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 Diocese of Blois and the canton of Janville, now in the Diocese of Chartres. It includes the arrondissement of Montargis, formerly subject to the Archdiocese of Sens, the arrondissement ofHistory
Foundation myth
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. Christianity was an illegal cult in Roman law until theCathedral
The cathedral of Sainte Croix, perhaps built and consecrated by Bishop Euvertius in the fourth century, was destroyed by fire in 999, and rebuilt between 1278 and 1329; the Protestants pillaged and destroyed it during the Wars of Religion, from 1562 to 1567; the Bourbon kings restored the cathedral in the 17th century. In 816, the EmperorPlagues in Orléans
It is recorded that in the early Middle Ages, there were plagues in 590. 874, and 906, and a plague of locusts in 1043. Leprosy was alreeady known in Orléans by 549, when the Fifth Council of Orléans ordered the bishops to take care of the sufferers. Nothing is known about theAbbey of Micy
After his victory over theTheodulf
Charlemagne had the church of St. Aignan rebuilt, and reconstructed the monastery of St. Pierre le Puellier. It is not known when Bishop Theodulfus began to govern, but it is certain that he was already bishop in 798, whenEducation
Already by the 12th century, the School of Grammar and Rhetoric at Orléans was noted for its quality. In the medieval French poem, "The Battle of the Seven Arts," rhetoric is personified as the Lady of Orléans. There were also teachers of law in the city. Orleans became an unexpected beneficiary of a decree issued byLater medieval history
The people of Orléans were so impressed by the preaching of the Breton Robert of Arbrissel in 1113 that he was invited by Bishop Jean (II) to found the monastery of La Madeleine for women, which he re-visited in 1117 in the company of Abbot Bernard of Thiron. The charitable deeds ofJeanne d'Arc
France was saved from English domination through the deliverance of Orléans byReformation and Countereformation
After her separation fromFrench Revolution
On 2 November 1789, the National Assembly proclaimed that all ecclesiastical property was confiscated by the State. Even before it directed its attention to the Church directly, the National Constituent Assembly attacked the institution of monasticism. On 13 February 1790. it issued a decree which stated that the government would no longer recognize solemn religious vows taken by either men or women. In consequence, Orders and Congregations which lived under a Rule were suppressed in France. Members of either sex were free to leave their monasteries or convents if they wished, and could claim an appropriate pension by applying to the local municipal authority. The National Constituent Assembly ordered the replacement of political subdivisions of the ''ancien régime'' with subdivisions called "departments", to be characterized by a single administrative city in the center of a compact area. The decree was passed on 22 December 1789, and the boundaries fixed on 26 February 1790, with the effective date of 4 March 1790. A new department was created, called "Loiret", and its administrative center was fixd at Orléans. The National Constituent Assembly then, on 6 February 1790, instructed its ecclesiastical committee to prepare a plan for the reorganization of the clergy. At the end of May, its work was presented as a draftRestoration
TheRecent history
