The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orléans (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, 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 ...

: ''Dioecesis Aurelianensis'';

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''Diocèse d'Orléans'') 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 associ ...

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 onc ...

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 ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The diocese currently corresponds to the Départment of Loiret. The current bishop is Jacques André Blaquart, who was appointed in 2010. The diocese has experienced a number of transfers among different metropolitans. In 1622, the diocese was

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 jurisdiction ...

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. ...

; previously the diocese had been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Sens. From 1966 until 2001 it was under the jurisdiction of the

Archdiocese of Bourges The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bourges (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Bituricensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Bourges'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The Archdiocese comprises the departements of ...

, but since the provisional reorganisation of French ecclesiastical provinces, it is now subject to the Archdiocese of Tours. After the Revolution it was re-established by the

Concordat of 1802 The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace-Lorraine, where it remains in force. It sought national reconciliation b ...

. It then included the Departments of

Loiret Loiret (; ) is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France. It takes its name from the river Loiret, which is contained wholly within the department. In 2019, Loiret had a population of 680,434.< ...

and Loir et Cher, but in 1822 Loir et Cher was moved to the new

Diocese of Blois The Roman Catholic Diocese of Blois (Latin: ''Dioecesis Blesensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Blois'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese lies in western France, and encompasses the department of Loi ...

Jurisdiction

The present Diocese of Orléans differs considerably from that of the old regime; it has lost the arrondissement of Romorantin which has passed to the

and the canton of Janville, now in the Diocese of Chartres. It includes the arrondissement of

Montargis Montargis () is a commune in the Loiret department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. Montargis is the seventh most populous commune in the Loiret, after Orléans and its suburbs. It is near a large forest, and contains light industry and farming, ...

, formerly subject to the Archdiocese of Sens, the arrondissement of

Gien Gien () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Gien is on the river Loire, from Orléans. Gien station has rail connections to Montargis, Nevers and Paris. The town was bought for the royal domain by Philip II of Franc ...

, once in the Burgundian

Diocese of Auxerre The diocese of Auxerre ( la, dioecesis Antissiodorensis) is a former French Roman Catholic diocese. Its historical episcopal see was in the city of Auxerre in Burgundy, now part of eastern France. Currently the non-metropolitan Archbishop of Sens, ...

, and the canton of Châtillon sur Loire, once belonging to the

History

To Gerbert, Abbot of St. Pierre le Vif at Sens (1046–79), is due a detailed narrative according to which Saint Savinianus and Saint Potentianus were sent to Sens by St. Peter with St. Altinus; the latter, it was said, came to Orléans as its first bishop. Before the ninth century there is no historical trace in the Diocese of Sens of this Apostolic mission of St. Altinus, nor in the Diocese of Orléans before the end of the fifteenth. Diclopitus is the first authentic bishop; he figures among the bishops of Gaul who (about 344) ratified the absolution of

St. Athanasius Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, ...

. Other bishops of the early period are: St. Euvertius (who features in the Calendar of the Book of Common Prayer), about 355 to 385, according to M. Cuissard; Anianus (385-453), who invoked the aid of the "patrician" Ætius against the invasion of Attila, and forced the Huns to raise the siege of Orléans ee Gregory of Tours, ''The History of the Franks'' II.6-7 St. Prosper (453-63); St. Monitor (about 472); St. Flou (Flosculus), died in 490; St. Eucherius (717-43), native of Orléans and a monk of

Jumièges Jumièges () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north-western France. Geography A forestry and farming village situated in a meander of the river Seine, some west of Rouen, at the junction of the D 65 and ...

, who protested against the depredations of Waifre, a companion of

Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...

, and was first exiled by this prince to

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

, then to

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far fro ...

, and died at the monastery of St. Trond. After his victory over the

Alamanni The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pre ...

, the Frankish king Clovis was bent on the sack of

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

, but the archpriest there obtained mercy for his fellow-citizens. To St. Euspicius and his nephew St. Mesmin (Maximinus), Clovis also gave the domain of Micy, near Orléans at the confluence of the Loire and the Loiret, for a monastery (508). When Euspicius died, the said St. Maximinus became abbot, and during his rule the religious life flourished there notably. The monks of Micy contributed much to the civilization of the Orléans region; they cleared and drained the lands and taught the semi-barbarous inhabitants the worth and dignity of agricultural work. Early in the eighth century, Theodulfus restored the Abbey of Micy and at his request St. Benedict of Aniane sent fourteen monks and visited the abbey himself. The last abbot of Micy, Chapt de Rastignac, was one of the victims of the 1792 "September Massacres", at Paris, in the prison of L'Abbaye. From Micy monastery, which counted many saints, monastic life spread within and around the diocese. St. Liphardus and St. Urbicius founded the Abbey of

Meung-sur-Loire Meung-sur-Loire () is a commune in the Loiret department, north-central France. It was the site of the Battle of Meung-sur-Loire in 1429. Geography Meung-sur-Loire lies 15 km to the west of Orléans on the north bank of the river Loire ...

