The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arras (–Boulogne–Saint-Omer) (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
: ''Dioecesis Atrebatensis (–Bononiena–Audomarensis)'';
French: ''Diocèse d'Arras (–Boulogne–Saint-Omer)'') is a
diocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...
of 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 ...
of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. The episcopal see is the
Arras Cathedral
Arras Cathedral (French: ''Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Vaast d'Arras'') is the Catholic church in the city of Arras, France. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishops of Arras.
History
The original cathedral of Arras, constructed between 1030 a ...
, in the city of
Arras. The diocese encompasses all of the
Department of
Pas-de-Calais, in the
Region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
of
Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Nord-Pas-de-Calais (); pcd, Nord-Pas-Calés); is a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Hauts-de-France. It consisted of the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. Nord-Pas-de-Calais ...
.
The most significant jurisdictional changes all occurred during the Napoleonic wars. From 1802 to 1841, the diocese was
suffragan of the
Archdiocese of Paris
The Archdiocese of Paris (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Parisiensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Paris'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. It is one of twenty-three archdioceses in France. ...
, shifting away from the
Archdiocese of Cambrai, after Napoleon dissolved the massive Archdiocese. After the defeat of Napoleon, the
Napoleonic Concordat united the diocese of Arras,
diocese of Saint-Omer
The former French Catholic diocese of Saint-Omer existed from 1559 until the French Revolution. Its see at Saint-Omer, in the modern department of Pas-de-Calais, was created as a reaction to the destruction of the see of Thérouanne, by military ...
and
diocese of Boulogne
The former French Catholic diocese of Boulogne existed from 1567 to the French Revolution. It was created after the diocese of Thérouanne was suppressed because of war damage to the see; effectively this was a renaming. The Concordat of 1801 su ...
together in one much larger diocese. Unlike most of the other dioceses immediately restored, it was not until 1841 that the diocese returned as a suffragan to the
Archdiocese of Cambrai.
History
A person named Martin is said to have evangelized
Artois
Artois ( ; ; nl, Artesië; English adjective: ''Artesian'') is a region of northern France. Its territory covers an area of about 4,000 km2 and it has a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras (Dutch: ''Atrecht'') ...
and Arras, capital of the
Celtic Atrebates by 350
AD; however, these early
Christian communities did not survive the barbarian invasions of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
in the fifth century.
[Diocèse d'Arras]
''Histoire du diocèse d'Arras''
Retrieved: 2016-09-02.
At the beginning of the sixth century
Remigius,
Archbishop of Reims
The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese a ...
, placed in the See of Arras
St. Vedastus (St. Vaast) (d. c. 540),
who had been the teacher of the Merovingian king
Clovis I after the victory of
Tolbiac. His successors,
Dominicus and Vedulphus, are also both venerated as saints. After the death of Vedulphus, the See of Arras was transferred to Cambrai, and it was not until 1093 that Arras again became a diocese. At the time of the reform of the bishoprics of the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in 1559, the diocese had 422 parishes. Its metropolitan was changed from Reims to Cambrai by
Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV, born Gian Pietro Carafa, C.R. ( la, Paulus IV; it, Paolo IV; 28 June 1476 – 18 August 1559) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 May 1555 to his death in August 1559. While serving as pa ...
.
Before 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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
the Cathedral Chapter consisted of the Provost, the Dean, the Archdeacon of Arras (Artois), the Archdeacon of Ostrevant, the Treasurer, the Penitentiary, 40 canons and 52 chaplains. There were some 400 parishes and 12 rural deans.
King
Philip II of Spain and
Pope Pius IV founded the University of Douai in 1562 as a weapon in the Counterreformation and the
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholics and Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estimates, between two and four mi ...
. The Jesuits had a college at Douai, founded in 1599, and suppressed in 1762.
During 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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
the diocese of Arras was abolished and subsumed into a new diocese, the 'Pas de Calais', coterminous with the new 'Departement of the Pas-de-Calais', and a suffragan of the 'Metropole des Côtes de la Manche'. The clergy were required to swear and oath to the Constitution, and under the terms of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy a new bishop was to be elected by all the voters of the departement. This placed them in schism with the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. On 27 March 1791 the electors chose, on the fourth ballot, the curé of Saint-Nicolas-sur-les-Fossés at Arras, Pierre-Joseph Porion. In September 1801 First Consul Bonaparte abolished the Constitutional Church and signed a
Concordat
A concordat is a convention between the Holy See and a sovereign state that defines the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in matters that concern both,René Metz, ''What is Canon Law?'' (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960 st Edi ...
with
Pope Pius VII which restored the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese of Arras was restored.
Among the bishops of Arras were
Cardinal Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle, Councillor of the
emperor Charles V, Bishop of Arras from 1545 to 1562, later
Archbishop of Mechelen
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 ...
and
Viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
of Naples;
François Richardot, a celebrated preacher, Bishop of Arras from 1562 to 1575; and Monseigneur Parisis (d. 1866), who figured prominently in the political assemblies of 1848.
The current ratio of Catholics to priests is 4,168.5 to 1.