In 1850, the diocese of Orléans was divided for administrative purposes into four archdeaconries (Orléans, Montargis, Pithiviers, and Gien) and twenty-nine deaneries; in addition there were five city deaneries. There were 429 priests in a population of 331,633. The cathedral of Saint-Croix was a parish church for 8,000 persons. The Cathedral chapter consisted of 3 dignities (the Dean, the Subdean, and the Archpriest) and nine canons. There were in addition three canons of honor, the bishops of Langres, Tours, and Metz, each of which had an earlier connection to the diocese. The Church of Orléans was the last in France to give up the Gallican liturgy (1874) and take up the Roman liturgy, as required by theBishops of Orléans
To 1200
* Diclopitus (346) :? Eortius (374?) * Anianus (Agnan) ( 451) * Prosper (after 451–463?) * Eusebius ( 511) * Leontius ( 533) * Antoninus (538) * Marcus ( 541–549) * Namatius ( 581–587) * Austrinus ( 594–604) * Liudigislus ( 614) * Audo ( 650–667) * ? Sigobertus ( 683) * Suavaricus ( 693–697) * Eucherius of Orléans ( 719–738) * Deotimius ( 790) * Theodulfus ( 798–821) * Jonas (821 – 843) * Agius * Walterius ( 869–891) * Trohannus * Berno * Anselmus * Theodericus * Ermentheus * Arnulfus * Manasses * Arnulfus (II) ( 987–1003) * Fulco (1003– ) * Theodericus (II) (1016–1021) * Odolricus (1021–1031) * Isembardus * Hadericus * Rainerius ( 1066–1082) * Arnulfus (III) * Joannes (1085–1096) * Sanctio (1096) *From 1200 to 1450
* Hugo de Garlande (1198–1206) * Manassas de Seignelay (1207–1221) * Philippus de Jojaco (1221–1234) * Philip Berruyer (1234–1236) * Guilelmus de Bussi (1238–1258) * Robert de Courtenay (1258–1279) * Egidius de Pa(s)te (1282–1288) * Pierre de Mornay (1288–1296) * Ferricus (1296–1299) * Bertrand de Saint-Denis (1299–1307) * Radulfus Grosparmi (1308–1311) * Milo de Chailli (1312–1321) * Roger le Fort (1321–1328) * Jean de Conflans (1328–1349) * Philippe de Conflans (1349) * Jean de Montmorency (1349–1363) * Hugues de Faydit (1363–1371) * Jean Nicot (1371–1383) ''Avignon Obedience'' * Fulco de Chanac (1383–1394) ''Avignon Obedience'' * Guy de Prunelé (1394–1425?) ''Avignon Obedience'' * Jean de S. Michel (Carmichael) (1426–1435) :: ''Sede vacante'' (1435–1438) * Guillaume Charrier (1438–1439) * Regnault de Chartres (1439–1444) ''Apostolic Administrator'' * Jean de Gué (1444–1447) * Pierre Bureau (1447–1451)From 1450 to 1650
* Johannes de Harecuria (1451–1452) * Thibault d'Assigny (1452–1473) * François de Brillac (1473–1504) * Christophe de Brillac (1504–1514) * Germain de Gannai (1514–1520) * Jean d’Orléans-Longueville (1521–1533) * Antoine Sanguin de Meudon (1533–1550) * François de Faucon (1550–1551) * Pierre du Chastel (1551–1552) * Jean de Morvillier (1552–1564) * Mathurin de la Saussaye (1564–1584) * Denis Hurault (1584–1586) * Germain Vaillant de Guelin (1586–1587) * Jean de L’Aubespine (1588–1596) * Gabriel de L’Aubespine (1604–1630) * Nicolas de Netz (1631–1646)From 1650 to 1800
* Alphonse d’Elbène (1647–1665) * Pierre-Armand du Cambout de Coislin (1666–1706) * Louis-Gaston Fleuriau d’Armenonville (1706–1733) * Nicolas-Joseph de Paris (1733–1754) * Louis-Joseph de Montmorency-Laval (1754–1758) * Louis-Sextius de Jarente de La Bruyère (1758–1788) * Louis-François-Alexandre de Jarente de Senas d’Orgeval (1788–1793) ::''Sede vacate'' (1793–1802)Since 1802
* Etienne-Alexandre-Jean-Baptiste-Marie Bernier (1802–1806) *Claude-Louis Rousseau (1807–1810) ::''Sede vacante'' (1810–1819) *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 (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,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 whereSee also
*References
Bibliography
Reference works
* (Use with caution; obsolete) * * * * * * * * *Studies
* pp. 1408–1595; "Instrumenta," pp. 480–546. * Bimbenet, Jean Eugène. ''Histoire de la ville d'Orléans''. . Orléans: H. HerluisonExternal links
* Centre national des Archives de l'Église de France,