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The 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 spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''Dioecesis Aurelianensis''; French: ''Diocèse d'Orléans'') is a

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

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 ...

. The diocese currently corresponds to the Départment of Loiret. The city is 133 kilometers (83 miles) south-southwest of Paris. 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 Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

of the Archdiocese of Paris; 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, 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 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 ...

. It then included the Departments of Loiret"> ...

. It then included the Departments of Loiret and Loir et Cher, but in 1822 Loir et Cher was moved to the new Diocese of Blois">Loiret and Loir et Cher">Loiret"> ...
. It then included the Departments of Loiret and Loir et Cher, but in 1822 Loir et Cher was moved to the new Diocese of Blois. The current bishop is Jacques André Blaquart, who was appointed in 2010. In 2021, in the Diocese of Orleans, there was one priest for every 4,306 Catholics.

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 of

Gien Gien () is a Communes of France, commune in the Loiret Departments of France, 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 ...

, once in the Burgundian Diocese of Auxerre, and the canton of Châtillon sur Loire, once belonging to the Archdiocese of Bourges.

History

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 the

Edict of Milan The Edict of Milan (; , ''Diatagma tōn Mediolanōn'') was the February 313 agreement to treat Christians benevolently within the Roman Empire. Frend, W. H. C. (1965). ''The Early Church''. SPCK, p. 137. Western Roman Emperor Constantine I and ...

. Diclopitus is the first authentic bishop; he figures among the bishops of Gaul who (about 344) ratified the absolution of St. Athanasius. 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, who protested against the depredations of Waifre, a companion of

Charles Martel Charles Martel (; – 22 October 741), ''Martel'' being a sobriquet in Old French for "The Hammer", was a Franks, Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of ...

, and was first exiled by this prince to

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, then to

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

, and died at the monastery of St. Trond.

Cathedral

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 Emperor

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (; ; ; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only ...

held a council at Aix, at which it was ordered that Canons and Canonesses live together according to a set of rules (canons, ''regulae''), expressed in great detail. In the Roman synod of

Pope Eugene II Pope Eugene II (; died 27 August 827) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 6 June 824 to his death on 27 August 827. A native of Rome, he was Papal selection before 1059, chosen by nobles to succeed Paschal I as pope despite ...

of November 826, it was ordered that Canons live together in a cloister next to the church. In 876, the Council of Pavia decreed in Canon X that the bishops should enclose the Canons: ''uti episcopi in civitatibus suis proximum ecclesiae claustrum instituant, in quo ipsi cum clero secundum canonicam regulam Deo militent, et sacerdotes suos ad hoc constringant, ut ecclesiam non relinquant et alibi habitare praesumant.'' The term "canon" (''canonicatus'') first appears at Orléans next to the signatures of eight persons in a charter of Bishop Isambard in 1038. The cathedral of Sainte-Croix was served and administered by the Chapter, which was composed of twelve dignities (including the Dean, the Subdean, the Cantor, the five Archdeacons, the Scholasticus, the Subcantor, the Penitentiary, and the Archpriest) and forty six-canons (one of whom was the Theologus). The earliest known dean, Humbert, in 974, bears the old title "abbot", but in 1027, Erfred signs himself ''decanus'', and the title abbot disappears.

Plagues 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 the

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

in Orléans in 1348–1349; the record of morbidity and mortality kept by the Hotel-Dieu is either missing or was never written. Records do survive testifying to its bloody reappearance in 1414, 1430, 1458 and 1482–1483. In 1430, the plague carried off the hospital's chaplain, and the survivors were not able to find a replacement. In the 16th century, there were twenty-two outbreaks of the plague; in 1529, 2383 burials were reported; in 1530, 2736; in 1531, 3080; in 1532, 2675; in 1533, 2752 burials. In 1562, from August to November, according to a report of Theodore de Béze, the Protestant leader, more than 10,000 persons died in Orléans.

Abbey of Micy

After his victory over the

Alamanni The Alemanni or Alamanni were a confederation of Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River during the first millennium. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Roman emperor Caracalla of 213 CE, the Alemanni c ...

, the Frankish king Clovis was bent on the sack of

Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...

, 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. From Micy 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 Loir ...

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

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

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

introduced the monastic life into the territory of

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 ...

