The former French

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, 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 Roman province, prov ...

Thérouanne Thérouanne (; ; Dutch ''Terwaan'') is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France west of Aire-sur-la-Lys and south of Saint-Omer, on the river Lys. Population History At the time of the Gauls, ''T ...

(Lat. ''Moriniensis'' or ''Taruannensis'') controlled a large part of the left bank of the river

Scheldt The Scheldt ( ; ; ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to Old Englis ...

during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Territorially it was part of the

county of Artois The County of Artois (, , ) was a historic province of the Kingdom of France, held by the Dukes of Burgundy from 1384 until 1477/82, and a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1493 until 1659. Present-day Artois lies in northern France, near ...

which belonged to the

county of Flanders The County of Flanders was one of the most powerful political entities in the medieval Low Countries, located on the North Sea coast of modern-day Belgium and north-eastern France. Unlike the neighbouring states of Duchy of Brabant, Brabant and ...

History

In the 7th century, probably around 639, Saint Audomar (Saint Omer) established the bishopric of ''Terwaan'' or ''Terenburg'' in

. Thanks to that ecclesiastical control of some of the most prosperous cities north of the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

, like

Arras Arras ( , ; ; historical ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a ...

and

Ypres Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...

, the bishopric was able to build a

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

which was at the time the largest in France. In 1099 the diocese of Thérouanne underwent a particularly wrenching experience. Their bishop, Gerard was denounced to

Pope Urban II Pope Urban II (; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening the Council of Clermon ...

as a simoniac by the clergy of the diocese. He was unable to explain away the evidence and purge himself of the charge, and therefore he was compelled to resign and retire to the monastery of Saint-Eloi. The Canons of the Cathedral met and elected Erkembodus (Archambaud), Provost of the Cathedral of Saint-Omer as the new bishop. He declined the election. They then elected Aubert de Helcin, one of their own fellow canons, who was also Canon of Amiens. But then Lambert, the Abbot of Saint-Bertin held an election carried out by the clergy and laity of the diocese, which produced Jean de Warneton, who was a Canon of Lille and a religious of the monastery of Saint-Eloi. Abbot Lambert immediately set off for Rome, to have his choice ratified. On 25 April 1099, the third week after Easter, in a Council held in Rome, Pope Urban II quashed the election of Aubert de Helcin and upheld that of Jean de Warneton. Urban II wrote to the Metropolitan, Manasses of Reims, ordering him to have the clergy and people present Bishop-elect Jean to the Bishop of Arras for ordination to the priesthood. Then on 17 July 1099 Manasses himself consecrated Jean a bishop. Manasses was holding a council in Reims at the time, on instructions from Robert, Count of Flanders, to promote the Truce of God. In 1303, there had been a fire in Thérouanne, as a result of the marauding and pillaging of some nobles and clerks during war in Flanders, which had led to murder and desecration of churches and cemeteries. On 8 March 1304

Pope Benedict IX Pope Benedict IX (; ), born Theophylactus of Tusculum in Rome, was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States for three periods between October 1032 and July 1048 (1032–1044; 1045; 1047–1048). Aged about 20 when first elected, he may h ...

authorized the Chapter of Thérouanne to use the money left by Bishop Henri de Murs for the establishment for a prebend in the Cathedral for the purpose of repairing the church of Nôtre-Dame which had been damaged in the fire. On the same day he authorized the Bishop to use the first year of income from vacant benefices and prebends for the repair of the Cathedral. On 20 September 1346 the city of Thérouanne was besieged by the English and burned. Bishop Raimond Saquet was forced to flee and seek safety in Saint-Omer. In 1553

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

besieged Thérouanne, then a French enclave in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

, in revenge for a defeat by the French at

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

. After he captured the city he ordered it to be razed to the ground and the roads to be broken up. In 1557, as a result of the war damage to its see, the diocese was abolished. About two decades later the

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. It belonged to the Ar ...

was created, bearing the name Thérouanne for a few years. The disappearance of the former bishopric led to a reform of sees at the

Council of Trent The Council of Trent (), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation at the time, it has been described as the "most ...

, and the bishopric of Thérouanne was split between the Diocese of Saint-Omer, the

and the Diocese of Ypres.

