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The Italian Catholic diocese of
Isernia Isernia () or, in Pliny and later writers, ''Eserninus'', or in the Antonine Itinerary, ''Serni''. is a town and ''comune'' in the southern Italian region of Molise, and the capital of province of Isernia. Geography Situated on a rocky crest ri ...
-Venafro ( la, Dioecesis Aeserniensis-Venafrensis) in
Molise Molise (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Neapolitan, Mulise) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise, alongside the region of Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effe ...
, 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 ...
of the
archdiocese of Campobasso-Boiano The Italian Catholic Archdiocese of Campobasso-Boiano ( la, Archidioecesis Campobassensis-Boianensis) became an archdiocese in 1973 and a metropolitan see in 1976. The historical diocese of Boiano was renamed diocese of Boiano-Campobasso in 19 ...
. In 1852 the historic diocese of Isernia was combined with the diocese of Venafro, to form the diocese of Isernia e Venafro."Diocese of Isernia-Venafro"
''
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 ...
''. David m. Cheney. Retrieved January 30, 2016
"Diocese of Isernia-Venafro"
''GCatholic''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved January 30, 2016
The seat of the present bishop is
Isernia Cathedral Isernia Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Isernia, ''Cattedrale di San Pietro Apostolo'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Isernia, Italy, the seat of the Bishop of Isernia-Venafro. It is dedicated to the Apostle Peter An apostle (), in it ...
, while
Venafro Cathedral Venafro Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Venafro; ''Concattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Venafro in the region of Molise, Italy, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Previously the seat of the Bishops of Vena ...
has become a co-cathedral in the new diocese.


History

The epoch of Bishop Benedict of Isernia, and indeed his very existence, is without any documentary evidence at all. It is even claimed that he had predecessors, beginning with Poltinus, who was consecrated a bishop by Saint Peter the Apostle himself. That the existence of the episcopal see in the fifth century is certain is likewise a doubtful proposition; each of the purported bishops has been assigned to other dioceses. After the Lombard invasions, Isernia was the seat of a countship, founded by the Duke of Benevento. It was destroyed by the Saracens in the ninth century. In 847, the entire city of Isernia was destroyed by an earthquake, with great loss of life, including the bishop. On 5 May 964, the Lombard princes, Pandulfus and Landulfus, granted the town of Isernia with all its territories to Count Landulfus, at the plea of Bishop Ardericus. The grant recites the boundaries of the territory. In 1199 it was sacked by
Markward von Annweiler Markward von Annweiler (died 1202) was Imperial Seneschal and Regent of the Kingdom of Sicily. Biography Markward was a ministerialis, that is, he came not from the free nobility, but from a class of unfree knights and administrators whose purpose ...
, the vicar of the deceased
Emperor Henry VI Henry VI (German: ''Heinrich VI.''; November 1165 – 28 September 1197), a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was King of Germany (King of the Romans) from 1169 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 until his death. From 1194 he was also King of Sic ...
. On 5 December 1456, another great earthquake caused heavy damage and deaths in the area of Isernia. In 1688, both cities were damaged, though apparently the greatest damage was the loss of the church of the Carmelites in Venafro. In 1805, Isernia was struck by a severe earthquake, which ruined the ancient cathedral. In 1032 the Diocese of Venafro (The town was formerly the site of Roman country residences) was united to Isernia, and in 1230 it was again separated. On 12 November 1192, the city of Venafro was sacked and burned by the German troops of the Emperor Henry VI, led by Duke Bertold. Bishop Gentile was forced to flee. He sought refuge in Aversa, whose leaders persuaded him to become their bishop. The ecclesiastical leaders in Venafro and in Isernia immediately began to air various grievances against one another, which led to litigation. Numerous citations of the parties to appear before Cardinal Gerardo of S. Adriano, the judge whom
Pope Celestine III Pope Celestine III ( la, Caelestinus III; c. 1106 – 8 January 1198), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 March or 10 April 1191 to his death in 1198. He had a tense relationship with several monarchs, ...
had appointed, were ignored or put off to a later time. Exasperated, the cardinal authorized the chapter of the Cathedral at Venafro to proceed to elect their own bishop. The Chapter elected Johannes de Abner, but when the pope heard that they had chosen someone who was not even in Holy Orders, he voided the election. Finally, in 1195, he confirmed one R - - -as the new bishop of Venafro. Since the absence of a bishop at Isernia was causing great detriment, Pope Celestine appointed R., the bishop-elect of Venafro, to be the bishop of Isernia as well, ordering the Chapter to obey R. as if they had elected him themselves.


