Ancient Diocese of Auxerre
Encyclopedia
The bishopric of Auxerre is a former French Roman Catholic diocese, now a titular see
. Its historical episcopal see was in the city of Auxerre
in Burgundy, eastern France.
s Rainogala and Alagus, and continued later down to 1278, gives a list of bishops which, save for one detail, Louis Duchesne
regards as accurate; but the chronological data of the Gestes ('deeds') seem to him to be very arbitrary for the period prior to the seventh century. No other church of France glories in a similar list of bishops honoured as saints; already in the Middle Ages this multiplicity of saints was remarkable.
(Pélérin 'pilgrim') was the founder of the see; according to the legend, he was sent by pope Sixtus II and was martyred under Emperor Diocletian
in 303 or 304.
After him are mentioned without the possibility of certainly fixing their dates:
Among later bishops may be mentioned:
On November 29, 1801 the bishopric was suppressed, on October 7, 1817 restored, in 1821 again suppressed. On June 3, 1823 it was united (having no separate titular bishop) to the diocese (soon after archbishopric again) of Sens, which lost its Metropolitan status in 2006 to become part of the Ecclesiastical Province of the archbishopric of Dijon.
The Cathedral of Auxerre, completed in 1178, contains numerous sculptures in the Byzantine style.
and Council of Mâcon. They are important as illustrating life and manners among the newly-converted Teutonic tribes and the Gallo-Romans of the time. Many of the decrees are directed against remnants of heathen barbarism and superstitious customs; others bear witness to the persistence in the early Middle Ages in France of certain ancient Christian customs.
The canons of the council of 695, presumably the last Frankish council before the 742/3 Concilium Germanicum
, are concerned chiefly with the Divine Office and ecclesiastical ceremonies.
Titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
. Its historical episcopal see was in the city of Auxerre
Auxerre
Auxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000...
in Burgundy, eastern France.
Ecclesiastical history
The Gestes des évêques d'Auxerre, written about 875 by the canonCanon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s Rainogala and Alagus, and continued later down to 1278, gives a list of bishops which, save for one detail, Louis Duchesne
Louis Duchesne
Louis Marie Olivier Duchesne was a French priest, philologist, teacher and a critical historian of Christianity and Roman Catholic liturgy and institutions....
regards as accurate; but the chronological data of the Gestes ('deeds') seem to him to be very arbitrary for the period prior to the seventh century. No other church of France glories in a similar list of bishops honoured as saints; already in the Middle Ages this multiplicity of saints was remarkable.
To 1000
St. PeregrinusPeregrine of Auxerre
Saint Peregrine of Auxerre is venerated as the first bishop of Auxerre and the builder of its first cathedral. A strong local tradition states that he was a priest of Rome appointed by Pope Sixtus II to evangelize this area at the request of the Christians resident in that part of Gaul...
(Pélérin 'pilgrim') was the founder of the see; according to the legend, he was sent by pope Sixtus II and was martyred under Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
in 303 or 304.
After him are mentioned without the possibility of certainly fixing their dates:
- St. Marcellianus
- Valerianus
- St. Helladius
- St. Amator (d. 418), who had been ordained deaconDeaconDeacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
and tonsureTonsureTonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
d by St. Helladius and who thus affords the earliest example of ecclesiastical tonsure mentioned in the religious history of France; the illustrious St. Germain d'Auxerre (418-48) - St. Elladius
- St. Fratemus
- St. Censurius, to whom about 475 the priest Constantius sent the Life of St. Germain
- St. UrsusUrsus of AuxerreSaint Ursus of Auxerre was bishop of that city in the 6th century. He had been a hermit at the church of Saint Amator before being elected bishop at the age of 75. It is said he was elected after he had saved the town from a fire by his prayers.-External links:*...
- St. Theodosius, who assisted in 511 at the Council of OrléansCouncil of OrléansThe Council of Orléans may refer to any of several synods held in Orléans:*First Council of Orléans *Second Council of Orléans *Third Council of Orléans *Fourth Council of Orléans *Fifth Council of Orléans...