Bishops

To 1000

* before 639, to c. 667 (†): Audomar (Omer) * Draucius * c. 667 to c. 669/701: Bainus * c. 669/701 to c. 721/723: Ravengerus * c. 721/723 to c. 737/742: Erkembodo * c. 739: Adalgerus * to before 747: Gumbertus * 747–748: Aethereus * Rodwaldus * Athalphus * Wigbertus * before 798 to c. 798: Théoduin * c. 798 to before 814/817: Grimbaldus * 817–855 (†): Folcuin * 856 – 8 March 869 : Humfridus * 869–872: Actardus * 872–887: Adalbertus 914 * 887 to c. 900: Herilandus 920 * 909 to c. 935 : Stephan (Etienne) * 935–959 : Wicfridus * 959–964 : David * 964–995 : Framericus * 995–1030 : Balduin (Baudouin)

1000 to 1300

* 1030–1078: Drogo * 1078–1081:

Hubert Hubert is a Germanic masculine given name, from ''hug'' "mind" and '' beraht'' "bright". It also occurs as a surname. Saint Hubert of Liège (or Hubertus) (c. 656 – 30 May 727) is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and m ...

* 1082–1083: Lambert * 1084–1099: Gérard * 1099 – 27 January 1130 : Jean de Warneton * 1130–1158 or 1159 : Milon I. * 1159–1169: Milon II. * 1169–1191: Didier * 1191–1207: Lambert de Bruges (Lambert van Brugge) * 1207–1213: Jean II. * 1213–1229: Adam de Montreuil * 1229–1251: Pierre de Doÿ (Doij) * 1252–1262: Raoul de Chelles * 1262–1276: ''Vacant'' * 1276, 17 October – 1286, 8 April: Henri des Murs (Heinrich von Murs) * 1287–1301: Jacques de Boulogne

1300–1537

* 1301–1330: Enguerrand de Créqui * 1330–1334: Johannes III de Vienne * 1334–1356: Raymond Saquet * 1356–1361: Gilles II Aycelin de Montaigut, 1357–1358,

chancellor of France The Chancellor of France (), also known as the Grand Chancellor or Lord Chancellor, was the officer of state responsible for the judiciary of the Kingdom of France. The Chancellor was responsible for seeing that royal decrees were enrolled and ...

, based in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

* 3 November 1361 – 11 October 1368: Robert of Geneva (transferred to

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; ; ), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Escaut river. A sub-pref ...

) * 1368–1371: Gérard de Dainville * 1371 – 1376, 26 February: Adhémar Roberi * 1376, May – 19 January 1384: Pierre d'Orgemont (transferred to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

) (Avignon Obedience) * 1384–1403: Jean Tabari (Avignon Obedience) * 1404–1414: Matthieu Renaud de Bapaume (Avignon Obedience) * 1415–1436: Louis de Luxembourg, 1424–1435, Chancellor of France, appointed by Henry VI of England; partisan of the Burgundians * 1436–1451: Jean Le Jeune * 1451–1455: David de BourgogneDavid of Burgundy was the natural son of Duke

Philip the Good Philip III the Good (; ; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) ruled as Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death in 1467. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonged. During his reign, ...

of Burgundy. He was elected on 13 September. He swore his oath to King Charles VII for the temporalities on 8 April 1452. He was transferred to

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

on 12 September 1457. He died on 16 April 1494. ''Gallia christiana'' X, p. 1566-1567. (also

bishop of Utrecht List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht. Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580 Founders of the Utrecht diocese * * * * * Bishops * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...

) * 1456–1485: Henri of Lorraine-Vaudemont (also

bishop of Metz This is a list of bishops of the Roman Catholic diocese of Metz, which now lies in eastern France. To 500 * Clement of Metz (c. 280–300) * Celestius * Felix I * Patient * Victor I 344–346 * Victor II * Simeon * Sambace * Rufus of Metz * Ad ...

) * 1485–1496: Antoine de Croy * 1496–1513: Philipp de Luxemburg * 1513–1521: François de Melun * 1521–1535: John, Cardinal of Lorraine * 1535–1537:

François de Créquy François de Blanchefort de Créquy, later Marquis de Marines (2 October 1629 – 3 February 1687), was a 17th-century French noble and soldier, who served in the wars of Louis XIV of France. He came from a powerful and well-connected family, ...

Notes

Bibliography

References

* pp. 521–522. (Use with caution; obsolete) * (in Latin) pp. 350–351. * (in Latin) p. 196-197.

Particular studies

* * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Therouanne, Ancient Diocese of Therouanne 7th-century establishments in Francia 1557 disestablishments in France