Avezzano
Avezzano ( or ; nap, Avezzàne, label=Neapolitan language, Marsicano ) is a city and ''comune'' with a population of 40,819 inhabitants, situated in the Abruzzo region, province of L'Aquila, Italy. It is the second most populous municipality in th ...
( la, Dioecesis Marsorum) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in central Italy, whose name in Italian was changed in 1986. It was previously known as the Diocese of Marsi, as it still is in Latin. It has been 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 ...
of the
Archdiocese of L'Aquila
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of L'Aquila ( la, Archidioecesis Aquilanus) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy."Diocese of Avezzano" '' Catholic-Hierarchy.org''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016."Diocese of Avezzano" ''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
History
The diocese of
Marsi
The Marsi were an Italic people of ancient Italy, whose chief centre was Marruvium, on the eastern shore of Lake Fucinus (which was drained for agricultural land in the late 19th century). The area in which they lived is now called Marsica. ...
had its original seat at Pescina.
According to a local legend, the Gospel was preached to the Marsican region in Apostolic times by
Saint Mark
Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Accor ...
. Saint Rufinus, their bishop, was martyred about 240. The episcopal see was originally at Santa Sabina church in
Marruvium
San Benedetto dei Marsi ( la, Marruvium, ; grc, Μαρούϊον, translit=Maroúïon) is a ''comune ''and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is on the eastern shore of the dried Lake Fucino, from the rema ...
, but, as this place was isolated and therefore insecure, Pope Gregory XIII permitted, in 1580, the removal of the bishop's residence to Pescina, where the cathedral was completed in 1596.
Among the bishops of the diocese was Berardo (c.1110–1130) of the family of the Counts of the Marsi. He was educated at Montecassino, and became papal governor of the Campagna. On account of his justice and of his severity in that office, he was imprisoned by Pietro Colonna, but
Pope Paschal II
Pope Paschal II ( la, Paschalis II; 1050 1055 – 21 January 1118), born Ranierius, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was cre ...
made him a cardinal, and bishop of his native town.
Shortly after the beginning of the episcopate of Bishop Pandolfus in 1032, in the midst of intense civil strife,
Pope Benedict IX
Pope Benedict IX ( la, Benedictus IX; c. 1012 – c. 1056), born Theophylactus of Tusculum in Rome, was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States on three occasions between October 1032 and July 1048. Aged approximately 20 at his first ele ...
divided the diocese of Marsi, leaving part to Bishop Pandolfus and giving the rest to Bishop Atto, a relative of the Theophylacts. Atto's cathedral was established at S. Maria di Carsoli, and he took possession both of the territory of Carsoli and the valley of the Nerfa river. At the general council held in the Lateran by
Pope Victor II
Pope Victor II (c. 1018 – 28 July 1057), born Gebhard of Dollnstein-Hirschberg, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 April 1055 until his death in 1057. Victor II was one of a series of German-born popes w ...
, on 18 April 1057, however, the decisions of Benedict IX were reversed, and the diocese of Marsi reunited in its original form. Pandulfus continued as its bishop, and Atto, at the insistence of the entire assembly, was transferred to the diocese of Chieti. On 9 December 1057, the new pope,
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, ...
, confirmed the decisions of the synod, and further confirmed Bishop Pandulf in the possession of the entire diocese of Marsi, including the church of Santa Sabina, of the ancient city of the Marsi, his episcopal seat.
On 25 February 1114,
Pope Paschal II
Pope Paschal II ( la, Paschalis II; 1050 1055 – 21 January 1118), born Ranierius, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was cre ...
issued a bull, "Sicut iniusta poscentibus," confirming for Bishop Berardus all of the parish boundaries and enumerating all of his privileges and rights.
Pope Gregory XIII published the bull, "In suprema dignitatis" on 1 January 1580, in response to petitions from Bishop Matthew, leaders, and citizens of the ''civitas Marsorum'', who pointed out that for more than forty years the city had been devastated, the victim of wars. He granted their requests, and transferred the episcopal seat, the canons, all the benefices, and other diocesan apparatus to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Pescina.
The diocesan seminary was begun by Bishop Giambattista Milanese (1562–1577), but not put into use until Bishop Matteo Colli issued a bull on 17 August 1580, in which he redirected the income of 53 benefices established by the duchess of Amalfi, as well as all the benefices on the lands of the Colonna and the Savelli.
Bishop Bartolomeo Peretti 1597–1628) showed immediately upon his appointment that he was a friend of the poor and the average citizen. But he made a bad name for himself among the aristocracy, particularly the Tornese, as he mixed into their financial, political, and marital business. Like his predecessor, he was litigious. Complaints from powerful men reached Rome, and in January 1600 he was summoned to Rome by
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605.
