The former French Catholic diocese of

Apt Apt. is an abbreviation for apartment. Apt may also refer to: Places * Apt Cathedral, a former cathedral, and national monument of France, in the town of Apt in Provence * Apt, Vaucluse, a commune of the Vaucluse département of France * A ...

, in southeast France, existed from the fourth century until the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. 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 ...

, it was suppressed, and its territory was divided between the

diocese of Digne The Diocese of Digne (Latin: ''Dioecesis Diniensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Digne'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected in the 4th century as the Diocese of Digne, the diocese has bee ...

and the

diocese of Avignon The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Avignon (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Avenionensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse d'Avignon'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese exercises jurisdiction over the terr ...

. Its seat was at

Apt Cathedral Apt Cathedral (''Cathédrale Sainte-Anne d'Apt'') is a Roman Catholic church and former cathedral located in the town of Apt in Provence, France now designated as a national monument. The shrine is the relic church of Saint Anne. Formerly a cat ...

, in

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.National Constituent Assembly conceived a plan to destroy the influence of the Estates throughout France and bring the whole country under central administration. This was to be done by the creation of some 83 or 84 'départements'. At the same time the Church was to be brought into subordination by abolishing the old ecclesiastical diocesan system and creating new dioceses which would have the same boundaries as the departments. The plan made more than fifty of the 135 Catholic dioceses in France redundant. The details were enacted by the Legislative Assembly, under the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790). The diocese of Apt was one of the dioceses which were declared redundant and were suppressed. The abolition of Catholic dioceses was a violation of Canon Law, and the requirement that the clergy were to be obliged to take an oath to the Constitution in order to hold their jobs and collect their state-supplied salaries brought about a schism. New bishops and priests under the Constitutional system were to be elected by special 'Electors' in each department, who did not need to be Catholics or even Christians. That too was uncanonical and schismatic. The vows of monks and nuns were abolished by the National Assembly, and their property was seized by the State. In 1801 First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte was preparing to end the religious confusion in France by entering into a Concordat with the Vatican. He had plans for the future, and he required a united France in order to carry them out successfully. In separate actions both he and Pius VII called on all bishops in France to submit their resignations. On November 29, 1801, by the bull ''Qui Christi Domini'',

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...

suppressed all of the Roman Catholic dioceses in France, and immediately reinstituted them under papal authority. This act did away with whatever doubt or ambiguity might still exist as to a 'Constitutional Church' and 'Constitutional dioceses' in France. Apt was not one of the dioceses that was restored. The name of the diocese was revived, however, by

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

in January 2009, as a titular see for bishops who have no diocese of their own.

Bishops

to 1100

* 96–102?:

Auspice Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed behavior of birds. When the individual, known as the augur, interpreted these signs, it is referred to as "taking the auspices". "Auspices" (Latin ''ausp ...

: Leonius">Leonius_of_Apt.html" ;"title="60?: Leonius of Apt">Leonius: [394: Octavius] * 400–410?: Quentin of Apt, Quentin * 410–423?: Castor of Apt, Castor * 431?–436: Auxonius * 439–442: Julius * 517–545: Pretextatus : [546: Eusebius] * 549–573: Clementinus * 581–585: Pappus * 614: Innocentius * 788: Magneric * 853: Trutbertus * 867: Paul (I.) : 879: Richard * 885: Sendard * 887: Paul (II.) * c. 951 – c. 955: Rostan * c. 960 – 964: Arnulf * c. 965 – c. 984: Nartold * 989–998: Theodoric * 999–1110?: Ilbogus * 1010–1046: Stephanus : 046?: Laugier I.* c. 1048 – c. 1080: Alphant * 1095?–1099?: Isoard

from 1100 to 1500

* 102?: Bertrand* 1103–1143: Laugier II. d'Agout * 1145–1151: Raimond * 1158–1162: Guillaume (I.) * 1162–1182: Pierre de Saint-Paul * 1186–1193: Guiran de Viens * 1208–1221: Godefredus I. * 1221–1243: Godefredus II. * 1243–1246:

Guillaume Centullion Guillaume may refer to: People * Guillaume (given name), the French equivalent of William * Guillaume (surname) Other uses * Guillaume (crater) See also * '' Chanson de Guillaume'', an 11th or 12th century poem * Guillaume affair, a Cold War espi ...

* 1246–1256: Geofroi Dalmas * 1256–1268:

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

* 1268–1272:

Ripert de Viens Ripert is a French surname that may refer to: *Colette Ripert (1930–1999), French actress *Éric Ripert (born 1965), French chef, author and television personality * Émile Ripert (1882–1948), French academic, poet, novelist and playwright. *F ...

* 1272–1275:

Raimond Centullion Raimond is both a masculine given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Raimond Aumann (born 1963), German footballer *Raimond Beccarie de Pavie, Seigneur de Fourquevaux (1508–1574), French soldier, politician a ...