Bishops
*
Vedastus 499–540
*
Dominicus 540–545
*
Vedulphus 545–580
1095–1300
* Lambert 1095–1115
* Robert I 1115–1131
*
Alvise 1131–1148
* Godescalc 1150–1161
* André de Paris 1161–1173
* Robert II 1173–1174
* Fremold 1174–1183
*
Pierre I 1184–1203
*
Raoul de Neuville 1203–1221
* Pontius (Ponce) 1221 – 2 September 1231
* Asso (Asson) 1231 – 27 March 1245
* Fursaeus (Fursy) 1245 – 1 April 1247
*
Jacques de Dinant 1248–1259
*
Pierre de Noyon 1259–1280
*
Guillaume d'Isy 1282–1293
*
Jean Lemoine 1293–1294
*
Gérard Pigalotti 1296–1316
1300 to 1500
* Bernard 1317–1320
*
Pierre de Chappes 1320–1326
*
Jean du Plessis-Pasté 1326–1328
*
Thierry Larchier d'Hirson Thierry Larchier d'Hirson or d'Hireçon, or de Hérisson, (1270 in Bourbonnais – 23 August 1328) was a French cleric under Robert II, Count of Artois.
Hirson was employed by Philip IV of France on several occasions. He became a canon of Arras in ...
1328
* Pierre Roger, 1328–1329, later
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI ( la, Clemens VI; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope. Clement reigned during the first visitation of the Bl ...
* André Ghini de Malpighi 18 December 1329 – 12 September 1334 (translated to
Tournai)
*
Jean Mandevilain 12 September 1334 – 15 February 1339 (translated to
Châlons-sur-Marne)
*
Pierre Bertrand 1339–1344
*
Aimery de Beaufort 1344–1361
*
Gérard de Dainville 1362–1369
* Adhémar Robert 1369 – 6 June 1371 (translated to
Therouanne)
* Hugues Faidit 6 June 1371 – 1372
* Pierre Masuyer 11 July 1374 – 1391
* Jean Canard 6 September 1392 – 7 October 1407 (Avignon Obedience)
* Martin Poré, O.P. 24 November 1407 – 1426 (Avignon Obedience)
* Hugues de Cayeu 16 December 1426 – 13 January 1438
* Fortigaire de Plaisance 1438–1452
*
Jacques de Portugal 1453
* Denis de Montmorency 1453
*
Jean Jouffroy 1453–1462
* Pierre de Ranchicourt 1463–1499
* Jean Gavet 1499–1501
1500 to 1800
* Nicolas Le Ruistre 1501–1509
* François de Melun 15 July 1510 – 26 November 1516 (translated to
Therouanne)
*
Philippe de Luxembourg
Philippe de Luxembourg (1445 – 2 June 1519) was a French Cardinal
Life
He was bishop of Le Mans in 1476. He was bishop of Thérouanne 1496 to 1513, and bishop of Saint-Pons in 1509, when his nephew died, and until 1512, when he resigned i ...
1516–1518
* Cardinal
Pietro Accolti, Administrator 10 March 1518 – 8 December 1523
* Eustache de Croy 1524–1538
*
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle 1538 – 10 March 1561
*
François Richardot 1561–1574
*
Mathieu Moulart 1575 – 11 July 1601
* Jean du Ploich 1601–1602
*
Jean Richardot 1602–1610
* Hermann van Ortemberg 1611–1626
*
Paul Boudot 1626–1635
* Nicolas Duffif 1635–1651
*
Jean Le Camus 1651–1652
*
Ladislas Jonart nominated 1652 but never installed
* Étienne Moreau 1656–1670
* Guy de Sève de Rochechouart 1670–1724
* François Baglion de La Salle 1725–1752
* Jean de Bonneguise 1752–1769
* Louis François Marc Hilaire de Conzié 1769–1790
**Pierre-Joseph Porion.
**Mathieu Asselin
From 1800
* Hugues-Robert-J.-Ch. De La Tour d’Auvergne Lauragais 1802–1851
*
Pierre Louis Parisis
Pierre Louis Parisis (17 August 1795 – 1866) was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Bishopric of Langres in Haute-Marne, France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It a ...
1851–1866
*
Jean-Baptiste Joseph Lequette 1866–1882
*
Guillaume René Meignan 1882–1884, also
Archbishop of Tours
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tours (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Turonensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Tours'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese has roots that go back to the 3rd centu ...
*
Desiré-Joseph Dennel 1884–1891
*
Alfred-Casimir-Alexis Williez 1892–1911
*
Émile-Louis Cornil Lobbedey 1911–1916
*
Eugène Julien 1917–1930
*
Henri-Edouard Dutoit 1930–1945
*
Victor-Jean Perrin 1945–1961
*
Gérard-Maurice Eugène Huyghe 1961–1984
*
Henri-Fr.-M.-P. Derouet 1985–1998
*
Jean-Paul Jaeger 1998–2020
* Olivier Leborgne 2020–present
[
]
See also
* Catholic Church in France
References
Bibliography
Reference works
* pp. 495–496. (Use with caution; obsolete)
* (in Latin) pp. 115–116.
* (in Latin) p. 98.
* p. 122.
* pp. 99–100.
* p. 104.
* p. 105.
Studies
*
*
* 2 vols.
*
*
*
*
*Lotte Kéry: ''Die Errichtung des Bistums Arras 1093/1094''. (Beihefte der Francia
Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...
, 33). Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1994,
Online
*
*
*
*
*Tock, Benoît-Michel (1991). ''Les chartes des évêques d'Arras (1093-1203)'' Paris : CTHS, 1991.
*Tock, Benoît-Michel (1991). ''Les chartes promulguées par le chapitre cathédral d'Arras au XIIe siècle'' Turnholt : Brepols.
*Tock, Benoît-Michel ; Ludovicus Milis (2000). ''Monumenta Arroasiensia'' Turnholt : Brepols, 2000.
* A forgery:
External links
*Goyau, Georges.
" The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. Retrieved: 2016-09-02.
Acknowledgment
{{Authority control
Arras
Arras
6th-century establishments in Francia