Born ...
to give an accounting of his activities. He was lodged in the Castel Sant'Angelo, and forbidden to exercise the administration of the diocese of Marsi. An apostolic administrator, Fr. Sebastiano Ghislieri, was appointed, until he was named bishop of Strongoli on 30 April 1601. He was succeeded by Fr. Paolo Pagano, who died in November 1601, and then Fr. Fulgenzio Tomassetti of Pescina until 1606. He was succeeded by Fr. Pompeo Gallosio, the Provost of Celano, for five months in 1606, until Bishop Peretti was finally released in the middle of the year.
On 1 August 1606, Bishop Bartolomeo Peretti consecrated the cathedral of S. Maria delle Grazie.
Bishop Benedetto Mattei (1760–1776) made frequent trips during his episcopate both to Rome and to Naples, where he had family and diocesan business. On his return to the diocese, he preferred to stay at the family palazzo in Celano rather than in the less congenial Pescina, where the episcopal palace was in a run-down condition. The absence of the bishop was inconvenient for the canons of the cathedral Chapter of S. Maria delle Grazie in Pescina, and when Bishop Mattei set up a throne in the church of S. Giovanni in Celano for his pontifical convenience, even designating the church a co-cathedral, the Chapter was outraged. The bishop announced that he would make the arrangement permanent, but, on 24 June 1776 he died.
Synods
A diocesan synod was an irregularly held, but important, meeting of the bishop of a diocese and his clergy. Its purpose was (1) to proclaim generally the various decrees already issued by the bishop; (2) to discuss and ratify measures on which the bishop chose to consult with his clergy; (3) to publish statutes and decrees of the diocesan synod, of the provincial synod, and of the Holy See. John Paul II, Constitutio Apostolica ''de Synodis Dioecesanis Agendis'' (March 19, 1997) ''Acta Apostolicae Sedis'' 89 (1997), pp. 706-727. Andrea Tilatti, "Sinodi diocesane e concili provinciali in italia nord-orientale fra Due e Trecento. Qualche riflessione," ''Mélanges de l'Ecole française de Rome. Moyen-Age, Temps modernes T. 112, N°1. 2000, pp. 273-304.
The first diocesan synod was held by Bishop Giambattista Milanese (1562–1577), shortly after his return from the
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trento, Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italian Peninsula, Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation ...
.
Bishop Bartolomeo Perretti held a diocesan synod in the cathedral of S. Maria delle Grazie on 10 June 1612. Bishop Ascanio de Gasparis (1650–1664) held a diocesan synod on 21–22 April 1653 in Pescina. A diocesan synod was held by Bishop Diego Petra (1664–1680) at Pescina on 25–27 July 1673. Bishop Francesco Corradini presided at a diocesan synod on 25 April 1686. Bishop Camillo Giovanni Rossi (1805–1818) held a diocesan synod on 10–12 September 1815 in the cathedral of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Reorganization in the 20th century
The
1915 Avezzano earthquake
The 1915 Avezzano earthquake or 1915 Fucino earthquake occurred on 13 January in central Italy at . The shock had a moment magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''). The epicenter was located in the town of Avezzano ...
destroyed 96% of the city of Avezzano and severely damaged much of the province of Aquila; there were estimated to be 30,000 deaths directly caused by the tremors.
In 1922, Abbot Placido Nicolini of the monastery of Santissima Trinità de Cava petitioned
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
to allow the place called Paterno in the diocese of Marsico, which belonged to the city of Tramutola, to be assigned to the jurisdiction of the part of Tramutola which belonged to his abbey. On 29 May 1922, the Consistorial Congregation in the papal Curia issued the appropriate document granting the request. The diocese of Marsi therefore lost territory, population, and income.
Following the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
, and in accordance with the norms laid out in the council's decree, ''Christus Dominus'' chapter 40, Pope Paul VI ordered a reorganization of the ecclesiastical provinces in southern Italy. On 15 August 1972, a new ecclesiastical province was created, with L'Aquila, which had previously been directly subject to the Holy See, as the new metropolitan archbishopric. The diocese of the Marsi (later renamed Avezzano) and the diocese of Valva e Sulmona were appointed suffragans.
In 1986,
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
was carrying out a general reorganization of the ecclesiastical provinces and dioceses of Italy, in accordance with the directions of the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
, the new 1984 concordat with the Republic of Italy, and canon and civil law. In the case of the diocese of Marsi, it was decided that the papal Curia woudl continue to use the official name ''Dioecesis Marsorum'', but that in the Italian vernacular it should be referred to as Diocesi di Avezzano.
Francesco Maccafani
Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include:
People with the given name Francesco
* Francesco I (disambiguation), sever ...
(1470–1471) resigned
*
Gabriele Maccafani Gabriele is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
Surname
*Al Gabriele, American comic book artist
*Angel Gabriele (1956–2016), American comic book artist
* Corrado Gabriele (born 1966), Italian polit ...
Marcello Crescenzi
Marcello Crescenzi (1500 – 28 May 1552) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.
Biography
Marcello Crescenzi was born in Rome in 1500, the son of Mario Crescenzi and Pantasilea Capodiferro.
