The Diocese of Namur is a

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

ecclesiastical territory or

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

of the

Catholic Church in Belgium The Catholic Church in Belgium, part of the global Catholic Church in Belgium, is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome and the Episcopal Conference of Bishops. Dioceses There are eight dioceses, including one archdioces ...

. It is a suffragan of the

Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

.Diocese of Namur
fro
''catholic-hierarchy.org''
/ref> The diocese is a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

in the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

in the metropolitan

. Its

cathedra A ''cathedra'' is the raised throne of a bishop in the early Christian basilica. When used with this meaning, it may also be called the bishop's throne. With time, the related term ''cathedral'' became synonymous with the "seat", or principa ...

is found within

St Aubin's Cathedral St Aubin's Cathedral, Namur, Wallonia, the only cathedral in Belgium in academic Late Baroque style. It was the only church built in the Low Countries as a cathedral after 1559, when most of the dioceses of the Netherlands were reorganized. It is ...

in the

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

Namur Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namu ...

History

The diocese was constituted as a

suffragan see A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, ...

of the new metropolitan see of Cambrai by the papal bull of 12 May 1559 establishing the new bishoprics in the Low Countries. Its territory had previously belonged to the Diocese of Liège. After suppression in the

French period In Northern European historiography, the term French period (french: Période française, german: Franzosenzeit, nl, Franse tijd) refers to the period between 1794 and 1815 during which most of Northern Europe was controlled by Republican or Napo ...

the diocese was re-established by the

Concordat of 1801 The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace-Lorraine, where it remains in force. It sought national reconciliation b ...

, its extent matching that of the Department of Sambre-et-Meuse, and as suffragan of the

Archdiocese of Mechelen In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

. On 14 September 1823, the territory of the diocese was extended to include Luxembourg, which had previously been part of the

Diocese of Metz The Diocese of Metz ( la, Dioecesis Metensis; french: Diocèse de Metz) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. In the Middle Ages it was a prince-bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire, a ''de facto ...

. After the

Belgian Revolution The Belgian Revolution (, ) was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. T ...

of 1830, a vicar apostolic was appointed for those parts of Luxembourg under Dutch control. As a result of the

Treaty of London (1839) The Treaty of London of 1839, was signed on 19 April 1839 between the Concert of Europe, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Belgium. It was a direct follow-up to the 1831 Treaty of the XVIII Articles, which the Nether ...

formalising the partition of Luxembourg between the

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small land ...

and the Belgian

Province of Luxembourg Luxembourg (french: Luxembourg ; nl, Luxemburg ; german: Luxemburg ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; wa, Lussimbork), also called Belgian Luxembourg, is the southernmost province of Wallonia and of Belgium. It borders on the country of Luxembourg to the ea ...

, in 1840 ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the whole territory of the grand duchy was given to the vicar apostolic of Luxembourg, its loss to the Diocese of Namur being formalised on 7 October 1842. In 1907, the Diocese of Namur numbered 583,722 inhabitants, 36 deaneries, 37 parishes, 677 succursals, 96 auxiliary chapels, 111 curacies paid by the State. Within the diocese, religious congregations administered 2 orphanages for boys, 7 for girls, 1 mixed, 18 hospitals or infirmaries, 4 clinics, 194 infant schools, 1 house of rescue, 6 houses for the care of the sick in their homes, 1 asylum for deaf mutes, 2 houses of retreat, 1 insane asylum.

See

in Namur was founded as a

collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a ...

in 1047 by

Albert II of Namur Albert II of Namur was Count of Namur from the death of his elder brother Robert II to his death in 1067. They were the sons of Albert I, and Ermengarde, daughter of duke Charles of Lower Lorraine. Biography In 1037, Albert participated in the ...

. The first dean, Frederick of Lorraine, brother-in-law of Albert II, about 1050 secured from

Mainz Cathedral , native_name_lang = , image = Mainzer Dom nw.jpg , imagesize = , imagelink = , imagealt = , caption = , pushpin map = , pushpin label position = , pushpin map alt = , pushpin mapsize = , relief = , map caption = , iso regi ...

a portion of the head of Saint Albinus, to whose patronage the collegiate church was dedicated. In 1057 Frederick became pope under the name of

Stephen IX Pope Stephen IX ( la, Stephanus, christened Frederick; c. 1020 – 29 March 1058) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 3 August 1057 to his death in 29 March 1058. He was a member of the Ardenne-Verdun family, ...

. In 1209,

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...

formally took the church under his protection. With the exception of one tower, the cathedral was entirely rebuilt in

Baroque style The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

in the 1750s. The diocese also houses a

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

, the

Basilica of Saint Maternus The Basilica of Saint Maternus (french: Basilique Saint-Materne), also known as the basilica of Our Lady (''basilique Notre-Dame'') is a minor basilica in Walcourt, in the Namur Province of Belgium. According to legend, an oratory was founded her ...

Walcourt Walcourt (; wa, Walcoû) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 17,516 inhabitants. The total area is 123.18 km2, giving a population density of 142 inhabitant ...

Bishops

Bishops of Namur

Bishops of the first diocese

Antoine Havet Antoine Havet, Latinized Havetius (died 1578), was the first bishop of Namur in the Habsburg Netherlands. Life Havet was born early in the 16th century, the son of a miller. Showing aptitude for scholarship, he received a better education than his ...

, 1561–1578 * François Wallon-Capelle, 1580–1592 * Jean Dave, 1593–1595 *

Jacques Blaseus Jacques Blaseus (c.1540–1618) was successively bishop of Namur and bishop of Saint-Omer in the Spanish Netherlands. Life Jacques de Blaese, born in Bruges around 1540, came from a poor family and was educated at a charity school in Bruges until ...

