The Catholic Archdiocese of Nakhchivan (also known as (Arch)diocese of Naxivan, - of Nakhtchevan, or of Nachitschewan; ''Latin Name: Naxivansus'') was a Latin Catholic (arch)diocese in

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

, located in the city of Nakhchivan, in modern-day

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

. In 1847, it was suppressed."Archdiocese of Nachitschewan (Naxivan, Nakhtchevan, Nakhchivan)"
''

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 ...

''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016"Archdiocese of Nachitschewan”
''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 15, 2017 The last remains of its ancient cathedral of All Saints in the (archi)episcopal see were destroyed in the 1845 earthquake.

History

* Established in 1318 as Diocese of Nakhijevan, on territory previously not covered by the Latin church, covering historical

and present-day

, presumably exempt. It was the only Latin see in the region to survive the ravaging hordes of conqueror

Tamerlane Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...

(1380s). * The

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

, whose missionaries founded it, branched out there into a new associated congregation, the Fratres Unitores ('Uniting Friars'), which fielded all the clergy in the bishopric. From its 15th century peek with circa 700 friars in some 50 convents, by 1602 it shrinks to twelve convents pastorally serving circa 19.000 Catholic faithful. * By privileges, confirmed by

Paul III Pope Paul III ( la, Paulus III; it, Paolo III; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death in November 1549. He came to ...

's papal bulla ''Etsi ex debito'' on 28 February 1544, it could celebrate the

Latin rite Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church ''sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...

Armenian language Armenian ( classical: , reformed: , , ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is the official language of Armenia. Historically spoken in the Armenian Highlands, today Armenian is widely spoken t ...

(instead of Latin) and its episcopate was chosen by an assembly representing the Dominican monasteries and the Armenian Catholic elite * Its actual see (not the title) was moved in the 16th century to more central Abaran (now Aparan), closer to the actual Catholic communities, until the 17th century, when diocesan activity seems effectively to have halted. Around 1620 Pope

Gregory XV Pope Gregory XV ( la, Gregorius XV; it, Gregorio XV; 9 January 15548 July 1623), born Alessandro Ludovisi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 February 1621 to his death in July 1623. Biography Early life Al ...

instigated the founding of a Dominican seminary in Abaran. * Elevated on 21 February 1633 as Archdiocese of Nakhchivan, but not Metropolitan, and indeed never had a suffragan. * Suppressed in 1847, apparently vacant since 1765, as its faithful had fled the country during the wars between Ottoman Turks and Safavid Persia. * It is without direct successor jurisdiction, but the last Archbishop took his flock to

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...

(now Izmir, Asian Turkey), where their Armenian community flourished. Its former territories are presently part of the larger jurisdiction of the

Apostolic Administration of the Caucasus The Apostolic Administration of the Caucasus ( la, Administratio Apostolica Caucasi Latinorum) is an apostolic administration (pre-diocesan jurisdiction) of the Latin Church in the Catholic Church, established in 1993, with headquarters in Tbilisi, ...

(Armenia and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

) and by the Apostolic Prefecture of Baku (all Azerbaijan)

Episcopal ordinaries

http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/former/nach0.htm GCatholic(all

Roman Rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while dist ...

, (mostly Italian) missionary members of Latin congregations) ;''Bishops of Nachitschewan'' * Nicholas Friton (20 October 1560 – death 1597) *

Azarias Friton Azarias Friton, O.P. (1563 – 7 January, 1607) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Nakhchivan (1604–1607).

(O.P.) (24 March 1604 – death 7 January 1607) * Matthaeus Erasmos, O.P. (22 Oct 1607 Ordained Bishop – death 9 July 1627) ''(in Latin)'' * Angelus Maria Cittadini,

Carthusians The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...

(O.Cart.) (9 July 1627 – death 10 December 1629), succeeding as former

Coadjutor Bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

of Nachitschewan (1624.07.15 – 1627.07.09) and

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

Myra Myra ( grc, Μύρα, ''Mýra'') was a Lycian, then ancient Greek, then Greco-Roman, then Byzantine Greek, then Ottoman town in Lycia, which became the small Turkish town of Kale, renamed Demre in 2005, in the present-day Antalya Province of ...