He became a doctor of both laws. He was ...
Bishop of Casale Monferrato
The Diocese of Casale Monferrato (Latin: ''Dioecesis Casalensis'') is a Roman Catholic diocese in northwest Italy, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vercelli which forms part of the ecclesiastical region of Piedmont.
Matteo Colli
Matteo is the Italian form of the given name Matthew. Another form is Mattia. The Hebrew meaning of Matteo is "gift of god". Matteo can also be used as a patronymic surname, often in the forms of de Matteo, De Matteo or DeMatteo, meaning " escenda ...
(1579–1596)
since 1600
*
Bartolomeo Peretti Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo is a masculine Italian given name, the Italian equivalent of Bartholomew. Its diminutive form is Baccio. Notable people with the name include:
* Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo (1824–1860), Italian paleobotanist and liche ...
1597–1628)
*
Baglione Carradoli
Giovanni Baglione (1566 – 30 December 1643) was an Italian Late Mannerist and Early Baroque painter and art historian. He is best remembered for his acrimonious and damaging involvement with the slightly younger artist Caravaggio and ...
(1628–1629)
*
Muzio Colonna
Muzio Colonna (1596–1632) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Marsi (1629–1632). ''(in Latin)''
Biography
Muzio Colonna was born on 12 Aug 1596 in Rome, Italy.
On 17 Sep 1629, he was appointed during the papacy of Pope Urb ...
Ascanio de Gasparis
''Ascanio'' is a grand opera in five acts and seven tableaux by composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The opera's French libretto, by Louis Gallet, is based on the 1852 play ''Benvenuto Cellini'' by French playwright Paul Meurice which was in turn based ...
(1650–1664)
*
Diego Petra
Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''.
Et ...
Francesco Vincenzo Lajezza
Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include:
People with the given name Francesco
* Francesco I (disambiguation), sever ...
1776–1792)
* Giuseppe Bolognese (1797–1803)
:''Sede Vacante'' (1803–1805)
*
Camillo Giovanni Rossi
Camillo is an Italian masculine given name, descended from Latin Camillus. Its Slavic languages, Slavic cognate is Kamil.
People with the name include:
*Camillo Agrippa, Italian Renaissance fencer, architect, engineer and mathematician
*Camillo ...
O.S.B.
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, found ...
(1818–1823) confirmed
Bishop of Aversa
The Diocese of Aversa ( la, Dioecesis Aversana) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Campania, southern Italy, created in 1053. It is situated in the ''Terra di Lavoro'' (Liburia), seven miles north of Naples, and eight miles south of C ...
Federico de Giacomo Federico (; ) is a given name and surname. It is a form of Frederick, most commonly found in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.
People with the given name Federico
Artists
* Federico Ágreda, Venezuelan composer and DJ.
* Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, r ...
(1871–1884) died
*
Enrico de Dominis
Enrico is both an Italian masculine given name and a surname, Enrico means homeowner, or king, derived from ''Heinrich'' of Germanic origin. It is also a given name in Ladino. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Henri (French), Enri ...
Marino Russo Marino, Mariño or Maryino may refer to:
Places
* Marino, Lazio, a town in the province of Rome, Italy
* Marino, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide
** Marino Conservation Park
** Marino Rocks Greenway, a cycling route
** Marino Rocks railway ...
Nicola Cola
Nicola may refer to:
People
* Nicola (name), including a list of people with the given name or, less commonly, the surname
**Nicola (artist) or Nicoleta Alexandru, singer who represented Romania at the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest
* Nicola people, ...
O.C.D.
The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel ( la, Ordo Fratrum Carmelitarum Discalceatorum Beatae Mariae Virginis de Monte Carmelo) or the Order of Discalced Carme ...
Biagio Vittorio Terrinoni Biagio is an Italian male given name. It may also refer to:
People
* Biagio (archbishop), Archbishop of Torres
* Biagio Antonacci, Italian singer-songwriter
* Biagio Betti, Italian painter
* Biagio Black, American painter
* Biagio Brugi, Italian ...
,
O.F.M. Cap.
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM) ...
(1977–1990) retired
Bishops of Avezzano
''Italian name changed: 30 September 1986''
''Metropolitan:
O. Carm.
, image =
, caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites
, abbreviation = OCarm
, formation = Late 12th century
, founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel
, founding_location = Mount Ca ...
(1999–2006) appointed
Bishop of San Severo
The Italian Catholic Diocese of San Severo ( la, Dioecesis Sancti Severi) is in Apulia. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Foggia-Bovino.
History
The diocese of San Severo was established on 9 March 1580 by Pope Gregory XIII, with the bull ...
*
Pietro Santoro
Pietro is an Italian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
People
* Pietro I Candiano (c. 842–887), briefly the 16th Doge of Venice
* Pietro Tribuno (died 912), 17th Doge of Venice, from 887 to his death
* Pietro II Can ...