The former French Catholic diocese of Riez existed at least from fifth century

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...

to 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 ...

. Its see was at

Riez Riez (; Provençal: ''Riés'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Geography The densely built village sits where two small rivers join—the Auvestre and the Colostre—in a glacially wid ...

, in the modern department of

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or sometimes abbreviated as AHP (; oc, Aups d'Auta Provença; ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east, Var to the south, Vaucluse to the west ...

History

According to an unsupported tradition, the establishment of the Church in this diocese is attributed to the first century and to Eusebius of Eudochius, companion of Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead by Christ himself. A certain

Prosper of Reggio Saint Prosper of Reggio ( it, San Prospero; died 25 June c. 466) is an Italian saint. Tradition holds that he was a bishop of Reggio Emilia for twenty-two years. Little is known of his life, but documents attest that he was indeed bishop of Reg ...

of Reggio in Emilia (at the beginning of the fifth century) figures in the history of Riez and was perhaps its bishop. The first certainly known bishop of Riez is Maximus (433-60), who succeeded Honoratus as

Abbot of Lérins Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...

and who, in November 439, held a synod at Riez with a view to regularizing the situation of the churches of Southern Gaul, particularly the competing ambitions of the metropolitans of Embrun and Arles. The synod was presided over by Archbishop Hilary of Arles. His successor,

Faustus of Riez Saint Faustus of Riez was an early Bishop of Riez (Rhegium) in Southern Gaul (Provence), the best known and most distinguished defender of Semipelagianism. Biography Faustus was born between 400 and 410, and his contemporaries, Avitus of Vienne ...

(461-93), also Abbot of Lérins, was noted for his writings against Predestinationists; it was to him that Sidonius Apollinaris dedicated his "Carmen Eucharisticum" in gratitude for hospitality received at Riez. Robert Ceneau, the pulpit orator (1530–32), afterwards

Bishop of Avranches The Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances (–Avranches) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Constantiensis (–Abrincensis)''; French: ''Diocèse de Coutances (–Avranches)'') is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Its mother church is the Cathe ...

, and Cardinal

Guido Bentivoglio Guido Bentivoglio d'Aragona (4 October 15797 September 1644) was an Italian cardinal, statesman and historian. Early years A member of the Ferrara branch of the influential Bentivoglio family of Bologna, he was the younger son of marchese Co ...

(1622–25), who was nuncio in France and defender of French interests at Rome, were bishops there. In 1693 the number of residents in Riez was approximately 6,000, many of whom were Protestants. They were all subjects of the temporal power of the Bishop of Riez. The entire diocese contained 52 named localities, and 60 parishes (including 5 rural priories). In 1751, 3,000 faithful Christians (Catholics) are reported, and the diocese contained 54 parishes.

Bishops

To 1000

* Maximus (434–460) *

(461–495?) : idymus (510?)* Contumeliosus of Riez (c. 518–533) * Faustus (II.) (549) * Emeterius (554) * Claudianus (573) * Urbicus (584–600?) * Claudius (630?–650?) * Archinric (seventh century) * Absalon (late seventh century) * Anthimius (700?) * Riculfe (789?) * Rostan (820?) * Bernaire (840?) * Rudolf (850?) * Edoldus (879) * Gerard (936) * Almerade (c. 990 – c. 1030?)

1000-1300

* Bertrand (1040–1060?) * Agelric (1060?) * Henri (I.) (1094) * Augier (1096–1139?) * Fouques (1140) * Pierre Giraud (1145–1156) * Henri (II.) (1167–1180) * Aldebert de Gaubert (1180–1191) * Bertrand Garcin (1191–1192) * Imbert (1192–1201?) * Hugues Raimond (1202–1223) * Rostan de Sabran (1224–1240) * Fouques de Caille (1240–1273) *

Mathieu de Lusarches Mathieu is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname * André Mathieu (1929–1968), Canadian pianist and composer * Anselme Mathieu (1828–1895), French Provençal poet * Claude-Louis Mathieu (1783–1875), ...

(1273–1288) *

Pierre de Négrel 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 ...

(1288–1306)

1300-1500

Pierre de Gantelmi 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 ...

(1306–1317) *

Gaillard Saumate Gaillard () is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Gaillard lies on the border with Switzerland, 5 km east of the city centre of Geneva. The biggest border crossing is ca ...

(1317) :

Gaillard de Preissac Gaillard de Préchac or de Preyssac was a French Roman Catholic cleric. His mother Vidal/Vitale/Gailharde de Got was the sister of pope Clement V and of Arnaud-Garcie de Gout. Gaillard's father was Arnaud-Bernard I de Préchac (Préchac and Preys ...

(1318) (Gaillard de Preyssac) *

Pierre des Prés 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 ...

(1318) * Rossolin (1319–1329) *

Bernard d'Étienne Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "brav ...

(1329–1330) * Arnaud Sabatier (1330–1334) * Geffroi Isnard (1334–1348) * Jean Joffrevi (1348–1352) * Pierre Fabri (I.) (1352–1369) * Jean de Maillac, O.Min. (1370–1396) * Guillaume Fabri (1396–1413) * Pierre Fabri II. (1413–1416?) * Michel de Bouliers (I.) (1416–1441) * Michel de Bouliers (II.) (1442–1450) * Robert (1450) (Bishop-elect) * Jean Fassi (1450–1463) * Marc Lascaris de Tende (1463–1490) * Antoine Lascaris de Tende (1490–1523)

1500-suppression

* Thomas Lascaris de Tende (1523–1526) * Cardinal Christophe Numalius (Numai) (1526–1527) (Administrator) * François de Dinteville (1527–1530) * Robert Cénalis (1530–1532) * Antoine Lascaris de Tende (1532–1546) (second appointment) * Louis de Bouliers (1546–1550) (Bishop-elect) *

Lancelot de Carle Lancelot de Carle (also Carles) (c. 1508 – July 1568), Bishop of Riez, was a French scholar, poet and diplomat. He was in London in 1536, in the service of the French Ambassador, Antoine de Castelnau. Carle was an eyewitness to the trial and ...

(1550–1568) : ''Sede Vacante'' (1568–1572) * André d'Ormson (1572–1577) (Bishop-elect) * Elzéar de Rastel (1577–1597) * Charles de Saint-Sixte (1599–1614) * Guillaume Aleaume (1615–1622) * Cardinal Guido Bentivoglio d'Aragona (1622–1625) * François de la Fare, O.Minim. (1625–1628) * Louis Doni d'Attichy (1629–1652) * Nicolas de Valavoire (1652–1685) * Jacques Desmarets (1693–1713) * Balthasar Phelipeaux (1713–1751) * François de la Tour du Pin (1751–1772) * François de Clugny (1772–1801)Clugny fled his diocese in 1791, eventually settling in Lausanne. He resigned his diocese in 1801 into the hands of the Bishop of Digne. Jean, p. 27. Ritzler-Sefrin, VI, p. 355 with note 3.

Notes

Bibliography

Sources

* pp. 610–611. (Use with caution; obsolete) * p. 301. (in Latin) * p. 175. * * p. 219. * *

Studies

* n untrustworthy work, loaded with fantasy: see Albanès, pp. 559–564* second edition (in French) * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Riez, Roman Catholic Diocese of

1801 disestablishments in France