The Diocese of Angoulême (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''Dioecesis Engolismensis'';

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: ''Diocèse d'Angoulême'') is a

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 ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Originally erected in the 3rd century, the episcopal see is the

Angoulême Cathedral Angoulême Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic church in Angoulême, Charente, France. The cathedral is in the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque architectural and sculptural tradition, and is the seat of the Bishop of Angoulême. Architecture and ...

. Comprising the ''département'' of the

Charente Charente (; Saintongese: ''Chérente''; ) is a department in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It is named after the river Charente, the most important and longest river in the department, and also the r ...

, the diocese had traditionally been

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

to the

Archbishopric of Bordeaux The Archdiocese of Bordeaux (–Bazas) (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Burdigalensis (–Bazensis)''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Bordeaux (–Bazas)''; Occitan: ''Archidiocèsi de Bordèu (–Vasats)'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or a ...

, under the old régime as well as under the Concordat, but since 2002 is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Poitiers. In 2022, in the Diocese of Angoulême there was one priest for every 4,981 Catholics.

History

Its first bishop was Ausonius, a disciple, it is said, of

Saint Martial Martial of Limoges (3rd century), whose name is also rendered as Marcial, Martialis, and Marcialis, and is also called "the Apostle of the Gauls" or "the Apostle of Aquitaine," was the first bishop of Limoges. Venerated as a Christian saint, Mar ...

. According to

Gregory of Tours Gregory of Tours (born ; 30 November – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours during the Merovingian period and is known as the "father of French history". He was a prelate in the Merovingian kingdom, encom ...

Martial preached the gospel in

Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , 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. Situated o ...

about the year 250; the Limousin traditions, as set down by the chronicler

Adhémar de Chabannes Adhemar is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Adhemar of Salerno (died 861), prince * Adhemar of Capua (died after 1000), prince * Adhémar de Chabannes (988–1034), French monk and historian * A ...

, maintain that Martial was the immediate disciple of

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

. According to the latter opinion St. Ausonius was a bishop of the first century; according to the former, of the third century. At least one modern historian believes it likely that Ausonius lived even later, in the 4th century.Favreau, 9. His cult, however, does not appear until the end of the tenth century. The ''

Gallia Christiana The ''Gallia Christiana'', a type of work of which there have been several editions, is a documentary catalogue or list, with brief historical notices, of all the Catholic dioceses and abbeys of France from the earliest times, also of their occupa ...

'' lists St. Salvius, honoured as a martyr at

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...

, as a Bishop of Angoulême. The 1913

Catholic Encyclopedia ''The'' ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'', also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedi ...

, however, considers him to have been only a missionary bishop of the eighth century. In the list of the Bishops of Angoulême is found the name of the poet Octavien de St. Gelais (1494–1502). The religious monuments of the province of Angoumois are remarkable for their admirable Romano-Byzantine façades. The most beautiful of them is St. Peter's Cathedral at Angoulême. The original cathedral was dedicated to Saint Saturninus, but it was destroyed by the Arian Visigoths. After the defeat of Alaric II in 507, King Clovis had his chaplain Aptonius made bishop and had the cathedral rebuilt and named in honor of Saint Peter. It was consecrated around 570, according to tradition by Saint Germain, Bishop of Paris. The cathedral was ravaged again, this time by the Normans, in the middle of the ninth century. It was rebuilt by Bishop Grimoard and dedicated in 1017. The present edifice is the work of Bishop Gérard II de Blaye, the Papal Legate, ca. 1109–1120. The cathedral was administered by a Chapter, composed of a Dean, the Archdeacon, the Treasurer, and twenty-one Canons. There were also a Cantor and Scholasticus, but they did not have a vote in Chapter unless they were also Canons. The memory of a wealthy and famous Augustinian abbey, founded in 1122, is kept alive by its ruins at Couronne, near Angoulême. In 1236, the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community of Angouleme, along with those in Anjou, Poitou, and Bordeaux, was attacked by

crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...

. 500

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

from these communities chose conversion and over 3000 were massacred. Pope

Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX (; born Ugolino di Conti; 1145 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decretales'' and instituting the P ...