Reorganization of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, 1818

Following the extinction of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
authorized the restoration of the Papal States and the Kingdom of The Two Sicilies (Naples). Since the French occupation had seen the abolition of many Church institutions in the Kingdom, as well as the confiscation of much Church property and resources, it was imperative that
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 ...
and
King Ferdinand IV Ferdinand I (12 January 1751 – 4 January 1825) was the King of the Two Sicilies from 1816, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that he had been, since 1759, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand ...
reach agreement on restoration and restitution. A concordat was finally signed on 16 February 1818, and ratified by Pius VII on 25 February 1818. Ferdinand issued the concordat as a law on 21 March 1818. The right of the king to nominate the candidate for a vacant bishopric was recognized, as in the Concordat of 1741, subject to papal confirmation (preconisation). On 27 June 1818, Pius VII issued the bull ''De Ulteriore'', in which he reestablished the metropolitan archbishopric of Capua, and assigned as suffragan (subordinate) dioceses: Isernia, Calvi, Suessa, and Caserta. The diocese of Venafro was permanently suppressed, and united to the diocese of Isernia. On 18 June 1852, in the bull "Sollicitudinem Animarum",
Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
the arrangement was changed. The diocese of Isernia and the revived diocese of Venafro were to be under the governance of one single bishop, ''aeque personaliter'', to be called the diocese of Isernia e Venafro.


Post Vatican II changes

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 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 ...
ordered a reorganization of the ecclesiastical provinces in southern Italy. His decree "Ad Apicem Spiritualis" of 21 August 1976 created a new episcopal conference in the region called "Molise", to be called "Boianensis-Campobassensis", with the archdiocese of Boiano-Campobasso, formerly directly subject to the Holy See, to be the Metropolitan; its suffragans were to be the dioceses of Trivento, Isernia e Venafra, and Thermulae e Larino.
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 ...
also ordered consultations among the members of the Congregation of Bishops in the Vatican Curia, the Italian Bishops Conference, and the various dioceses concerned, with regard to additional changes. On 18 February 1984, the Vatican and the Italian State signed
new and revised concordat
Based on the revisions, a set of ''Normae'' was issued on 15 November 1984, which was accompanied in the next year, on 3 June 1985, by enabling legislation. According to the agreement, the practice of having one bishop govern two separate dioceses at the same time, ''aeque personaliter'', was abolished. The Vatican continued consultations which had begun under
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 ...
for the merging of small dioceses, especially those with personnel and financial problems, into one combined diocese. On 30 September 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 ...
ordered that the dioceses of Isernia and Venafro be merged into full union as one diocese with one bishop, with the Latin title ''Dioecesis Aeserniensis-Venafrensis''. The seat of the diocese was to be in Isernia, and the cathedral of Isernia was to serve as the cathedral of the merged diocese. The cathedral in Venafro was to become a co-cathedral, and its cathedral Chapter was to be a ''Capitulum Concathedralis''. There was to be only one diocesan Tribunal, in Isernia, and likewise one seminary, one College of Consultors, and one Priests' Council. The territory of the new diocese was to include the territory of the suppressed diocese of Venafro.


Bishops


Diocese of Isernia


to 1379

:... * nonymous(d. 847) :... *Odelgarius (attested 877) :... * nonymous(attested 943) : andus (Lando) 946):... *Ardericus (attested 964–975) :... *Gerardus (attested 1032) :... *Petrus of Ravenna, O.S.B. (attested c. 1059) *Raynaldus (attested 1170 – 1183) :... *Gentile (attested 1192) :''Sede vacante'' (1192 – 1195) * - - -(attested 1195) *Darius (1207 – 1211) *Theodorus *Hugo (attested 1244) *Nicolaus *Henricus da S. Germano, O.Min. (1267 – 1276) *Matthaeus (1276 – 1287?) *Robertus *Jacobus *Petrus :Conradus Rampini (1330) ''Bishop-elect'' *Henricus, O.F.M. (4 July 1330 - 1331) *Guglielmo, O.Carm. (13 November 1331 - ?) *Cristoforo (c. 1348 - ? ) *Filippo Gezza de Rufinis, O.P. (1362 - 1367) *Paolo Francisci de' Lapi (22 dicembre 1367 - 1379)