; St. Almir, St. Ulphacius, and St. Bomer in the vicinity of Montmirail; 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 the aforesaid St. Bomer (died about 560) in the Passais near Laval; St. Leonard of Dunois; St. Alva and St. Ernier in Perche; St. Laumer (died about 590) became Abbot of Corbion. 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 to 56. Finally Agilus, Viscount of Orléans (died after 587), was also a protector of Micy. 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.

Theodulf

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, when

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

sent him into

Narbonne Narbonne ( , , ; ; ; 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 Mediterranean Sea and was ...

and

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

as missus dominicus. Under king

Louis le Débonnaire Louis the Pious (; ; ; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only surviving son of C ...

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 Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...

, but was released when Louis came to Angers in 821, reportedly after hearing Theodulfus sing " All Glory, Laud and Honour." 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 repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...

, his

Penitential A penitential is a book or set of church rules concerning the Christianity, Christian sacrament of penance, used for regular private confession with a confessor-priest, a "new manner of reconciliation with God in Christianity, God" that was prom ...

, his treatise on

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

, 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 (; ; 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 of Ecgbert of York, Archbishop Ecgbert at Yor ...

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 modelled after the imperial chapel, and yet retaining its unique mosaic decoration. In October 856, the Northmen invaded and surrounded Orléans, which was able to avoid pillage and burning by the payment of a large sum of money. The Northmen turned their attention instead on the abbey of Saint-Micy, which was entirely destroyed. They burned Paris in 857, and returned to Orléans in 865, when they destroyed part of the fortifications, pillaged the city, and put it to the torch. The churches went up in flames, except for the cathedral. They then turned on the abbey of Saint-Benedict in Fleury, which they found entirely evacuated; nonetheless, they set fire to all the buildings. In the cathedral of Orléans on 31 December 987,

Hugh Capet Hugh Capet (; ; 941 – 24 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder of and first king from the House of Capet. The son of the powerful duke Hugh the Great and his wife Hedwige of Saxony, he was elected as t ...

had his son

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

(born at Orléans) crowned king.

Pope Innocent II Pope Innocent 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 first eight years o ...

and

Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O.Cist. (; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercia ...

visited Fleury and Orléans in 1130.

Education

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 by

Pope Honorius III Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of importa ...

on 16 November 1219, prohibiting the teaching and learning of civil law at the University of Paris, on pain of excommunication. Numbeers of students and professors migrated to Orleans. Scholarship in Orléans received another unintended benefit when the Masters of the University of Paris, in opposition to the royal court, the papal legate, and the bishop and clergy of Paris, suspended teaching and closed the university in 1229. Some teachers withdrew to England, to Oxford or Cambridge; others, particularly those in the legal facuolty, to French schools, particularly Orléans and Angers. On 17 January 1235,

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 Pa ...

, in response to an inquiry from the bishop of Orléans, ruled that Honorius III's prohibitions extended only to Paris, and that the bishop was free to exercise his powers and allow the law to be taught and studied in his jurisdiction. On 27 January 1306, in the bull "Dum Perspicaciter",

Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...

(Bertrand de Got, who had been a student at Orléans) raised the ''studium'' of Orléans to the status of a university, with the same privileges as enjoyed by the University of Toulouse. The powers over the educational establishment which had once belonged to the Scholasticus of the cathedral Chapter were transferred to the bishop and the Masters. The usual disorders between town and gown reached such an extent that

Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. Jure uxoris, By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre and Count of Champagne as Philip&n ...

intervened in 1312, in favor of the magistrates of the city, and suppressed both the university and the "nations" of the students. Abused by the domination of the magistrates, the university engaged in a secession of its own, and withdrew to Nevers in 1316. In 1320, after negotiations with both

Pope John XXII Pope John XXII (, , ; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death, in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Papacy, Avignon Pope, elected by ...

and King

Philip V of France Philip V ( 1291 – 3 January 1322), known as the Tall (), was King of France and List of Navarrese monarchs, Navarre (as Philip II) from 1316 to 1322. Philip engaged in a series of domestic reforms intended to improve the management of the kingd ...

, the masters and students, with most of their privilege restored, returned to Orléans. By 1337, the university had ten regent professors, presided over by a rector; the scholars were organized into ten "nations": France, Normandy, Champagne, Burgundy, Bourbon, Aquitaine, Picardy, Touraine, Scotland, and Germany.

Later 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 of

Louis IX of France Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis VI ...

at Puiseaux, Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, 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 (; 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 pope. In 1377, ...