, who originally had called the crusade, was outraged about this brutality and criticized the clergy of the diocese of Angoulême for not preventing it.

Bishops of Angoulême

to 1000

*Ausonius (4th century) *Dynamius (before 431–451 or later)Favreau, 10. *Lupicinus (511 or before – 541 or later) *Aptonius (542–566) *Maracharius or Mererius (567–573) *Frontonius (573–574) *

Heraclius Heraclius (; 11 February 641) was Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exarch of Africa, led a revolt against the unpopular emperor Phocas. Heraclius's reign was ...

(c. 574–c. 580) *Nicasius (before 584–c. 590 or after) *Bassolus (614)Favreau, 13. *Namatius (626/627–637) *Ebargehenus (mid 7th century) *Tomanius (662/675–677)Favreau, 14–15. *Ardoin (late 7th century – early 8th) *Sidranius (first half of the 9th century) *Fredebert (835) *Launus (848 – January 25, 861 or 862) *Helias Scotigena (862–c. 875) *Oliba (c. 875 – September 3, 892) *Anatolius (892 – March or April 895) *Gombaud (March 2, 897 – March 23, 940) *Fulk (January 938 – February 951) *Eblo (April 2, 951 – January 18, 964)Favreau, 19. *Ramnulf (February or April 963 – January 973) *Hugh of Jarnac (973–990) *Grimoard of Mussidan (September 22, 991 – January 28, 1018)

1000 to 1300

*Roho of Montaigu (c. 1020 – March 12 between 1032 and 1036) *Gerald Malart (1037 or before – June 15, 1043) *William Taillefer (1043 – September 20, 1075 or 1076) *Adémar Taillefer (May 15, 1075 – September 4, 1101) *Gerard (1101 or 1102 – March 1, 1136) *Lambert (May 24, 1136 – June 13, 1149) *Hugh Tison of La Rochefoucauld (June 11, 1149 – August 12, 1159) *Peter Titmond (1159–1182) *John of Saint-Val (1181–March 7, 1204) *William Testaud (1206–1227) *John Guillot (1228–c. 1238) *Radulfus (c. 1240–1247) *Peter (1247–1252) *Robert of Montbron (1252–1268) *''sede vacante'' (1268–1272)Piveteau, 124–25.

Pope Clement IV Pope Clement IV (; 23 November 1190 – 29 November 1268), born Gui Foucois (; or ') and also known as Guy le Gros ( French for "Guy the Fat"; ), was bishop of Le Puy (1257–1260), archbishop of Narbonne (1259–1261), cardinal of Sabina ( ...

died on 29 November 1268, and there was no new pope until January 1272. *Peter Raymond (1272–1273) *William of Blaye (October 12, 1273 – 1307)

1300 to 1500

*Fulques de la Rochefoucauld (1308–1313) *Olivier (1313–1315) *John III (1315–1317) *Galhardus of Fougères (1318–1328) *Ayquelin of Blaye (1328–1363) *Helias of Pons (1363–1381) *Joannes Bertetus, O.P. (20 June 1380 – 1384) (Avignon Obedience) *Galhardus (25 October 1384 – 1391) (Avignon Obedience) *Guillelmus, O.S.B. (5 April 1391 – 1412) (Avignon Obedience) *Joannes Floridus (Fleury), O.Cist. (31 August 1412 – 13 July 1431) *Robertus de Montebruno (8 August 1431 – 24 July 1465) *Geoffroy de Pompadour (24 July 1465 – 6 July 1470) *Radulfus du Faou (6 July 1470 – 22 November 1479) *Robert de Luxembourg (15 November 1479 – 1493)Eubel, II, p. 151. *Octavien de St. Gelais (18 October 1493 appointed – 1502 died)