* 1275–1303:

Raimond Bot Raimond is both a masculine given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Raimond Aumann (born 1963), German footballer *Raimond Beccarie de Pavie, Seigneur de Fourquevaux (1508–1574), French soldier, politician a ...

* 1303–1319:

Hugues Bot Hugues may refer to People: * Hugues de Payens (c. 1070–1136), French soldier * Hugues I de Lusignan (1194/95 –1218), French-descended ruler a.k.a. Hugh I of Cyprus * Hugues IV de Berzé (1150s–1220), French soldier * Hugues II de Lusignan ...

* 1319–1330: Raimond Bot (II.) * 1330–1331: Guiraud de Languissel * 1331–1332: Bertrand Acciaioli * 1332–1336:

Guillaume d'Astre Guillaume may refer to: People * Guillaume (given name), the French equivalent of William * Guillaume (surname) Other uses * Guillaume (crater) See also

* ''Chanson de Guillaume'', an 11th or 12th century poem * Guillaume affair, a Cold War e ...

* 1336–1341:

Guillaume Audibert Guillaume may refer to: People * Guillaume (given name), the French equivalent of William * Guillaume (surname) Other uses * Guillaume (crater) See also

* ''Chanson de Guillaume'', an 11th or 12th century poem * Guillaume affair, a Cold War e ...

* 1341–1342: Guillaume Amici * 1342–1348: Arnaud * 1348–1358: Bertrand de Meissenier * 1358–1361:

Elzéar de Pontevès Elzéar or Elzear may refer to: *Elzéar Bédard (1799–1849), lawyer, member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada *Joseph-Elzéar Bernier (1852–1934), Canadian mariner who led expeditions into the Canadian Arctic *Elzéar Auguste Cousin ...

, O.F.M. * 1362–1383:

Raimond Savini Raimond is both a masculine given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Raimond Aumann (born 1963), German footballer *Raimond Beccarie de Pavie, Seigneur de Fourquevaux (1508–1574), French soldier, politician a ...

* 1383–1390:

Géraud du Breuil Géraud is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Géraud-Pierre-Henri-Julien Bessières (1777–1840), French scientist and diplomat *Géraud de Cordemoy (1626–1684), French philosopher, historian and lawyer *Géraud Duroc (1772– ...

(Avignon Obedience) * 1390–1410: Jean Fillet (Avignon Obedience) * 1411–1412: Pierre Perricaud, O.P. * 1412–1430: Constantinus de Pergola * 1430–1437: Étienne d'Épernay, O.P. * 1438–1466: Pierre Nasondi * 1467–1482:

Jean d'Ortigue Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...

* 1482–1489: Agricol de Panisse * 1490–1494:

Jean Chabrol Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...

from 1500 to 1800

* 1494–1515:

Jean de Montaigu Jean de Montagu or Jean de Montaigu (c.1349/50, Paris – Paris, 17 October 1409), was a royal secretary and pupil to Charles V, and subsequently an administrator and advisor to Charles VI of France, who became a leading figure in France during the ...

* 1515–1533: Jean de Nicolaï * 1533–1540: César Trivulce * 1540–1559:

Pierre de Forli 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 ...

* 1560–1571:

Baptiste de Simiane Baptiste may refer to: *Baptiste (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname *Baptiste, Centre, a commune of Haiti *Baptiste, Sud, a village in the Aquin commune of Haiti * ''Baptiste'' (TV series), a BBC TV se ...

* 1571–1582:

François de Simiane François () is a French language, French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis (given name), Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of ...

, O.Cist. * 1588–1607: Pompée de Periglio * 1607–1628: Jean Pélissier, O.S.B. * 1629–1670: Modeste de Villeneuve, O.F.M.Observ. * 1671–1695:

Jean de Gaillard Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

* 1696–1723: Ignace de Foresta * 1723–1751: Jean-Baptiste de Vaccon * 1752–1778: Félicien de la Merlière * 1778–1801:

Laurent Éon de Cély Laurent-Michel Eon de Cely (born in Bayeux 25 September 1735; died in Marseille 12 December 1815), was the last bishop of Apt from 1778 to 1801. Early life Laurent-Michel Eon de Cely, son of Baron Michel Eon (died 1780), and his wife Marie-Thérè ...

Cély fled to Rome in 1789 and remained there until the French army seized the city in 1798, when he fled to Naples. He resigned his See in 1801, at the demand of

. He moved to Marseille, where he died on 16 December 1815. Jean, pp. 22-23. Albanès, ''Gallia christiana novissima'', pp. 296-298. Ritzler-Sefrin, VI, p. 91 with note 3.

Titular Bishops of Apt

* 2009-current: Jean-Luc Hudsyn (Auxiliary Bishop of Mechelen-Brussel)

Notes

Bibliography

Reference works

* * (Use with caution; obsolete) * (in Latin) * (in Latin) * * * *

Studies

* * * * * {{Authority control Former Roman Catholic dioceses in France Dioceses established in the 4th century 4th-century establishments in Roman Gaul 1801 disestablishments in France