; St. Lyé (Lætus) died a recluse in the forest of Orléans; St. Viatre (Viator) in

Sologne Sologne (; ) is a natural region in Centre-Val de Loire, France, extending over portions of the departements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher and Cher. Its area is about . To its north is the river Loire, to its south the river Cher, while the distri ...

; St. Doulchard in the forest of Ambly near Bourges.

St. Leonard Leonard of Noblac (also Leonard of Limoges or Leonard of Noblet; also known as Lienard, Linhart, Leonhard, Léonard, Leonardo, Annard; died 559), is a Franks, Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, ...

introduced the monastic life into the territory of

Limoges Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...

; St. Almir, St. Ulphacius, and St. Bomer in the vicinity of Montmirail; St. Avitus (died about 527) in the district of Chartres; St. Calais (died before 536) and St. Leonard of Vendœuvre (died about 570) in the valley of the

Sarthe Sarthe () is a department of the French region of Pays de la Loire, and the province of Maine, situated in the '' Grand-Ouest'' of the country. It is named after the river Sarthe, which flows from east of Le Mans to just north of Angers. It ha ...

; St. Fraimbault and

St. Constantine Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterrane ...

in the

Javron forest Javron-les-Chapelles () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. See also *Communes of the Mayenne department The following is a list of the 240 communes of the Mayenne department of France. The communes cooperate in t ...

, and the aforesaid St. Bomer (died about 560) in the

Passais Passais (; also: ''Passais-la-Conception'') is a former commune in the Orne department in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Passais Villages.Laval; St. Leonard of Dunois; St. Alva and St. Ernier in

Perche Perche () (French: ''le Perche'') is a former province of France, known historically for its forests and, for the past two centuries, for the Percheron draft horse breed. Until the French Revolution, Perche was bounded by four ancient territorie ...

; St. Laumer (died about 590) became Abbot of

Corbion Corbion N.V., formerly Centrale Suiker Maatschappij (CSM) N.V. (Central Sugar Company in English), is a Dutch food and biochemicals company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It produces bioingredient-based foods, chemicals derived from org ...

. St. Lubin (Leobinus), a monk of Micy, became

Bishop of Chartres The oldest known list of bishops of Chartres is found in an 11th-century manuscript of Trinity Abbey, Vendôme. It includes 57 names from Adventus (Saint Aventin) to Aguiertus (Agobert) who died in 1060. The most well-known list is included in the ...

from 544–56. Finally saint Ay (Agilus), Viscount of Orléans (died after 587), was also a protector of Micy.

Saints

Among the notable saints of the diocese are: * St. Baudilus, a Nîmes martyr (third or fourth century) * the deacon St. Lucanus, martyr, patron of Loigny (fifth century) * the anchorite

St. Donatus Saints who were named Donatus include: * Saint Donatus of Muenstereifel, 2nd century military martyr and a patron against lightning * Saints Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and 86 Companions, 3rd century * Saint Donatus of Arezzo, bishop of Arezzo ( ...

(fifth century) * St. May, abbot of Val Benoît (fifth century) * St. Mesme, virgin and (perhaps) martyr, sister of St. Mesmin (sixth century) * St. Felicule, patroness of Gien (sixth century) * St. Sigismund,

King of Burgundy The following is a list of the kings of the two kingdoms of Burgundy, and a number of related political entities devolving from Carolingian machinations over family relations. Kings of the Burgundians * Gebicca (late 4th century – c. 40 ...

, who, by order of the Merovingian Clodomir, and despite the entreaties of St. Avitus, was thrown (524) into a well with his wife and children * St. Gontran, King of Orléans and Burgundy (561-93), a confessor * St. Loup (Lupus),

Archbishop of Sens The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sens and Auxerre (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Senonensis et Antissiodorensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Sens et Auxerre'') is a Latin Rite Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The Archdiocese comp ...

, born near Orléans, and his mother St. Agia (first half of the seventh century) *

St. Gregory 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 Gregoria ...