(1371–8), the most recent French pope; he created Cardinal Jean de la Tour d'Auvergne, Abbot of St. Benoît-sur Loire. Bishop Milo de Chailli died at the papal court in Avignon on 15 March 1321.

took advantage of the fact by exercising a special reservation on the episcopal see of Orléans, and, on 3 April 1321, appointed Roger de Fort, Dean of Bourges, as the new bishop. He was the nephew of Guillaume de Laudun, lector in the Roman Curia, who became archbishop of Vienne on 27 February 1321, and then archbishop of Toulouse in 1327. Bishop Roger de Fort was transferred to the diocese of Limoges by Pope John XXII on 23 December 1327. The pope took the opportunity to appoint a bishop of Orléans a second time, the Benedictine Abbot Jean of Saint-Médard in Soissons. In 1411, the archbishop of Sens Jean de Montaigu held a synod of the bishops of his province in Orléans to attempt to deal with the conflict between

Charles, Duke of Orléans Charles of Orléans (24 November 1394 – 5 January 1465) was Duke of Orléans from 1407, following the murder of his father, Louis I, Duke of Orléans. He was also Duke of Valois, Count of Beaumont-sur-Oise and of Blois, Lord of Coucy, ...

, and

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, ...

, Duke of Burgundy, both of whom had previously been excommunicated. The sentence against the duke of Burgundy was confirmed. In 1440, the Chapter of Sainte-Croix was in such financial straits that they had to sell the crozier and mitre of Bishop Guy de Prunelé (1394–1425) to the Chapter of Saint-Martin of Tours.

Jeanne d'Arc

France was saved from English domination through the deliverance of Orléans by

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 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 Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

(8 May 1429). She was executed as a relapsed heretic on 30 May 1431. On 21 July 1455, her rehabilitation was publicly proclaimed at Orléans in a solemn procession, and her mother, Isabel Romée, who died in November 1458, lived to see 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, and again from 1842 to the present day, a religious festival in honour of Joan d'Arc is celebrated annually on 8 May at Orléans.

Reformation and Countereformation

After her separation from

Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), also known as Louis of Orléans was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples (as Louis III) from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Marie of Cleves, he succeeded his second ...

(1498), Joan of France, Duchess of Berry, Duchess of Orléans, 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 as an atheist, and looked upon by some as a "martyr of the Renaissance", was a native of Orléans. Cardinal Odet de Coligny, who joined the Reformation about 1560, was Abbot of St. Euvertius, of Fontainejean, Ferrières, and St. Benoît. The Protestant leader, Admiral Coligny (1519–72), the principal victim of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, 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. Despite the fact that he was appointed bishop in April 1552, Bishop Jean de Morvillier (1552–1564) was not able to make his formal entry into Orléans until 26 November 1559. The Chapter had complained on 3 November 1552 that they would not receive him because he wore a beard. In 1556, King Henry II intervened, announcing that he was sending the bishop on a diplomatic mission to countries which required that he be bearded. The Chapter finally gave way. In 1560, King Francis II and Queen Mary Stuart came to Orléans to preside over a meeting of the Estates. The king died there on 5 December 1460. In 1562, while Bishop Morvillier was in Italy, attending 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 ...

the First French War of Religion (1562–1563) broke out. In the vicinity of Orléans,

François, Duke of Guise François de Lorraine, 2nd Duke of Guise, 1st Prince of Joinville, and 1st Duke of Aumale (17 February 1519 – 24 February 1563), was a French general and statesman. A prominent leader during the Italian War of 1551–1559 and French Wars of Re ...

was assassinated on 24 February 1563. The Calvinist Jacques Bongars, councillor and ambassador of King

Henry IV of France Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...

, who collected and edited the chronicles of the Crusades in his "Gesta Dei per Francos", was born at Orléans in 1554, and died in Paris in 1612. The Jesuit

Denis Pétau Denis Pétau (21 August 158311 December 1652), also known as Dionysius Petavius, was a French Jesuit theologian. Life Pétau was born in Orléans, where he had his initial education; he then attended the University of Paris, where he successfully ...

(Dionysius Petavius), a renowned scholar and theologian, was born at Orléans in 1583. Françoise de la Croix (1591–1657), a pupil of

Vincent de Paul Vincent de Paul, CM (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), commonly known as Saint Vincent de Paul, was an Occitan French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor. In 1622, Vincent was appointed as chaplain to the galleys. ...

