The Diocese of Comacchio (Latin: Dioecesis Comaclensis) was a Roman Catholic diocese located in the coastal town of
Comacchio Comacchio (; egl, label= Comacchiese, Cmâc' ) is a town and ''comune'' of Emilia Romagna, Italy, in the province of Ferrara, from the provincial capital Ferrara. It was founded about two thousand years ago; across its history it was first govern ...
in the
province of Ferrara
The province of Ferrara ( it, provincia di Ferrara; egl, pruvîncia ad Fràra) is a province in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Its provincial capital is the city Ferrara. As of 2016, it has a population of 354,238 inhabitants over an area ...
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. In 1986, the diocese of Commachio was united with the diocese of Ferrara, and lost its individual identity.
History
It is often stated that the earliest bishop of Comacchio, indeed the first bishop, was Pacatianus, who is said to have attended the Roman synod of 502. The subscription ''cumiaclensis'' in the Acts of the synod, however, has been shown to be a misreading of ''corneliensis'' (diocese of Imola). An anonymous bishop, said to have been operating in 592, is known only from a forged bull of
Pope Gregory I
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...
, and must therefore be excluded. The earliest known bishop is Vincentius, who belongs to the first quarter of the 8th century.
In 1579, Bishop Ercole Sacrati (1563–1591) presided over a diocesan synod, which issued a set of Constitutions for the government of the diocese of Comacchio.
During the French Revolution, an army of the French Republic occupied the Po Valley. Papal troops were withdrawn from Commachio on 22 June 1796, and a month later a Commissary of the French government arrived to turn Commachio into a French city. The diocese of Comacchio was assigned to the Archbishop of Ferrara as a suffragan, since Venice and Ravenna were in the hands of the Austrians. The citizens, clerical and lay, were required to swear an oath to the French Republic: ''Giuro fedeltà ed obbedienza alla repubblica francese, ed ai suoi delegati, salva la religione, la proprietà, e le persone.'' The Bishop was assigned the task of imposing the oath on all the clergy. The churches were despoiled, the Augustinians were expelled, and the abbey of Pomposa was closed. When the Congress of Vienna restored the old order in Italy, Austria was allowed to keep all of the territory north of the Po, and it continued to occupy The Three Legations, which legally belonged to the Papal States. Therefore, Comacchio was returned to its status as a suffragan of Ravenna, though the city was politically part of the Legation of Ferrara and the Papal States. The Austrians had a garrison in the castle of Comacchio.
On 18 May 1964,
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
, in response to a petition of the Cathedral Chapter of Comacchio, who wished to revive the Benedictine observance at the Territorial Abbey of Pomposa, after consultation with the Abbot Primate of the Order of Saint Benedict, Benno Gut, granted possession of the Abbey of Pomposa to the Bishop of Comacchio, ''pro tempore'' and ''donec aliter caveatur''. The Bishop was allowed to call himself ''Abbas Pomposianus''. The decree did not change the name of the diocese.
As part of a project begun on orders from
Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
, and continued under his successors, to reduce the number of dioceses in Italy and to rationalize their borders in terms of modern population changes and shortages of clergy, the diocese of Comacchio was united to the diocese of Ferrara by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Bishops, on 30 September 1986. There was to be one bishop, in Ferrara, and one curia, one cathedral, one Council of Consultors, one Council of Priests, and one seminary. The former cathedral of Comacchio was granted the title of Co-cathedral, and its Chapter was retained and not united with the Chapter of the Cathedral of Ferrara.
Cathedral and Chapter
The Cathedral served as the parish church for the entire city. The rest of the diocese had twelve parishes.
The Chapter of Canons was in existence before 1004. In 1715, the cathedral was served by a Chapter, composed of one dignity (the Archpriest) and four(-teen) Canons; there were also eight lesser clergy (priests) who carried out various liturgical and sacramental functions. In 1745 there was one dignity and seventeen Canons. After the French Empire of Napoleon I had collapsed, Pope Pius VII reestablished the office of Archpriest, by a bull of 22 September 1814. The office of Archdeacon was created by
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He h ...
in 1836, on the initiative of Bishop Michele Virgili (1819–1855).
Seminary
The seminary of Comacchio was founded by Bishop Bentini in 1745, but the institution was not fully functional until 1755. There were interruptions, however, due to various jurisdictional disputes and financial shortages. It was only in 1781 that the seminary was definitively opened.
After Comaccio became part of the Cisalpine Republic, the French occupation authorities closed the seminary in 1798. Bishop Boari, a Napoleonic enthusiast, reopened the seminary in 1800. During the wars of Italian unification, it was closed again, and not reopened until 1882. In 1930, the lyceum division and the theological division were transferred, with papal approval, to the seminary in Bologna. In 1954 Bishop Natale Mosconi moved the seminary to new quarters, but on 30 November 1967, it was closed due to financial distress, and its students were transferred to the Archdiocesan Seminary of Ferrara. In 1986 the diocese of Comacchio ceased to exist, and became part of the diocese of Ferrara.
*Onofrio Stecutti, O.E.S.A. (1400) (Roman Obedience)
*Giacomo Bertuzzi degli Obizzi (1402–1404) (Roman Obedience)
*Giovanni de Strada (de Pertegonibus) (1404– ) (Roman Obedience)
*Alberto Benedetti, O.Serv. (1418– )
*Maynard de Contrariis (1431–1449?)