, former Bishop of Nicopolis, in Bulgaria, who died a recluse at

Pithiviers Pithiviers () is a commune in the Loiret department, north central France. It is one of the subprefectures of Loiret. It is twinned with Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, England and Burglengenfeld in Bavaria, Germany. Its attractions incl ...

(1004 or 1007) * St. Rose, Abbess of Ervauville (died 1130) * Blessed Odo of Orléans,

Bishop of Cambrai The Archdiocese of Cambrai ( la, Archdiocesis Cameracensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Cambrai'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France, comprising the arrondissements of Avesnes-sur-Help ...

(1105–13) * the leper St. Alpaix, died in 1211 at Cudot where she was visited by queen

Adèle of Champagne Adela of Champagne (french: Adèle; c. 1140 – 4 June 1206), also known as Adelaide, Alix and Adela of Blois, was Queen of France as the third wife of Louis VII. She was regent of France from 1190 to 1191 while her son Philip II participate ...

, widow of

Louis VII Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger, or the Young (french: link=no, le Jeune), was King of the Franks from 1137 to 1180. He was the son and successor of King Louis VI (hence the epithet "the Young") and married Duchess ...

* St. Guillaume (died 1209), Abbot of Fontainejean and subsequently

Archbishop of Bourges 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 ...

* the Dominican Blessed Reginald, dean of the collegiate church of St. Aignan, Orléans (died 1220) * the Englishman St. Richard, who studied theology at Orléans in 1236,

Bishop of Chichester The Bishop of Chichester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the counties of East and West Sussex. The see is based in the City of Chichester where the bishop's sea ...

in 1244, a friend of St. Edmund of Canterbury

St. Maurus Maurus (french: Maur; it, Mauro) was the first disciple of Benedict of Nursia (512–584). He is mentioned in Gregory the Great's biography of the latter as the first oblate, offered to the monastery by his noble Roman parents as a young bo ...

, called to France by St. Innocent, Bishop of Le Mans, and sent thither by St. Benedict, resided at Orléans with four companions in 542. St. Radegonde, on her way from Noyon to Poitiers in 544, and St. Columbanus, exiled from

Luxeuil Luxeuil-les-Bains () is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. History Luxeuil (sometimes rendered Luxeu in older texts) was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings ...

at the close of the sixth century, both visited Orléans. Charlemagne had the church of St. Aignan rebuilt and reconstructed the monastery of St. Pierre le Puellier. In the cathedral of Orléans on 31 December 987, Hugh Capet had his son Robert (born at Orléans) crowned king.

Innocent II Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...

and St. Bernard visited Fleury and Orléans in 1130.

Pilgrimages

The principal pilgrimages of the diocese are: Our Lady of Bethlehem, at Ferrières; Our Lady of Miracles in Orléans city, dating back to the seventh century (Joan of Arc visited the sanctuary on 8 May 1429); Our Lady of Cléry, dating from the thirteenth century, visited by kings Philip the Fair, Philip VI, and especially by Louis XI, who wore in his hat a leaden image of ''Notre Dame de Cléry'' and who wished to have his tomb in this sanctuary where Jean de Dunois, one of the heroes of the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

, was also interred.

Later history

The people of Orléans were so impressed by the preaching of Blessed Robert of Arbrissel in 1113 that he was invited to found the monastery of La Madeleine, which he re-visited in 1117 with St. Bernard of Thiron. The charitable deeds of king St. Louis at

Puiseaux Puiseaux () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Mayors *11 November 1833 - Antoine Jules Dumesnil, Senator of Loiret from 1876 to 1888 *11 October 1891 - Jules Boudin, prior to 1891, mayor of the commune of Puisea ...

Châteauneuf-sur-Loire Châteauneuf-sur-Loire () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas r ...

, and Orléans, where he was present at the translation of the relics of St. Aignan (26 October 1259), and where he frequently went to care for the poor of the Hôtel Dieu, are well known. Pierre de Beaufort, Archdeacon of Sully and canon of Orléans, was, as

Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI ( la, Gregorius, born Pierre Roger de Beaufort; c. 1329 – 27 March 1378) was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1370 to his death in March 1378. He was the seventh and last Avignon pope and the most recent French po ...

(1371-8), the last pope that France gave to the Church; he created Cardinal Jean de la Tour d'Auvergne, Abbot of St. Benoît-sur Loire. Blessed Jeanne de Valois was Duchess of Orléans and after her separation from

Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...