(1624.07.15 – 1627.07.09) * Augustinus Basrci (Bagesius), O.P. (1633 – 21 February 1633 ''see below'') ;''Archbishops of Nachitschewan (non-Metropolitan) * Augustinus Basrci (Bagesius), O.P. (''see above'' 21 February 1633 – death 16 April 1652) * Paolo Piromalli, O.P. (14 June 1655 – resigned 15 Dec 1664), next

Archbishop-Bishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

Bisignano Bisignano ( Calabrian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Cosenza, part of the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is situated on hills in the Crati valley, between the Pollino and Sila National Parks. The town has historically been se ...

(Italy) (1664.12.15 – death 1667.07.12) * Matteo Avanian alias Avanisensis, O.P. (14 May 1668 – death 14 July 1674) * Thomas Tatumensis, O.P. (12 Nov 1675 – 14 Oct 1680 ?Resigned) *

Sebastien Knab Sebastien Knab, O.P. (c. 1632 – 8 September 1690) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Nakhijevan (1682–1690). ''(in Latin)''

, O.P. (28 Sep 1682 – death 8 Sep 1690) * Paul Baptiste Avanian, O.P. (24 March 1692 – death 1701) * Stephanus Sciran, O.P. (15 Jan 1703 – death 1707?) * Giovanni Vincenzo Castelli, O.P. (15 April 1709 – 4 May 1709 Resigned), ''not possessed''; next

Marcianopolis Marcianopolis or Marcianople (Greek: Μαρκιανούπολις), also known as Parthenopolis was an ancient Greek, then Roman capital city and archbishopric in Moesia Inferior. It is located at the site of modern-day Devnya, Bulgaria. The an ...

(1709.06.19 – 1714.03.21),

(i.e. Archbishop of a residential, in casu suffragan, bishopric) of

Urbania Urbania is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region of Marche, located about west of Ancona and about southwest of Pesaro, next to the river Metauro. Urbania borders the following municipalities: Acq ...

(Italy) (1714.03.21 – 1736.09) and

Sant’Angelo in Vado Sant'Angelo in Vado is a ''comune'' (municipality), site of Ancient Tifernum Metaurense and former bishopric in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the central Italian Adriatic region Marche. Geography It is located about west of Ancona and abou ...

(Italy) (1714.03.21 – death 1736.09) * Alessandro Felice (Pietro Martire) Mercanti, O.P. (6 May 1709 – death 25 Feb 1721) * Archangelus Feni, O.P. (20 April 1722 – 1731 Resigned), died 1747 * Domenico Maria (Michelangelo) Salvini, O.P. (born Italy) (21 July 1732 – death 10 Dec 1765)

References

Sources and external links

GCatholic
; Bibliography * Leonardus Lemmens, ''Hierarchia latina Orientis, mediante S. Congregatione de propaganda fide instituita (1622-1922)'', in ''Orientalia Christiana'', vol. I, n° 5 (1923), pp. 232–250 * François Tournebize, ''Les Frères Uniteurs ou Dominicains Arméniens (1330-1794)'', in ''Revue de l'Orient Chrétien'', vol. XXII (1920-1921), pp. 145–161 e 249-279 * Gaetano Moroni, lemma 'Naxivan' in ''Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica'', vol. 47, Venice 1847, pp. 250–251 * Konrad Eubel, ''Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi'', vol. 1, p. 354; vol. 2, p. 198; vol. 3, p. 252; vol. 4, p. 253; vol. 5, pp. 281–282; vol. 6, p. 303 * Michel Lequien, ''Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus'', Paris 1740, vol. III, coll. 1403-1414 {{Nakhchivan Nakhchivan Nakhchivan History of Nakhchivan Nakhchivan (city)

History

Episcopal ordinaries

See also

References

Sources and external links