- St. Gregorius
- St. Optatus
- St. Droctoaldus
- St. Eleutherius, who assisted at four Councils of Orléans between 533 and 549
- St. RomanusRomanus of SubiacoSaint Romanus of Subiaco was a hermit in the area around Subiaco, Italy.He is remembered as having assisted and influenced Saint Benedict of Nursia, when the latter had just begun his life as a hermit. Romanus provided Benedict with clothing , food, and housing Saint Romanus of Subiaco (died ca....
- St. Actherius
- St. Aunacharius (Aunaire; 573-605), uncle of St. Lupus, Archbishop of Sens
- St. DesideriusDesiderius of AuxerreDesiderius of Auxerre was bishop of Auxerre, in France, from 614 to 621. He was from Aquitaine, and is mentioned in the Gesta pontificum Autissiodorensium, as well as the Chronicle of Fredegar....
(Didier) - St. Palladius, who assisted at several councils in 627, 650 and 654
- St. Vigilius, who was assassinated about 684, doubtless at the instigation of GistemarGistemarGistemar, Ghislemar, or Gilmer was briefly the mayor of the palace in Neustria and Burgundy after deposing his father Waratton in 682. He reversed the peace with Austrasia of his father and warred with Pepin of Heristal, overcoming him in Namur. He reigned thereafter briefly and Waratton soon...
, son of WarattonWarattonWaratton, Waratto, or Warato was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy on two occasions, owing to the deposition he experienced at the hands of his own faithless son. His first term lasted from 680 or 681 to 682, when his son Gistemar deposed him and took over the office...
, mayor of the palaceMayor of the PalaceMayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also called majordomo, from the Latin title maior domus , used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries.... - St. Tetricius (692-707)
- SavaricSavaric of AuxerreSavaric was the Bishop of Auxerre from 710 until his death. A member of high nobility, he was a warrior who held a bishopric. He was the father of Eucherius, Bishop of Orleans....
(710-715) - Aidulf (perhaps 751-66)
- MaurinMaurinMaurin is a surname, and may refer to:* Charles Maurin* Louis-Joseph Maurin* Peter Maurin* Rene Maurin...
(perhaps 766-94) - Blessed Aaron (perhaps 794-807)
- Blessed AngelelmusAngelelmusAngelelmus was bishop of Auxerre from 813 to 828. He was Bavarian, and became abbot of Saint-Gervais.He is a Catholic and Orthodox saint, with feast day on July 7.-External links:...
(807-28) - St. Heribaldus (829-57), first chaplain of Louis the PiousLouis the PiousLouis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
, and several times given ambassadorial charges - St. AbboAbbo of AuxerreAbbo of Auxerre was a bishop of Auxerre.He had been a monk, and later abbot, of the Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre, and succeeded his brother Heribald of Auxerre as bishop of Auxerre. He resigned from the see in 859. He assisted in the synod of Poncy in 860, and died on December 3 of that year...
(857-69) - Blessed Christian (860-71)
- Wibaldus (879-87)
- Herifridus (Herfroy; 887-909)
- St. Géran (909-14)
- St. Betto (933-61)
- Guy (933-961)
- John (997-998)
- Hugh of ChalonHugh of Chalon (999-1039)Hugh of Chalon was a member of the house of Chalon. He was bishop of Auxerre and Count of Chalon.He was the only son of Lambert of Chalon and was made canon of the Cathedral of Autun. After his father death, he was proclaimed bishop of Auxerre in 999 by request of Henry I, Duke of Burgundy...
(999-1030)
From 1000
- Humbaud (1095-1114), drowned on the way to Jerusalem
- St. Hugues de Montaigu (1116-1136), a friend of St. Bernard
- Hugues de Mâcon (1137-51), Abbot of PontignyPontignyPontigny is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France....
, often charged by Pope Eugenius III with adjusting differences and re-establishing order in monasteries - AlanusAlain, bishop of AuxerreAlain was a Cistercian abbot of La Rivour, and bishop of Auxerre from 1152 to 1167. He was a close associate of Bernard of Clairvaux, who was instrumental in getting him appointed bishop, under commission from Pope Eugene III, after a dispute in the diocese...
(1152-67), author of a life of St. BernardBernard of ClairvauxBernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val... - Guillaume de Toucy (1167-81), the first French bishop who went to Rome to acknowledge the authority of Pope Alexander IIIPope Alexander IIIPope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
.