(1498) she established, early in the sixteenth century, the monastery of L'Annonciade at Châteauneuf-sur-Loire. Etienne Dolet (1509–46), a printer, philologian, and pamphleteer, executed at Paris and looked upon by some as a "martyr of the Renaissance", was a native of Orléans. Cardinal

Odet de Coligny Odet de Coligny (10 July 1517 – 21 March 1571) was a French aristocrat, cardinal, Bishop-elect of Beauvais, Peer of France, and member of the French Royal Council. From 1534 he was usually referred to as the Cardinal of Châtillon. Early li ...

, who joined the Reformation about 1560, was Abbot of St. Euvertius, of Fontainejean, Ferrières, and St. Benoît. Admiral Coligny (1519–72) (see Saint Bartholomew's Day) was born at Châtillon-sur-Loing in the present diocese. At the beginning of the religious wars, Orléans was disputed between the followers of the Guise family and of the Protestant Condé. In the vicinity of Orléans, Duke Francis of Guise was assassinated on 3 February 1562. The Calvinist Jacques Bongars, councillor of king

Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monar ...

, who collected and edited the chronicles of the Crusades in his "Gesta Dei per Francos", was born at Orléans in 1554. The Jesuit Denis Petav (Petavius), a renowned scholar and theologian, was born at Orléans in 1583. St. Francis of Sales came to Orléans in 1618 and 1619. Venerable Mother Françoise de la Croix (1591–1657), a pupil of St. Vincent de Paul, who founded the congregation of Augustinian Sisters of Charity of Notre Dame, was born at Petay in the diocese. The Miramion family, to which Marie Bonneau is celebrated in the annals of charity under the name of Mme de Miramion (1629–96), belonged by marriage, were from Orléans. St. Jane de Chantal was superior of the Orléans convent of the Visitation in 1627. Mme Guyon, celebrated in the annals of Quietism, was born at Montargis in 1648. France was saved from English domination through the deliverance of Orléans by

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

(8 May 1429). On 21 July 1455, her rehabilitation was publicly proclaimed at Orléans in a solemn procession, and before her death in November 1458, Isabel Romée, the mother of Joan of Arc, saw a monument erected in honour of her daughter, at Tournelles, near the Orléans bridge. The monument, destroyed by the Huguenots in 1567, was set up again in 1569 when the Catholics were once more masters of the city. Until 1792, and again from 1802 to 1830, finally from 1842 to the present day, a great religious feast, celebrated 8 May of every year at Orléans in honour of Joan of Arc, attracted multitudes. The Church of Orléans was the last in France to take up again the Roman liturgy (1874). The Sainte Croix cathedral, perhaps built and consecrated by St. Euvertius in the fourth century, was destroyed by fire in 999 and rebuilt from 1278 to 1329; the Protestants pillaged and destroyed it from 1562 to 1567; the Bourbon kings restored it in the seventeenth century.

Modernity

Prior to the Associations Law of 1901, the Diocese of Orléans counted

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

Benedictines , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

, Missionary Priests of the Society of Mary,

Lazarists , logo = , image = Vincentians.png , abbreviation = CM , nickname = Vincentians, Paules, Lazarites, Lazarists, Lazarians , established = , founder = Vincent de Paul , fou ...

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC; la, Missionarii Sacratissimi Cordis; french: Missionnaires du Sacré-Coeur) are a missionary congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1854 by Servant of God Jules Chevalier (182 ...

and several orders of teaching Brothers. Among the congregations of women which originated in this diocese must be mentioned: the Calvary Benedictines, a teaching and nursing order founded in 1617 by Princess Antoinette d'Orléans-Longueville, and the Capuchin Leclerc du Tremblay known as Père Joseph; the Sisters of St. Aignan, a teaching order founded in 1853 by Bishop Dupanloup, with mother-house in Orléans. Twentieth-century bishops of Orleans included Guy Riobé, whose opposition to nuclear weapons led to an altercation with a member of Georges Pompidou's government, and his successor, Jean-Marie Lustiger, who was appointed in 1979 after a long interregnum and shortly afterwards translated to Paris.

Episcopal Ordinaries

Of the eighth-century bishops, Theodulfus was notable. It is not known when he began to govern, but it is certain that he was already bishop in 798, when

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...

sent him into

Narbonne Narbonne (, also , ; oc, Narbona ; la, Narbo ; Late Latin:) is a commune in Southern France in the Occitanie region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is located about from the shores of the ...

and

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bo ...

missus dominicus A ''missus dominicus'' (plural ''missi dominici''), Latin for "envoy of the lord uler or ''palace inspector'', also known in Dutch as Zendgraaf (German: ''Sendgraf''), meaning "sent Graf", was an official commissioned by the Frankish king or Ho ...