, who founded the congregation of Augustinian Sisters of Charity of Notre Dame, was born at Petay in the diocese (at the time in the diocese of Chartres). St. Jane de Chantal, superior of the Sisters of the Visitation, visited the Orléans convent of the Visitation late in 1627. Madame Jeanne Guyon, a noted advocate of Quietism, was born at Montargis in 1648.

French 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 draft

Civil Constitution of the Clergy The Civil Constitution of the Clergy () was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution, that sought the Caesaropapism, complete control over the Catholic Church in France by the National Constituent Assembly (France), French gove ...

, which, after vigorous debate, was approved on 12 July 1790. There was to be one diocese in each department, requiring the suppression of approximately fifty dioceses. The former diocese of Orléans became the diocese of Loiret. In place of the former ecclesiastical provinces, each headed by an archbishop, the National Assembly decreed ten new metropolitanates in France. The diocese of Loiret (formerly Orléans) was assigned to the metropolitanate of Paris. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy also abolished Chapters, canonries, prebends, and other offices both in cathedrals and in collegiate churches. It also abolished chapters in abbeys and priories of either sex, whether regular or secular. Of the 129 bishops of French dioceses alive on 1 January 1791, only four took it upon themselves to swear the oath of allegiance to the

. One of them was Jarente de Senas d’Orgeval, Bishop of Orléans.

Restoration

The

French Directory The Directory (also called Directorate; ) was the system of government established by the Constitution of the Year III, French Constitution of 1795. It takes its name from the committee of 5 men vested with executive power. The Directory gov ...

fell in the coup engineered by Talleyrand and

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

on 10 November 1799. The coup resulted in the establishment of the

French Consulate The Consulate () was the top-level government of the First French Republic from the fall of the French Directory, Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799 until the start of the First French Empire, French Empire on 18 May 1804. ...

, with Napoleon as the First Consul. To advance his aggressive military foreign policy, he decided to make peace with the Catholic Church in France and with the Papacy. In the

concordat of 1801 The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between the First French Republic and the Holy See, signed by First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace–Lorraine, ...

with

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...

, and in the enabling papal bull, "Qui Christi Domini", the constitutional diocese of Cher and all the other dioceses in France, were suppressed. This removed all the institutional contaminations and novelties introduced by the Constitutional Church, and voided all of the episcopal appointments of both authentic and constitutional bishops. The diocesan structure was then canonically re-established by the papal bull "Qui Christi Domini" of 29 November 1801, including the diocese of Orléans, which was named a suffragan (subordinate) of Paris. The Concordat was registered as a French law on 8 April 1802.

Recent 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 the

First Vatican Council The First Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the First Vatican Council or Vatican I, was the 20th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, held three centuries after the preceding Council of Trent which was adjourned in 156 ...

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

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

Benedictines The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...

, Missionary Priests of the Society of Mary,

Lazarists The Congregation of the Mission (), abbreviated CM and commonly called the Vincentians or Lazarists, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded by Vincent de Paul. It is associated with the Vincentian Family, ...

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC; ; ) are a missionary congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1854 by Jules Chevalier at Issoudun, France, in the Diocese of Bourges. The motto of the Missionaries of the S ...

and several orders of teaching Brothers, including the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Among the congregations of women which originated in this diocese must be mentioned: the Benedictines of Our Lady of Calvary, a teaching and nursing order founded in 1617 by Princess Antoinette d'Orléans-Longueville, and authorized in the diocese of Orléans in 1827; and the Capuchin François 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. Bishop Guy Riobé (1963–1978), took a public stand in opposition to nuclear weapons, which led to an altercation with a member of Georges Pompidou's government. His successor, Jean-Marie Lustiger, who had been born of a Polish Jewish family and had converted to Catholicism, was appointed in 1979, and shortly afterwards was transferred to the archdiocese if Paris; he was named a cardinal by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

on 2 February 1983, and elected a member of the

Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

on 15 June 1995.

Bishops 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) *

Jean Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

(1096–1135 ) * Elias (1137–1146) * Manasses (II) (1146–1185) * Henricus (1186–1198)

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) *

Pierre-Marin Rouph de Varicourt Mgr Pierre-Marin Rouph de Varicourt (9 May 1755, Versonnex, Ain – 9 December 1822, Orléans) was a French Catholic priest, representing the clergy at the States-General, serving as a deputy to the 1789 Constituent Assembly and finally becoming ...