Among later bishops may be mentioned:
- Hugues de Noyers (1183-1206), known as the "hammer of heretics" for the vigour with which he sought out in his diocese the sects of the Albigenses and the "Caputiés" (mainly in Sens)
- Guillaume de Seignelay (1207-20), who took part in the war against the Albigenses and in 1230 became the bishop of Paris
- Bernard de Sully (1234-44)
- Guy de Mello (1247-70), who was Apostolic delegate in the crusade of Charles of Anjou against ManfredManfredManfred is a dramatic poem written in 1816–1817 by Lord Byron. It contains supernatural elements, in keeping with the popularity of the ghost story in England at the time. It is a typical example of a Romantic closet drama...
- Pierre de Mornay (1296-1306), who negotiated between Pope Boniface VIIIPope Boniface VIIIPope Boniface VIII , born Benedetto Gaetani, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1294 to 1303. Today, Boniface VIII is probably best remembered for his feuds with Dante, who placed him in the Eighth circle of Hell in his Divina Commedia, among the Simonists.- Biography :Gaetani was born in 1235 in...
and king Philip IVPhilip IV of FrancePhilip the Fair was, as Philip IV, King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was, as Philip I, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305.-Youth:A member of the House of Capet, Philip was born at the Palace of...
and in 1304 became chancellor of France - Pierre de CrosPierre de CrosPierre de Murat de Cros was archbishop of Arles and the chamberlain of the Apostolic Camera at the outbreak of the Western Schism...
(1349-51), cardinal in 1350 - Philippe de Lenoncourt (1560-62), cardinal in 1586
- Philibert Babou de la Bourdaisière (1562-70), cardinal in 1561
- Jacques AmyotJacques AmyotJacques Amyot , French Renaissance writer and translator, was born of poor parents, at Melun.He found his way to the University of Paris, where he supported himself by serving some of the richer students. He was nineteen when he became M.A. at Paris, and later he graduated doctor of civil law at...
the scholar (1571-93), translator of the works of PlutarchPlutarchPlutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
and Diodorus SiculusDiodorus SiculusDiodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium in Sicily . With one exception, antiquity affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca...
, tutorTutorA tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
of Charles IX, grand almoner of kings Charles IXCharles IX of FranceCharles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:...
and Henry IIIHenry III of FranceHenry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,... - Charles de Caylus (1704-54), who made his diocese a centre of JansenismJansenismJansenism was a Christian theological movement, primarily in France, that emphasized original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination. The movement originated from the posthumously published work of the Dutch theologian Cornelius Otto Jansen, who died in 1638...
and whose works in four volumes were condemned by Rome in 1754.
On November 29, 1801 the bishopric was suppressed, on October 7, 1817 restored, in 1821 again suppressed. On June 3, 1823 it was united (having no separate titular bishop) to the diocese (soon after archbishopric again) of Sens, which lost its Metropolitan status in 2006 to become part of the Ecclesiastical Province of the archbishopric of Dijon.
The Cathedral of Auxerre, completed in 1178, contains numerous sculptures in the Byzantine style.
Councils of Auxerre
In 585 (or 578) a Council of Auxerre held under St. Annacharius formulated forty-five canons, closely related in context to canons of the contemporary Council of LyonCouncil of Lyon
The Council of Lyon refers to either the 13th or 14th ecumenical councils of the Roman Catholic Church, both held in Lyon, France during the 13th century:*First Council of Lyon...
and Council of Mâcon. They are important as illustrating life and manners among the newly-converted Teutonic tribes and the Gallo-Romans of the time. Many of the decrees are directed against remnants of heathen barbarism and superstitious customs; others bear witness to the persistence in the early Middle Ages in France of certain ancient Christian customs.
The canons of the council of 695, presumably the last Frankish council before the 742/3 Concilium Germanicum
Concilium Germanicum
The Concilium Germanicum was the first major Church synod to be held in the eastern parts of the Frankish kingdoms. It was called by Carloman on 21 April 742/743 at an unknown location, and presided over by Boniface, who was solidified in his position as leader of the Austrasian church...
, are concerned chiefly with the Divine Office and ecclesiastical ceremonies.