from 1379 to 1600

*Niccolò (II) (1379 - ?) * Cristoforo Maroni (1387 – 1389) *Domenico (1390 - 1402) ''Roman Obedience'' *Andrea Serao (1402) ''Roman Obedience'' *Antonio De Rossi (1402 - 1404) *Niccolò (III), O.S.B. (14 May 1404 - ? ) *Bartolomeo di Pardo (28 January 1415 - ? ) *Giacomo de Monte Aquila (27 June 1418 - 1469) * Carlo Setari (12 Jan 1470 – 1486 Died) ''(in Latin)'' * Francesco Adami (10 Apr 1486 – 1497 Died) *
Costantino Castriota Costantino Castriota Scanderbeg (1477–1500) was an Albanian nobleman from the House of Kastrioti and prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Isernia (1497–1500). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Costantino Castriota was born in 1477 ...
(2 Oct 1497 – 1500 Died) *
Giovanni Olivieri Giovanni Olivieri (died 1510) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Isernia (1500–1510). ''(in Latin)'' ''(in Latin)'' Biography On 8 April 1500, Giovanni Olivieri was appointed during the papacy of Pope Alexander VI as Bishop of ...
(8 Apr 1500 – 1510 Died) *
Massimo Bruni Corvino Massimo Bruni Corvino (died 1522) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Isernia (1510–1522). ''(in Latin)'' Biography On 30 September 1510, Massimo Bruni Corvino was appointed during the papacy of Pope Julius II as Bishop of Iser ...
(30 Sep 1510 – 1522 Died) * Christopher Numai, O.F.M. Obs. (1523 – 1524 Resigned) * Antonio Numai (1524 – 1567 Resigned) * Giovanni Battista Lomellino (1567 – 1599) *
Paolo De Curtis Paolo De Curtis, C.R. (died 1629) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Isernia (1600–1606) and Bishop of Ravello (1591–1600). Biography Paolo De Curtis was ordained a priest in the Congregation of Clerics Regular of the Divi ...
, C.R. (15 Mar 1600 – 1606 Resigned)Gauchat, ''Hierarchia catholica'' IV, p. 211."Bishop Paolo De Curtis, C.R."
''
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 ...
''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved November 24, 2016
* Alessio Geromoaddi (24 Apr 1606 – 6 Apr 1611 Died) *
Marcantonio Genovesi Marcantonio Genovesi (died 7 November 1624) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Isernia (1611–1624) and Bishop of Montemarano (1603–1611). ''(in Latin)''Gian Gerolamo Campanili Gian Gerolamo Campanili (died 22 June 1626) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Isernia (1608–1625) ''(in Latin)'' and Bishop of Lacedonia (1625–1626). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Gian Gerolamo Campanili was born in Naples, Ita ...
(27 Jan 1625 – 22 Jun 1626 Died) *
Diego Merino Diego Merino, O. Carm. (1570 – 1 January 1637) was a Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Isernia (1626–1637) ''(in Latin)'' and Bishop of Montepeloso (1623–1626). ''(in Latin)''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 ...
(24 Aug 1626 – 1 Jan 1637 Died) *
Domenico Giordani Domenico Giordani, O.F.M. Obs. (died 1640) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Isernia (1637–1640). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Domenico Giordani was born in Naples, Italy and ordained a priest in the Order of Observant Friars Mi ...
, O.F.M. (17 Aug 1637 – 11 Feb 1640 Died)


from 1640 to 1861

* Marcello Stella (26 Mar 1640 – 1642 Died) *
Gerolamo Mascambruno Gerolamo Mascambruno (1597–1643) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Isernia (1642–1643). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Gerolamo Mascambruno was born in 1597 in Benevento, Italy and ordained a priest on 29 Jun 1642. On 11 Aug ...
(11 Aug 1642 – May 1643 Died) * Pietro Paolo de' Rustici,
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 ...
(14 Dec 1643 – 28 Oct 1652) *
Gerolamo Bollini Gerolamo Bollini (1593–1660) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Isernia (1653–1660).
,
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 ...
(9 Jun 1653 – 1660) * Tiburzio Bollini,
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 ...
(28 May 1657 – 1662) * Michelangelo Catalani,
O.F.M. Conv. The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv) is a male religious fraternity in the Roman Catholic Church that is a branch of the Franciscans. The friars in OFM CONV are also known as Conventual Franciscans, or Minorites. Dating back to ...
(20 Sep 1660 – 1672) *
Gerolamo Passarelli Gerolamo is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Gerolamo Cardano (1501–1576), Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, astrologer and gambler *Gerolamo Emiliani (1486–1537), Italian humanitarian, founder of the Somaschi F ...
(30 Jan 1673 – 1689) *
Michele de Bologna Michele de Bologna, C.R. (1647–1731) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Amalfi (1701–1731) and Bishop of Isernia (1690–1698). ''(in Latin)''C.R. (6 Mar 1690 – 11 Dec 1698 Resigned) *
Biagio Terzi 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 ...
(22 Dec 1698 – May 1717 Died) *Giovanni Saverio Lioni (20 Dec 1717 – 1730) *Giuseppe Isidoro Persico (1731 – 1739) *Giacinto Maria Jannucci (14 Dec 1739 – 26 Mar 1757) *Erasmo Mastrilli,
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 ...
(26 Sep 1757 – Jan 1769) *Michelangelo della Peruta (21 Aug 1769 – 30 Oct 1806) :''Sede vacante'' (1806 – 1818) *Michele Ruopoli (25 May 1818 – 24 Dec 1821) *Salvatore Maria Pignattaro, O.P. (1823 – 1825 Resigned) *Adeodato Gomez Cardosa (19 Dec 1825 – 4 Jul 1834 Died) :''Sede vacante'' (1834 – 1837) *Gennaro Saladino (19 May 1837 – 27 Apr 1861 Died)