*Bartolomeo de'Medici (1450?–1460?)
*Francesco Fogliano (1460–1471)
*Filippo de Zobolis (Zobale) (1472–1497)
*Meliadusius d'Este (1497–1506)
*Thomas Foschi (1506–1514)
*
Ghillino Ghillini
Ghilino Ghilini or Guglielmo de Guillini or Ghilino Ghillini (died 1559) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Comacchio (1514–1559). ''(in Latin)''
Biography
On 1 September 1514, Ghilino Ghilini was appointed during the papacy ...
(1514–1559 Died)
*
Alfonso Rossetti
Alfonso Rossetti (died 1577) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Ferrara (1563–1577) ''(in Latin)''
and Bishop of Comacchio (1559–1563). ''(in Latin)''
Biography
On 22 October 1548, Alfonso Rossetti was appointed during the p ...
(1559 – 1563)
*
Ercole Sacrati The male first name Ercole, Italian version of Hercules, can refer to:
People
* Ercole (name), list of people with the name
House of D'Este
*Ercole I d'Este (1431–1505), Duke of Ferrara
* Ercole II d'Este (1508–1559), Duke of Ferrara, Modena ...
( 1563–1591 Died)
*
Orazio Giraldi
Orazio Giraldi (died 1617) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Comacchio (1592–1617). ''(in Latin)''
Biography
On 22 April 1592, Orazio Giraldi was appointed during the papacy of Pope Clement VIII as Bishop of Comacchio.
On 2 ...
(22 Apr 1592 – Jan 1617 Died)
*
Alfonso Sacrati
Alfonso Sacrati or Alphonse Sacrati (1585–1647) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Apostolic Nuncio to Switzerland (1646–1647), Vicegerent of Rome (1643–1646), and Bishop of Comacchio (1617–1626). ''(in Latin)''
Biography
Alfonso ...
(12 Jun 1617 – 1626 Resigned)
*
Camillo Moro
Camillo Moro (died 1630) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Comacchio (1626–1630) ''(in Latin)''
and Bishop of Termoli (1612–1630). ''(in Latin)''
Biography
On 3 December 1612, Camillo Moro was appointed during the papacy o ...
Catholic-Hierarchy.org
''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'' is an online database of bishops and dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Catholic Churches. The website is not officially sanctioned by the Church. It is run as a private project by David M. Cheney in Ka ...
Catholic-Hierarchy.org
''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'' is an online database of bishops and dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Catholic Churches. The website is not officially sanctioned by the Church. It is run as a private project by David M. Cheney in Ka ...
Vincenzo Moretti
Vincenzo Moretti (14 November 1815 – 6 October 1881) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and the Archbishop of Ravenna from 1871 until his resignation in 1879. He was elevated to the cardinalate in late 1877.
He served first as the Bishop ...
(17 Dec 1855–1860)
*Fedele Bufarini (23 Mar 1860 – 1867 Resigned)
*Alessandro Paolo Spoglia (27 Mar 1867 – 15 Sep 1879 Resigned)
*Aloysius Pistocchi (19 Sep 1879 – 31 Mar 1883 Died)
*Tullio Sericci (9 Aug 1883 – 5 Jul 1902 Died)
*Alfonso Archi (10 Oct 1902 –1905)
*Annibale Lupi (14 Jul 1906 – 14 May 1908 Died)
*Giulio Boschi (7 Jan 1909 – 15 May 1920 Died)
*Gherardo Sante Menegazzi, O.F.M. Cap. (16 Dec 1920 – 1 Jul 1938 Resigned)
*Paolo Babini (12 Sep 1938 –1950)Babini was appointed
Bishop of Forlì
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
by
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
on 21 Oct 1950
*Natale Mosconi (28 May 1951 – 5 Aug 1954 Appointed,
Archbishop of Ferrara
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio ( la, Archidioecesis Ferrariensis-Comaclensis) has existed since 1986, when the diocese of Comacchio was combined with the historical archdiocese of Ferrara. It is a suffragan of the archdioce ...
)
*Giovanni Mocellini (26 Aug 1955 – 1 Jan 1969 Appointed,
Bishop of Adria
The Italian Catholic Diocese of Adria-Rovigo ( la, Dioecesis Adriensis-Rhodigiensis), in the Triveneto, has existed under this name since 1986. It is a Latin suffragan to the Patriarchate of Venice.Archbishop (Personal Title) of Padua)
*Luigi Maverna (25 Mar 1982 – 30 Sep 1986 Appointed, Archbishop of Ferrara-Comacchio)
''1986 Sep 30: Suppressed, territory assigned to the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio ( la, Archidioecesis Ferrariensis-Comaclensis) has existed since 1986, when the diocese of Comacchio was combined with the historical archdiocese of Ferrara. It is a suffragan of the archdioces ...
''
See also
*
Catholic Church in Italy
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, image = San_Giovanni_in_Laterano_-_Rome.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, alt =
, caption = Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, the ''cathedra'' seat of the Pop ...
Notes and references
Sources
Reference works
*
* pp. 687–688. (in Latin)
* (in Latin)
* (in Latin)
* (in Latin)
* (in Latin)
*
* (in Latin)
*
*
*
Venezia
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The islan ...