1500 to 1800

*Hugues de Bauza (11 January 1503 – 1505) *Antoine d’Estaing (September 16, 1506 appointed – February 28, 1523 died) *Antoine de La Barre (January 14, 1524 appointed – 16 March 1528) *Jacques Babou (16 March 1528 – 26 November 1532) *Philibert Babou de La Bourdaisière (13 January 1533 – 4 June 1567 resigned) *Charles de Bony (4 June 1567 appointed— 14 December 1603 died) *Antoine de la Rochefoucauld (13 August 1607 – 1635) *Jacques Le Noël du Perron (28 January 1636 – 24 August 1646) *François de Péricard (18 February 1647 – September 29, 1689 died) *Cyprien-Gabriel Bénard de Résay (March 10, 1692 confirmed – January 5, 1737 died) *François du Verdier (December 16, 1737 appointed – September 21, 1753 died) *Joseph-Amédée de Broglie (February 11, 1754 appointed – 1784 died) *Philippe-François d’Albignac de Castelnau (June 25, 1784 appointed – 1806 died) **Pierre-Mathieu Joubert (6 March 1791 elected – 26 December 1792 resigned) (Constitutional Bishop)

since 1802

*Dominique Lacombe (April 11, 1802 appointed – April 7, 1823 died) *Jean-Joseph-Pierre Guigou (September 10, 1823 appointed – May 21, 1842 died) *René-François Régnier (June 15, 1842 appointed – May 16, 1850 appointed

Archbishop of Cambrai This is a List of bishops and archbishops of Cambrai, that is, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cambrai. Bishops For the first bishops of Arras and Cambrai, who resided at the former place, see Roman Catholic Diocese of Arras. On the death ...

) *Antoine-Charles Cousseau (June 17, 1850 appointed – August 12, 1872 resigned) *Alexandre-Léopold Sebaux (December 16, 1872 appointed – May 17, 1891 died) *Jean-Baptiste Frérot (April 2, 1892 appointed – September 6, 1899 died) *Jean Louis Mando (December 7, 1899 appointed – July 24, 1900 died)Mado: Société bibliographique (France) ''L'épiscopat français'' pp. 63-64. *Joseph-François-Ernest Ricard (April 7, 1901 appointed – April 15, 1907 appointed

Archbishop of Auch 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 ...

) *Henri-Marie Arlet (August 7, 1907 appointed – May 15, 1933 died) *Jean-Baptiste Mégnin (December 7, 1933 appointed – May 9, 1965 died) *René-Noël-Joseph Kérautret (May 9, 1965 succeeded – July 1, 1975 resigned) * Georges Rol (July 1, 1975 succeeded – Dec 22, 1993 resigned) * Claude Jean Pierre Dagens (December 22, 1993 succeeded – November 9, 2015) ( fr) * Herve Gosselin (November 9, 2015 - )

References

Sources

*Cheney, David M., ''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'', "Diocese of Angoulême: Past and Present Ordinaries." Accessed May 26, 2014. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dango.html *Debord, André. ''La société laïque dans les pays de la Charente, Xe-XIIe s''. Paris: Picard, 1984. * (in Latin) * (in Latin) * *Favreau, Robert. "Évêques d’Angoulême et Saintes avant 1200." ''Revue historique du Centre-Ouest'' 9, no. 1 (2010): 7–142. * * * * * * *Pertz, Georgius Henricus, ed. "Annales Engolismenses." In ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptorum'' t.4, 5. Hannover: Impensis Bibliopolii Hahniani, 1841

*Pertz, Georgius Henricus, ed. "Annales Engolismenses." In ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptorum'' t.16, 485–87. Hannover: Impensis Bibliopolii Hahniani, 1859

*Piveteau, Cécile. "Les évêques d'Angoulême aux XIIIe et XIVe siècles." ''Bulletins et mémoires de la Société archéologique et historique de la Charente'' (1983): 119–39. *Puybaudet, Guy de. "Une liste épiscopale d'Angoulême." ''Mélanges d'archéologie et d'histoire'' 17 (1897): 279–84. * *

External links

* Centre national des Archives de l'Église de France
''L’Épiscopat francais depuis 1919''
, retrieved: 2016-12-24.

Acknowledgment

{{DEFAULTSORT:Angouleme, Roman Catholic Diocese of Bishops of Angoulême, Roman Catholic dioceses in France