Roman Catholic Diocese of Verona

The Basilica di San Zeno.

The diocese of Verona is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in northern Italy. It has its seat in Verona, Veneto.

History

The Carmen Pipinianum (Pippin's Song) (9th century), which includes a description of Verona and its churches, gives a list of the first eight bishops: St. Euprepius, Dimidrianus (Demetrianus), Simplicius, Proculus, Saturninus, Lucilius (Lucillus, Lucius), Gricinus, and Saint Zeno.^[1]

Less important is the famous so-called Velo di Classe, now believed to be the altar cover from San Firmo e Rustico in Verona, pianeta (chasuble) of Classe in Ravenna, on which are represented not only the bishops of Verona, but also other saints and bishops of other dioceses venerated at Verona in the ninth century.

St. Zeno having been the eighth bishop, the period of St. Euprepius, and therefore of the erection of the see, must be placed not before the temporary peace given to the Church under Emperor Gallienus (260), but rather under the first period of the reign of Diocletian, when the Church enjoyed peace. In the same "Carmen" mention is made of St. Firmus and St. Rusticus, martyred at Verona, probably under Maximian.

A series of portraits by Domenico Riccio of the bishops of Verona –from Euprepius to Cardinal Agostino Valerio. Palazzo del Vescovado di Verona.

Zeno is called a martyr in the "Carmen" and is placed in the time of Gallienus. At any rate the existence of a distinguished St. Zeno, Bishop of Verona, a contemporary of St. Ambrose of Milan, and author of a series of religious discourses, is historically attested, so as the ancient documents know but one bishop of that name, it must be concluded that, as early as the ninth century, the legend had corrupted chronology.

For the rest, we know from the sermons of St. Zeno how deeply paganism was still rooted in Verona in his time, particularly in the country districts.

His successor was Syagrius. Other bishops were: St. Petronius (c. 410); Gaudentius (465); St. Valens (522–531); Solatius and Junior, who joined the schism of the Three Chapters; Hanno (about 758); Ratoldus, who imposed community life on the canons (806) and reorganised the education of the clergy. Among the masters of his school the deacon Pacificus was eminent for his knowledge of Greek and Hebrew, although the Italian historian Cristina La Rocca disputes this acclaim as twelfth century fabrication. Nottingus (840) was the first to denounce the heretic Godescalcus. Adelardus (876) was excommunicated for invading the monastery of Nonnantula. Ratherius (930), a Benedictine and a distinguished author, was thrice driven from his see by usurpers, among whom was the notorious Manasses of Arles. He also fostered learning in the cathedral school. Joannes (1027) was distinguished for sanctity and learning. Bruno (1073), who wrote some interpretations of Scripture, was killed by one of his chaplains.

In the time of Bishop Ognibene (1157), a distinguished canonist, Pope Lucius III died at Verona, in 1183, after meeting Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and holding a synod there. There, too, was held the conclave which elected Pope Urban III, who spent nearly all of his brief pontificate at Verona. Bishops Jacopo da Breganze (1225) and Gerardo Cossadocca (1254) were exiled by the tyrant Ezzelino. Manfredo Roberti (1259) suffered insult and imprisonment at the hands of the Ghibellines (the emperor's supporters against the papacy). Bonincontro (1295) died in the odour of sanctity. Bartolommeo della Scala (1336), a Benedictine, was calumniated to his nephew Mastino, Lord of Verona, who slew him with his own hand, and among the penalties for this crime inflicted by Pope Benedict XII was the revocation of the privilege of nominating bishops.

Pietro della Scala reformed the lives of the clergy and vainly endeavoured to bring the canons under his own jurisdiction instead of that of the Patriarch of Aquileia. When the Visconti dynasty obtained possession of Verona, Pietro was banished. Francesco Condulmer (1439) founded the college of acolytes to add to the beauty of public worship and to form a learned and pious clergy; the school still exists. This institution was necessary because, with the establishment of the University of Verona, the cathedral school had been suppressed, and the young clerics who attended the university were at that time dispensed from officiating in church functions: the acolytes of the new college were obliged both to study and to attend ecclesiastical functions. Ermolao Barbaro also did much for the reform of the diocese.

Cardinal Giovanni Michiel (1471) was a munificent restorer of the cathedral and the episcopal palace, as also was Cardinal Marco Corner (1592). For Gian Matteo Giberti (1524), Pietro Lippomano and Luigi Lippomano (1544, 1548) see articles under their respective names. Agostino Valier (1565) was a cardinal. Sebastiano Pisani (1650) was a zealous pastor. Giovanni Bragadin (1733) was a mirror of all the virtues; in his episcopate the Patriarchate of Aquileia was suppressed, and Pope Benedict XIV brought the chapter under the bishop's jurisdiction and laid down wise rules for the government of the diocese. Giovanni Andrea Avogadro (1790) abdicated the see to return to the Society of Jesus.