Diocese of Isernia e Venafro

:''United: 18 June 1852 with Diocese of Venafro'' *Antonio Izzo (23 Feb 1872 – 24 Oct 1879 Died) *Agnello Renzullo (27 Feb 1880 – 23 Jun 1890 Appointed,
Bishop of Nola The Diocese of Nola ( la, Dioecesis Nolana) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Italy, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Naples.
) *Francesco Paolo Carrano (4 Jun 1891 – 16 Jan 1893 Appointed,
Archbishop 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.O.F.M. (28 Mar 1916 – 27 Apr 1932 Died) *Francesco Pietro Tesauri (13 Mar 1933 – 25 May 1939 Appointed, Archbishop of Lanciano e Ortona) *Alberto Carinci (25 Mar 1940 – 28 Apr 1948 Appointed, Bishop of Boiano-Campobasso) *Giovanni Lucato, S.D.B. (21 Jun 1948 – 1 May 1962 Died) *Achille Palmerini (11 Jul 1962 – 7 Apr 1983 Retired) *Ettore Di Filippo (7 Apr 1983 – 28 Oct 1989 Appointed,
Archbishop of Campobasso-Boiano The Italian Catholic Archdiocese of Campobasso-Boiano ( la, Archidioecesis Campobassensis-Boianensis) became an archdiocese in 1973 and a metropolitan see in 1976. The historical diocese of Boiano was renamed diocese of Boiano-Campobasso in 192 ...
)


Diocese of Isernia-Venafro

:''On 30 September 1986, the diocese of Venafro was permanently suppressed.'' *Ettore Di Filippo (30 September 1986 – 1989) * Andrea Gemma, F.D.P. (7 Dec 1990 – 5 Aug 2006 Retired) *Salvatore Visco (5 Apr 2007 – 2013)On 30 April 2013, Bishop Visco was appointed
Archbishop of Capua The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Capua ( la, Archidioecesis Capuana) is an archdiocese (originally a suffragan bishopric) of the Roman Catholic Church in Capua, in Campania, Italy, but its archbishop no longer holds metropolitan rank and has no ...
by
Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
.
*Camillo Cibotti (8 May 2014 – )


See also

*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Venafro The Diocese of Venafro was a Roman Catholic diocese in Italy, located in Venafro, province of Isernia, region of Molise in the ecclesiastical province of Capua. In 1852, the dioceses of Isernia and Venafro were united under the governance of one a ...
* Cappella San Donato, Venafro *
Catholic Church in Italy , native_name_lang = it , image = San_Giovanni_in_Laterano_-_Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = , caption = Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, the ''cathedra'' seat of the Pop ...


References


Bibliography


Episcopal lists

* (in Latin) * * * * * * * * *


Studies

* * ext by Giovanni Sannicola*Kehr, Paul Fridolin (1935). ''Italia pontificia''. Vol. VIII: Regnum Normannorum — Campania. Berlin: Weidmann. *


External links

*Benigni, Umberto
"Isernia and Venafro."
The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. Retrieved: 14 November 2022. {{authority control
Isernia Isernia () or, in Pliny and later writers, ''Eserninus'', or in the Antonine Itinerary, ''Serni''. is a town and ''comune'' in the southern Italian region of Molise, and the capital of province of Isernia. Geography Situated on a rocky crest ri ...
Diocese of Isernia-Venafro