. Under king Louis le Débonnaire he was accused of aiding the rebellious King of Italy, was deposed and imprisoned four years in a monastery at

Angers Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the pr ...

, but was released when Louis came to Angers in 821, reportedly after hearing Theodulfus sing

All Glory, Laud and Honour "All Glory, Laud and Honour" is an English translation by the Anglican clergyman John Mason Neale of the Latin hymn " Gloria, laus et honor", which was written by Theodulf of Orléans in 820. It is a Palm Sunday hymn, based on Matthew 21:1–11 ...

. The "Capitularies" which Theodulfus addressed to the clergy of Orléans are considered a most important monument of Catholic tradition on the duties of priests and the faithful. His

Ritual A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized ...

, his Penitential, his treatise on

baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

, confirmation and the Eucharist, his edition of the Bible, a work of fine penmanship preserved in the Puy cathedral, reveal him as one of the foremost men of his time. His fame rests chiefly on his devotion to the spread of learning. The Abbey of Ferrières was then becoming under

Alcuin Alcuin of York (; la, Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus; 735 – 19 May 804) – also called Ealhwine, Alhwin, or Alchoin – was a scholar, clergyman, poet, and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student o ...

a centre of learning. Theodulfus opened the Abbey of Fleury to the young noblemen sent thither by

, invited the clergy to establish free schools in the country districts, and quoted for them, "These that are learned shall shine as the brightness of the firmament: and they that instruct many to justice, as stars to all eternity" (Dan., xii 3). One monument of his time still survives in the diocese, the apse of the church of

Germigny-des-Prés Germigny-des-Prés () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. The Oratory The oratory at Germigny-des-Prés (Loiret, Orléanais) was built by Bishop Theodulf of Orléans in 806 as part of his palace complex within the Gal ...

modelled after the imperial chapel, and yet retaining its unique mosaic decoration.

Medieval Bishops

* Aignan of Orleans, or Agnan (Latin: Anianus) (b. 358–d. 453), assisted Roman general Flavius Aetius in the defense of the city against Attila the Hun in 451. * Namatius, an ambassador of King Guntram to the Bretons *

Eucherius of Orléans Saint Eucherius of Orléans (c. 687 in Orléans – February 20, 743 AD), nephew of Suavaric, bishop of Auxerre, was Bishop of Orléans. Reading the letters of Paul the Apostle led Eucherius to seek the monastic life in 714, when he retired to ...

Jonas Jonas may refer to: Geography * Jonas, Netherlands, Netherlands * Jonas, Pennsylvania, United States * Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, United States People with the name * Jonas (name), people with the given name or surname Jonas * Jonas, one of ...

(821–843), who wrote a treatise against the Iconoclasts, also a treatise on the Christian life and a book on the duties of kings * St. Thierry II (1016–21) * Jean, consecrated on 1 March 1098 * Blessed Philip Berruyer (1234–1236) * Blessed Roger le Fort (1321–1328) *

John Carmichael of Douglasdale John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

(Jean de St Michel) * Regnault de Chartres † (9 Jan 1439 Appointed - 4 Apr 1444 Died) * Pierre Bureau † (20 Nov 1447 Appointed - 10 Dec 1451 Appointed, Bishop of Béziers) * François de Brillac † (3 Nov 1473 Appointed - 22 Dec 1504 Appointed, Archbishop of Aix) * Christophe de Brillac † (19 Jan 1504 Appointed - 4 Feb 1514 Appointed, Archbishop of Tours) * Jean d’Orléans-Longueville † (26 Jun 1521 Appointed - 24 Sep 1533 Died) *

Antoine Sanguin de Meudon Antoine Sanguin (1493 – 25 November 1559) was a French cleric, courtier and Cardinal. He was the second son of Antoine Sanguin, Seigneur de Meudon and Maître des Eaux-Forêts de l'Isle de France, Champagne et Brie; and Marie Simon, daughte ...

