Ancient Diocese of Saintes

Cathedral of Saint-Pierre de Saintes

The former French diocese of Saintes existed from the sixth century, to the French Revolution. Its see was at Saintes in western France, in the modern department of Charente-Maritime. After the Concordat of 1801, its territory passed mainly to the diocese of La Rochelle.

History

Saintes has numerous Roman monuments. The oldest bishop of known date is Peter, who took part in the Council of Orléans (511).

The first bishop, however, is St. Eutropius. Venantius Fortunatus, in a poem written in the second half of the sixth century, makes explicit mention of him in connection with Saintes. Eutropius was said to be a Persian of royal descent, ordained and sent to Gaul by St. Clement; at Saintes he converted to Christianity the governor's daughter, St. Eustelle, and like her suffered martyrdom. This tradition is noted by Gregory of Tours, with a cautious ut fertur; Saintes is thus the only church of Gaul which Gregory traces back to the first century. This evidence is much weakened, says Louis Duchesne, by Gregory's remark to the effect that no one knew the history of St. Eutropius before the removal of his relics by Bishop Palladius, which took place about 590. At this tardy date seems to have arisen the account of Eutropius as a martyr.

Among the bishops of Saintes are mentioned:

• St. Vivianus (119-52?), once Count of Saintes, later a monk
• St. Trojanus, died about 532
• St. Concordius (middle of the sixth century)
• St. Pallais (Palladius), about 580, to whom Gregory the Great recommended St. Augustine on way to England
• St. Leontius, bishop in 625
• Cardinal Raimond Perauld (1503-05), an ecclesiastical writer, several times nuncio, legate for a crusade, against the infidels, and the re-establishment of peace between Maximilian and Louis XII
• Cardinal François Soderini (1507-16), who died in Rome as dean of the Sacred College
• his nephew Jules Soderini (1516-44)
• Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon (1544-50), cardinal in 1548, afterward Archbishop of Rouen, whom Mayenne wished later to make King of France
• Pierre Louis de La Rochefoucauld (1782-92), killed at Paris with his brother, the Bishop of Beauvais, 2 September 1792.^[1]

Councils

Several councils were held at Saintes: in 562 or 563, when Bishop Emerius, illegally elected, was deposed and Heraclius appointed in his stead; other councils were held in 579, 1074 or 1075, 1080, 1081, at which last, metropolitan authority over the sees of Lower Brittany was granted to Tours as against the claims of Dol, and William VII^{[disambiguation needed ]} gave the church of St. Eutropius to the monks of Cluny; also in 1083, 1088, 1089, 1097.

Bishops

• Eutropius, fourth century
• Ambroise, beginning of fifth century
• Vivien, fifth century
• Concorde, end fifth century
• Trojan c. 500
• Peter I. 511
• Eusebius 553 - by 555
• Emerius, before 561
• Palladius 573-596
• Leodegarius, beginning of seventh century
• Audebertus 614
• Leontius 625-634
• Ailphus 637
• Bertarius 660
• Agnebertus 662-675
• Ulric seventh century
• Dizan eighth century
• Benjamin c. 785
• Ato 799-before 805
• Thebert 805
• Frotmundus 846
• Frecultus 862
• Alo (?) 908
• Abbon 989 and 990
• Islus 1000 and 1031
• Godefroy 1032-1036
• Arnulfus 1037-1040
• Engelricus 1040-1047
• Wilhelm 1066-1067
• Goderanus 1067-1072
• Boso 1072-1082
• Ramnulfus Focaudi 1083-1106
• Pierre II. de Soubise 1107-1112
• Rainaldus Chainel 1113-1116
• Pierre III. de Confolens 1117-1126
• Guilelmus Gardradus 1127-1142
• Bernard I. 1142-ca. 1165
• Ademar Charbonnel 1167-1189
• Helias I. 1189
• Heinrich 1190-1217
• Ponce de Pons 1216-1221
• Michel I. 1221
• Hélie II. 1222-1231
• Johann I. 1231-1235
• Peter IV. 1235-1237
• William III. 1237-1239
• Hélie III. 1239-1241
• Peter V. 1241-1250
• Hugues II. de Féletz 1250-1256
• Ponce II. de Pons 1257-1266
• Hélie IV. de Fors 1266
• Pierre VI. Laud 1267-1271
• Ponce III. de Pons 1271-1275
• Pierre VII. 1275-1277
• Geoffroy II. de Saint-Briçon 1277-1284
• Pierre VIII. 1284-1287
• bis. Gimer 1288
• Geoffroy III. d'Archiac 1288-1294
• Ramnufle de Carel 1296
• Gui de Neuville 1296-1312
• Geoffroy IV. 1313
• Guillaume IV. de La Mothe 1313-1322
• Thibaud de Castillon 1322-1342
• Etienne de La Garde 1343-1351 (Cardinal)
• Gaillard du Puy 1351-1361 (Cardinal)
• Bernard II. du Sault 1362-1381 (Rome nomination)
• Raymond d'Angoulême 1380 (Avignon nomination)
• Helie V. de Lestrange 1381-1396
• Pierre Mignot 1380-1397
• Bernard III. de Chevenon 1398-1413
• Geoffroy de Pérusse des Cars 1411-1418
• Jean II. Boursier 1415-1424
• Guy II. de Rochechouart 1424-1460
• Louis I. de Rochechouart 1461-1493
• Pierre IX. de Rochechouart 1493-1503
• Raymond Péraud 1503-1505 (Cardinal)
• Eustache 1505-1506
• François Soderini 1506-1515 (Cardinal)
• Julien Soderini 1515-1544
• Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon 1545-1550 (Cardinal)
• Tristan de Bizet 1550-1576
• Nicolas Le Cornu de la Courbe de Brée 1576-1617
• Michel II. Raoul 1617-1630
• Jacques-Raoul de la Guibougère 1631-1648
• Louis II. de Bassompierre 1648-1676
• Guillaume V. du Plessis de Gesté 1677-1702
• Bertrand de Senaux 1702
• Alexandre de Chevrières de Saint-Mauris 1703-1710
• Henri III. Augustin Le Pileur 1711-1716
• Léon de Beaumont 1718-1744
• Simon-Pierre de Lacoré 1744-1762
• Germain du Chastergner de la Chasteigneraye 1763-1781
• Bienheureux Pierre-Louis de La Rochefoucauld 1781-1792
• Isaac-Etienne Robinet 1791-1797
• Jean François de Couet du Vivier de Lorry (La Rochelle) 1802

Notes

1. ^ Catholic Encyclopedia: La Rochelle