(1819–1822) *Jean Brumauld de Beauregard (1823–1839) * François-Nicholas-Madeleine Morlot (1839–1842) *Jean-Jacques Fayet (1842–1849) * Félix-Antoine-Philibert Dupanloup (1849–1878) * Pierre-Hector Coullié (Couillié) (1878–1893) * Stanislas-Arthur-Xavier Touchet (1894–1926) * Jules-Marie-Victor Courcoux (1926–1951) * 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 (1979–1981) * René Lucien Picandet (13 Jun 1981 Appointed – 20 Oct 1997 Died) * Gérard Antoine Daucourt (1998–2002) * André Louis Fort (28 Nov 2002 Appointed – 27 Jul 2010 Retired) * Jacques André Blaquart (27 Jul 2010 Appointed – )

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,

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 Archdiocese of Sens and Auxerre (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Senonensis et Antissiodorensis''; French language, French: ''Archidiocèse de Sens et Auxerre'') is a Latin Church, Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese co ...

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

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

Bishop 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 ...

(1105–13) * the leper St. Alpaix, died in 1211 at Cudot where she was visited by queen Adèle of Champagne, widow of Louis VII * 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 (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the counties of East Sussex, East and West Sussex. The Episcopal see, see is based in t ...

in 1244, a friend of St. Edmund of Canterbury St. Maurus, called to France by St. Innocent,

Bishop of Le Mans The Diocese of Le Mans (Latin: ''Dioecesis Cenomanensis''; French: ''Diocèse du Mans'') is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese is now a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo, but had previ ...

, 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 Communes of France, commune in the Haute-Saône Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté west of Mulhouse in eastern France. History Luxeuil (sometimes rendered Lux ...

at the close of the sixth century, both visited Orléans.

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 Jean d'Orléans, Count of Dunois (23 November 1402 – 24 November 1468), known as the "Bastard of Orléans" () or simply Jean de Dunois, was a French military leader during the Hundred Years' War who participated in military campaigns with Joan ...

,Gaude-Ferragu
p. 204
one of the heroes of the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

, was also interred.

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. Herluison
Volume 2 (1885)
* Bouvier, Pierre (1914)
''Étude sur l'Hôtel-Dieu d'Orléans au Moyen Age et au XVIe siècle.''
. Orléans: Paul Pigelet 1914. he Hôtel-Dieu was the poor-house attached to the cathedral Chapter.* Cochard, Th. (1907); Société bibliographique (France). ''L'épiscopat français depuis le Concordat jusqu'à la Séparation (1802-1905).'' . Paris: Librairie des Saints-Pères, 1907
Pp. 426-442
* Cuissard, Charles (1898)
"La peste noire à Orléans,"
, in: ''Mémoires de la Société d'agriculture, sciences, belles-lettres et arts d'Orléans'' vol. 36 (1898), pp. 105–165. * Cuissard, Charles (1905). "Les canons et les dignitaires de la cathédrale d'Orléans," , in: ''Mémoires de la Société archéologique et historique de l'Orléanais'' volume 29 (Orléans: Herluison 1905)
pp. 59-257
ists of all known members, original documents* Duchateau, Eugène (1888)
''Histoire du diocèse d'Orléans.''
. Orléans: Herluison 1888. *
Archive
* * Foulques de Villaret, Amicie de (1882)
''Recherches historiques sur l'ancien chapitre de l'église d'Orléans de son origine jusqu'au XVIe siècleavec documents inédits et plan de l'ancien cloitre.''
. Orléans: H. Herluison 1882. * Head, Thomas (2005)
''Hagiography and the Cult of Saints: The Diocese of Orléans, 800-1200''
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2005. * * Lagrange, François. ''Vie de Mgr Dupanloup, évêque d'Orleans, membre de l'Académie Française''. . 4th edition. Paris: Poussielgue
Volume 2 (1884)
* Marcilhacy, Christianne (1964)
''Le diocèse d'Orléans au milieu du XIXe siècle : les hommes et leurs mentalités.''
. Paris: Sirey. * Pelletier, Victor (1855)
''Les Évêques d'Orléans depuis les origines chrétiennes jusqu'à nos jours.''
Orléans: Alphonse Gatineau 1855.

External links

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