The Italian Catholic diocese of Cesena-Sarsina, in Emilia Romagna is created on September 30, 1986, after the diocese of Sarsina

Diocese of Sarsina

The Italian Catholic diocese of Sarsina was a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, seated in Sarsina, in the province of Forlì, which existed until 1986. In that year it was united into the diocese of Cesena.- History :...

 was united with the historic diocese of Cesenaas a suffragan of the archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.

The current bishop of Cesena-Sarsina is Douglas Regattieri. He was appointed on October 8, 2010 after Bishop Antonio Lanfranchi was named Metropolitan Archbishop of Modena-Nonantola by the Holy Father

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

, His Holiness

His Holiness

His Holiness is the official style or manner of address in reference to the leaders of certain religious groups. In Christianity, specifically the Orthodox Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, Armenian Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Roman Catholic...

 Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

.

History

Cesena

Cesena

Cesena is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, south of Ravenna and west of Rimini, on the Savio River, co-chief of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. It is at the foot of the Apennines, and about 15 km from the Adriatic Sea.-History:Cesena was originally an Umbrian...

 was the ancient Cæsena. After the overthrow of the Ostrogoths it became a part of the exarchate. By the Donation of Pepin

Donation of Pepin

The "Donation of Pepin", the first in 754, and second in 756, provided a legal basis for the formal organizing of the Papal States, which inaugurated papal temporal rule over civil authorities...

 (752) it became the fief of the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

, which was confirmed in its possession by King Rudolph of Habsburg

Rudolph I of Germany

Rudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties...

 (1278).

In medieval times it was governed by various families, among them the Ordelaffi di Forli and the Malatesta

Malatesta

Malatesta may refer to:*The House of Malatesta, an Italian family which ruled over Rimini from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century*Errico Malatesta , an Italian anarchist*Malatesta , a 1970 German film...

, the latter being remembered for their justice and good government. After the death of Cesare Borgia

Cesare Borgia

Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...

, Cesena, with the rest of Romagna, acknowledged the immediate authority of the Holy See (1503).

Among its bishops were:

• St. Maurus (d. 946);
• Gian Battista Acciaioli (1332), exiled by Francesco degli Ordelaffi;
• Gregorio Malesardi (1408), who built the cathedral;
• Jacopo (1379), under whom occurred the massacre ordered by the antipope Clement VII
  Antipope Clement VII
  Robert of Geneva was elected to the papacy as Pope Clement VII by the French cardinals who opposed Urban VI, and was the first Avignon antipope of the Western Schism.-Biography:...
  
  ;
• the Dominican Vincenzo Maria Orsini, later Benedict XIII.