† (6 Nov 1533 Appointed - 20 Oct 1550 Resigned) * François de Faucon † (20 Oct 1550 Appointed - 12 Oct 1551 Appointed, Bishop of Mâcon) * Pierre du Chastel † (12 Oct 1551 Appointed - 3 Feb 1552 Died) * Jean de Morvilliers † (27 Apr 1552 Appointed - 1564 Resigned) * Mathurin de la Saussaye † (6 Sep 1564 Appointed - 9 Feb 1584 Died) * Denis Hurault † (9 Feb 1584 Succeeded - 1586 Resigned) * Germain Vaillant de Guelin † (27 Oct 1586 Appointed - 15 Sep 1587 Died) * Jean de L’Aubespine † (16 Mar 1588 Appointed - 23 Feb 1596 Died)

Early Modern Bishops

* Gabriel de L’Aubespine † (15 Mar 1604 Appointed - 15 Aug 1630 Died) * Nicolas de Netz † (27 Jan 1631 Appointed - 20 Jan 1646 Died) * Alphonse d’Elbène † (21 Jan 1647 Appointed - 20 May 1665 Died) * Pierre-Armand du Cambout de Coislin † (29 Mar 1666 Confirmed - 5 Feb 1706 Died) * Louis-Gaston Fleuriau d’Armenonville † (15 Nov 1706 Confirmed - 9 Jun 1733 Died) * Nicolas-Joseph de Paris † (9 Jun 1733 Succeeded - 10 Jan 1754 Resigned) *

Louis-Joseph de Montmorency-Laval Louis-Joseph de Montmorency-Laval (1724-1808) was a French cardinal of the Catholic Church and Bishop of Metz at the time of the French Revolution. Early life He was born 11 December 1724 in the Castle of Baillet in the town of Bayers, then in ...

† (14 Jan 1754 Confirmed - 28 Feb 1758 Resigned) * Louis-Sextius de Jarente de La Bruyère † (13 Mar 1758 Confirmed - 28 May 1788 Died) * Louis-François-Alexandre de Jarente de Senas d’Orgeval † (28 May 1788 Succeeded - 22 Nov 1793 Resigned)

Modern Bishops

* Etienne-Alexandre-Jean-Baptiste-Marie Bernier † (9 Apr 1802 Appointed – 1 Oct 1806 Died) *Claude-Louis Rousseau † (22 Mar 1807 Appointed – 7 Oct 1810 Died) * Pierre-Marin Rouph de Varicourt † (8 Aug 1817 Appointed – 9 Dec 1822 Died) *Jean Brumault de Beauregard † (13 Jan 1823 Appointed – Jan 1839 Retired) * François-Nicholas-Madeleine Morlot † (10 Mar 1839 Appointed – 28 Jun 1842 Appointed,

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 ...

) *Jean-Jacques Fayet † (10 Oct 1842 Appointed – 4 Apr 1849 Died) * Félix-Antoine-Philibert Dupanloup † (16 Apr 1849 Appointed – 11 Oct 1878 Died) * Pierre-Hector Coullié (Couillié) † (12 Oct 1878 Succeeded – 14 Jun 1893 Appointed,

Archbishop of Lyon The Archdiocese of Lyon (Latin: ''Archidiœcesis Lugdunensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Lyon''), formerly the Archdiocese of Lyon–Vienne–Embrun, is a Latin Church metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The Archbishops o ...

) * Stanislas-Arthur-Xavier Touchet † (29 Jan 1894 Appointed – 23 Sep 1926 Died) *Jules-Marie-Victor Courcoux † (20 Dec 1926 Appointed – 28 Mar 1951 Died) * Robert Picard de La Vacquerie † (27 Aug 1951 Appointed – 23 May 1963 Resigned) * Guy-Marie-Joseph Riobé † (23 May 1963 Succeeded – 18 Jul 1978 Died) * Jean-Marie Lustiger † (10 Nov 1979 Appointed – 31 Jan 1981 Appointed,

Archbishop 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 Fran ...

)Lustiger became a Cardinal an
Member
of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

, Fauteuil no. 4 (1995–2007). *René Lucien Picandet † (13 Jun 1981 Appointed – 20 Oct 1997 Died) * Gérard Antoine Daucourt (2 Jul 1998 Appointed – 18 Jun 2002 Appointed, Bishop of Nanterre) *André Louis Fort (28 Nov 2002 Appointed – 27 Jul 2010 Retired) *Jacques André Blaquart (27 Jul 2010 Appointed – )

References

Bibliography

Reference works

* (Use with caution; obsolete) * (in Latin) * (in Latin) * * * *

Studies

* * *

External links

* Centre national des Archives de l'Église de France
''L’Épiscopat francais depuis 1919''
retrieved: 2016-12-24. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Orleans, Roman Catholic Diocese of Orleans