doctor in utroque iure'' (Civil and Canon Law) to the dignity.

On 11 March 1669 a major fissure opened up on the southeast side of Mt. Etna, some ten miles from Catania, and sent lava in the direction of the city. The stream passed along the walls of the city and reached the sea, but at the beginning of May fresh supplies of lava overtopped the walls of Catania and destroyed the monastery of the Benedictines. The vinyards of the Jesuits, who staffed a college in Catania, were also destroyed. By mid-May three quarters of Catania was surrounded by lava, and several streams entered the city. Fourteen towns and villages between the volcano and Catania were obliterated, leaving only the tower of a ruined church visible.

From 1679 to 1818, the bishop of Catania was the Great Chancellor of the University of Catania. The University had been founded in 1444 by King Alfonso I of Sicily, and was under the administration of the Senate of Catania, with the supervision of the Viceroy of Sicily. In 1556 the Jesuits established a secondary school ('college') in Catania.

On 9 January 1693 a major earthquake destroyed the city of Catania and killed eighteen thousand people. Only a part of the cathedral and one house survived. Another earthquake struck the ruins of Catania at the end of September 1693.

In 1859 the diocese of Catania was made an archiepiscopal see, immediately subject to the Holy See.

Bishops of Catania

''Latin Name: Catanensis''

to 1300

:...
*Fortunatus (attested 514–516)
*''Ignotus'' (c. 558–560)
*Elpidius (attested 558–560)
*Leo (attested 591–604)
:...
*Leo Thaumaturgus (c. 778 ?)
:...
*Ansgarius (by 1091 – 1124)
*Mauritius, O.S.B. (1124 – c. 1144)
*Julianus (Joannes) (1144 – c. 1156)
*Bernardus (c. 1156 – 1158)
*Ioannes de Agello (1158 – 4 February 1169)
*Robertus, O.S.B. (attested 1170 – 1179)
*Symon, O.S.B. (attested 1189 – 1191)
*Leo (attested 1194)
*Rogerius Orbus, O.S.B. (April 1195 – 1206)
*Walter of Palearia (1208–1229)
*Henricus de Bilversheim (c. 1231 – 1232)
*Oddo Capucci (1254–1256)
*Angelo d'Abrusca (1257–1272)
*Angelo Boccamazza (after 1272 – 1282?)
*Gentilis, O.P. (1296–1304)

1300 to 1600

*Leonardo Fieschi (Flisco) (10 January 1304 – 21 March 1331)
*Nicolaus (13 March 1332 – 1339)
*Nicolaus de Grelis, O.S.B. (24 November 1339 – 1342)
*Geraldus, O.Min. (27 November 1342 – 1347) (Administrator)
*Petrus
*Joannes de Luna (30 May 1348 – 1355)
* Martialis (4 December 1355 – 1375)
*Elias (14 May 1376 – 1388)
*Petrus de Alagona (5 August 1388 – ?) (Avignon Obedience)
*Simon de Puteo, O.P. (De Puits) (16 December 1378 – 1396) (Roman Obedience)
*Petrus Serra (1396–1397) (Avignon Obedience)
*Robertus (1398–1404) (Avignon Obedience)
*Mauro Cali, O.S.B. (1408–1411) (Pisan Obedience)
*Thomas de Asinari, O.S.B. (5 February 1411 – 1415)
*Joannes de Podio, O.P. (28 February 1418 – 1431)
*Joannes de Piscibus, O.Min. (21 November 1431 – 3 February 1447), appointed titular bishop
*Cardinal Joannes de Primo (3 February 1447 – 21 January 1449) (Administrator)
*Arias de Davalos (14 February 1449 – 1450)
* Guglielmo Belloni (Bellomo) (2 Oct 1450 – 1472 Died)
*Giuliano della Rovere (13 Jan 1473 – 23 May 1474)
* Francesco de Campulo (1474–1475 Died)
* Giovanni Gatto, O.P. (18 Aug 1475 – 8 Feb 1479)
* Bernardo Margarit, O.S.B. (8 Feb 1479 – 1486 Died)
*Alfonso Carrillo de Albornoz (8 Nov 1486 – 27 Jun 1496)
*Juan Daza (27 Jun 1496 – 14 Feb 1498)
*Francisco Desprats (20 Mar 1498 – 9 Feb 1500)
*Diego Ramírez de Guzmán (26 Jun 1500 – 23 Oct 1508 Died)
*Jaime de Conchillos, O. de M. (25 Feb 1509 – 1 Oct 1512)
*Gaspar Ponz (4 Apr 1513 – 14 Oct 1520 Died)
* Cardinal Matthäus Schiner (1 Nov 1520 – 30 Sep 1522 Died) (Administrator)
* Cardinal Pompeo Colonna (27 Feb 1523 – 18 Jan 1524) (Administrator)
* Marino Ascanio Caracciolo (18 Jan – 24 Jul, 1524 Resigned)
* Scipione Caracciolo (24 Jul 1524 – 28 Oct 1529 Died)
* Marino Ascanio Caracciolo (29 Nov 1529 – 9 Mar 1530 Resigned)
* Luigi Caracciolo (9 Mar 1530 – 1 Sep 1536 Died)
* Cardinal Marino Ascanio Caracciolo (1 Sep 1536 – 8 Jan 1537 Resigned)
* Nicola Maria Caracciolo (8 Jan 1537 – 15 May 1567 Died)
*Antonino Faraone (9 Feb 1569 – 29 Jul 1572 Died)
*Juan Orozco de Arce (11 Aug 1574 – 28 Mar 1576 Died)
*Vincenzo Cutelli (11 Sep 1577 – 1589 Resigned)"Bishop Vincenzo Cutelli"
''Catholic-Hierarchy.org''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved March 21, 2016
*Juan Corrionero (2 Mar 1589 – 9 Jul 1592 Died)
*Giovanni Domenico Rebiba

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