Councils of Verona worthy of note are those of 1184, at which the pope presided, and 1276, against the Bogomilian Patarenes who were somewhat numerous in the Veronese territory, even among the clergy.

At Verona is the mother-house of the Sons of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and their college for the Central African missions. The Congregation of the Stimmatini was also founded at Verona.

The diocese was suffragan of Aquileia, then of Udine; since 1818 it has been suffragan of Venice.

List of Bishops of Verona

• Giuseppe Zenti 2007-
• Flavio Roberto Carraro 1998–2007
• Attilio Nicora 1992–1998
• Giuseppe Amari 1978–1992
• Giuseppe Carraro 1958–1978
• Giovanni Urbani 1955–1958
• Andrea Pangrazio as Apostolic Administrator 1954 – 1955
• Girolamo Cardinale 1923–1954
• Bartolomeo Bacilieri 1900–1923
• Luigi Di Canossa 1861–1900
• Benedetto Riccabona de Reinchenfels 1854–1861
• Giuseppe Luigi Trevisanato 1852
• Pietro Antonio Mutti 1840–1852
• Giuseppe Grasser 1828–1839
• Innocenzo Maria Lirutti 1807–1827
• Giovanni Andrea Avogadro 1790–1805
• Giovanni Morosini 1772–1789
• Nicolò Antonio Giustinian 1759–1772
• Giovanni Bragadin 1733–1758
• Francesco Trevisani 1725–1732
• Marco Gradenigo 1714–1725
• Giovanni Francesco Barbarigo 1698–1714
• Pietro Leoni 1691–1697
• Sebastiano Pisani 1669–1690
• Sebastiano Pisani 1650–1668
• Marco Giustiniani 1631–1649
• Alberto Valier 1606–1630
• Agostino Valier 1565–1606
• Bernardo Navagero as Apostolic Administrator 1562–1565
• Girolamo Trevisani 1561–1562
• Agostino Lippomano 1558–1559
• Luigi Lippomano 1548–1558
• Pietro Lippomano 1544–1548
• Gian Matteo Giberti 1524–1543
• Marco Cornaro as Apostolic Administrator 1503–1524
• Giovanni Michiel 1471–1503
• Ermolao Barbaro 1453–1471
• Francesco Condulmer 1438–1453
• Guido Memo 1409–1438
• Angelo Barbarigo 1406–1408
• Giacomo Rossi 1388–1406
• Adelardo 1387–1388
• Pietro Della Scala 1350–1387
• Giovanni di Naso 1349–1350
• Pietro de Pino 1348–1349
• Matteo Riboldi 1343–1348
• Bartolomeo Della Scala 1336–1338
• Nicolò 1331–1336
• Teobaldo 1298–1331
• Buonincontro 1295–1298
• Pietro della Scala 1291–1295
• Bartolomeo 1277–1290
• Temidio 1275–1277
• Guido della Scala 1268–1270
• Aleardino (not possessed) 1268
• Manfredo Roberti 1260–1268
• Gerardo Cossadoca 1255–1259
• Iacopo di Breganze 1225–1254
• Alberto 1224–1225
• Norandino 1214–1224
• Adelardo 1188–1214
• Riprando 1185–1188
• Ognibene 1157–1185
• Tebaldo 1135–1157
• Bernardo 1119–1135
• Sigifredo 1113– ?
• Uberto 1111
• Zufeto 1109–1111
• Bertoldo 1102–1108
• Ezelone 1101
• Valfredo 1095–1101
• Valbruno 1094–1095
• Sigebodo 1080–1094
• Bruno 1072–1076 ?
• Usuardo 1070–1072 ?
• Adalberto 1063–1070 ?
• Tebaldo 1058–1061
• Walter 1037–1055
• Giovanni 1016–1037
• Ildebrando 1013–1014
• Otberto 992–1008 ?
• Manasses of Arles 935–946
• St. Euprepius of Verona 236–250

• Source [1]

See also

• History of Verona

References

1. ^ Knights of Columbus. Catholic Truth Committee, The Catholic encyclopedia: an international work of reference on the constitution, doctrine, discipline, and history of the Catholic Church, Volume 15 (Google eBook). Encyclopedia Press, 1913 p. 361.