, 1597–1601, later

bishop of Saint-Omer The former French Catholic diocese of Saint-Omer existed from 1559 until the French Revolution. Its see at Saint-Omer, in the modern department of Pas-de-Calais, was created as a reaction to the destruction of the see of Thérouanne, by military ...

* François Buisseret, 1601–1615, later

archbishop of Cambrai The Archdiocese of Cambrai ( la, Archdiocesis Cameracensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Cambrai'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France, comprising the arrondissements of Avesnes-sur-Helpe ...

* Jean Dauvin, 1615–1629 *

Engelbert Des Bois Engelbert Des Bois (1578–1651) was the seventh bishop of Namur (1630–1651). Life Des Bois was born in Brussels on 9 July 1578 to parents from Burgundy. He studied Civil law (legal system), civil law and canon law, taking the degree of licenti ...

, 1630–1651 *

Jean de Wachtendonck Jean de Wachtendonck, Latinized Joannes (1592–1668) was the eighth bishop of Namur, in the Spanish Netherlands (now in Belgium). Life Wachtendonck was born in Mechelen. He studied at Leuven University and graduated Licentiate of Theology in 16 ...

, 1654–1668, later

archbishop of Mechelen In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

Ignace Schetz de Grobbendonk Ignacius Augustinus Schetz de Grobbendonk (1625–1680) was the 9th Bishop of Namur and the 11th Bishop of Ghent. Life Schetz de Grobbendonck was a son of Anthonie II Schetz and his second wife Maria van Malsen, lady of Tilburg. After graduating ...

, 1669–1679, formerly

bishop of Roermond The Roman Catholic Diocese of Roermond is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church, located in the Netherlands. The diocese is one of the seven suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Utrec ...

, later

bishop of Ghent The Diocese of Ghent (Latin: ''Dioecesis Gandavensis'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolis (religious jurisdiction), metropoli ...

Pierre Vandenperre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

, 1680–1695 * Ferdinand de Berlo de Brus, 1698–1725 * Thomas Strickland de Sizergh, 1727–1740 * Paul-Godefroi de Berlo de Franc-Douaire, 1741–1771 * Ferdinand-Marie de Lobkowitz, 1772–1779, later

Albert Louis de Lichtervelde Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert C ...

, 1780–1796

Bishops since 1802

*Claude de Bexon (25 May 1802 – 15 Sep 1803) *Joseph Pisani de La Gaude (1803–1828) *Nicolas-Alexis Ondenard (1828–1830 ) *Jean Arnold Barret (15 Apr 1833 – 31 Jul 1835 ) *Nicolas-Joseph Dehesselle (1 Feb 1836 – 1865 ) *

Victor-Auguste-Isidor Deschamps Victor Augustin Isidore Dechamps (6 December 1810, in Melle – 29 September 1883, in Mechelen) was a Belgian Archbishop of Mechelen, Cardinal and Primate of Belgium. Biography He and his brothers made rapid progress in science under th ...

(25 Sep 1865 – 20 Dec 1867 ), appointed Archbishop of Mechelen (Cardinal in 1875) *Théodore-Joseph Gravez (20 Dec 1867 – 1883 Died) * Pierre-Lambert Goosens (16 Jul 1883 – 24 Mar 1884 ), appointed Archbishop of Mechelen (Cardinal in 1889) *Édouard-Joseph Belin (27 Mar 1884 – 1892 ) *Jean-Baptiste Decrolière ( 1892 – 1899 ) *

Thomas Louis Heylen Thomas Louis Heylen OPraem (1856–1941) was a Belgian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the twenty-sixth bishop of Namur in Belgium (1899–1941). He also served as President of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Co ...

(23 Oct 1899 – 28 Oct 1941 ) *André Marie Charue (12 Dec 1941 – 24 Jun 1974 ) *

Robert-Joseph Mathen Robert-Joseph Mathen (1916–1997) was the 28th Bishop of Namur in Belgium. Mathen was born in Aubange on 30 December 1916, and was educated at Collège Saint-Joseph de Virton. He entered the seminary and was ordained to the priesthood on 25 Au ...

(24 Jun 1974 – 7 Feb 1991 ) * Andre-Mutien Leonard (7 Feb 1991 – 18 Jan 2010), appointed Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel * Rémy Victor Vancottem (31 May 2010 – 5 Jun 2019) *

Pierre Warin Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

(5 Jun 2019 - )

Coadjutor Bishops

* Paul Justin Cawet (1929-1941), died without succeeding to see *

Pierre-Lambert Goossens Pierre-Lambert Goossens (18 July 1827 – 25 January 1906) was a Belgium, Belgian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Brussels-Mechelen, Archbishop of Mechelen from 1884 until his death, and w ...

(1883); future Cardinal *

(1974)

Auxiliary Bishop

* Jean-Baptiste Musty (1957-1991) *

(2004-2019), appointed bishop of this diocese

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* Nikolaus Adames (priest here, 1839-1840), appointed Vicar Apostolic of Luxembourg in 1863 *, appointed

Bishop of Antwerp The Diocese of Antwerp is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. The diocese was restored in 1961. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brus ...

in 1743 *

Julien Ries Julien Ries (19 April 1920 – 23 February 2013) was a Belgian religious historian, titular archbishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church. Prior to his death, Ries was described as "the greatest living religios scholar". Life Born in Fo ...

, appointed titular archbishop and then Cardinal in 2012

References

External links

GCatholic.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Namur Roman Catholic dioceses in Belgium

Roman Catholic Diocese of Namur The Diocese of Namur is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels. The diocese is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province in the metropolit ...