Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Barcelona

Archdiocese of Barcelona Dioecesis Barcinonensis
Location
Country	Spain
Metropolitan	Barcelona
Statistics
Area	339 km2 (131 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2006) 2,606,362 2,302,177 (88.3%)
Parishes	212
Information
Rite	Roman Rite
Cathedral	Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia (Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia)
Secular priests	1,036
Current leadership
Bishop	Lluís Martínez Sistach
Auxiliary Bishop	Sebastián Taltavull Anglada

The Archdiocese of Barcelona is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in southeastern Spain and the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province of Barcelona which includes the suffragan dioceses of Sant Feliu de Llobregat and Terrassa.

The current Archbishop of Barcelona is Lluís Martínez Sistach, appointed by Pope John Paul II on 15 June 2004.

History

While local tradition and catalogues date back the first bishop, San Eteri, considered a disciple of Saint James the Great, to the very first Apostles, historical evidence seems to be undisputed from the third century onwards, when bishop Pretextat attended the Council of Sardica in 343. During the Visigothic Kingdom, Barcelona became one of the fourteen dioceses of the ecclesiastic province of Tarragona. After the Christian fall in 712, a long sede vacante was ended not before 850, when bishop Joan took office, and the diocese became subjugated to the Carolingian See of Narbonne.

During the Reconquista, bishop Oleguer was called to the archepiscopal see of Tarragona, which he took in 1017, though being granted to keep his Barcelonan see as well, reigning 1114–1137. Barcelona became suffragan to Tarragona once again, and stayed so for the following centuries. Its bishops got used to live in the pontifical or royal courts instead of the city, until bishop Jaume Caçador inducted reforms according to the Council of Trent amidst the 16th century. Disregarding another year-lasting de facto sede vacante from 1808 to 1814 during the Napoleonic Wars, Barcelona and its diocese kept on grewing richer and more powerful.

On 25 March 1964 Pope Paul VI elevated the Diocese of Barcelona to the level of an Archdiocese. However, it has only had the status of a Metropolitan Archdiocese since 2004, when Pope John Paul II dismembered its territory into the Archdiocese of Barcelona and the two new suffraganes of Sant Feliu de Llobregat and Terrassa together with the appointment of Archbishop Sistach. ^[1]

Leadership

Earliest bishops according to local tradition

The Catholic Encyclopedia states that “The See of Barcelona, unlike most very ancient sees, whose origins are obscure, has preserved catalogues of its bishops from Apostolic times, and although all the names given cannot be admitted as authentic, the greater number are handed down in all the catalogues.”^[2] The list includes:^[3]

Severus is considered to have occupied the see around 304 AD.

• Eterius (San Eteri) (considered a disciple of Saint James the Great, 37 AD)
• Saint Theodosius (San Teodosi) (94 AD)
• Aulus Victor (Aulo Víctor) (139 AD)
• Actius
• Theolycus (Teolicus)
• Alexander I (Alexandre I)
• Lucius (Luci)
• Totxa
• Deodatus I (Deodat I)
• Theodoric (Teodoric)
• Deodatus II (Deodat II)
• Peneguardus (Peneguardo)
• Pusio
• Alexander II (Alexandre II)
• Albert
• Armengald
• Gandimar
• William (Guillem)
• St. Severus (San(t) Sever) (c. 290–304). A native of the city, martyr of the Diocletian persecution.

Early bishops (for whom documentation exists)

St. Pacian

• Praetextatus (Pretextat) (c. 347), the first recorded bishop, who attended a council at Sardica in 347.
• St. Pacianus (Sant Pacià) (360–390) (mentioned in Jerome's De Viris Illustribus)
• Lampius (Lampi, Lampio) (393–400)
• Sigesari (c. 415)
• Nundinari (c. 450–463)
• Ireneus (Ireneu) (c. 463–465)
• Berengari
• Agrici (after 516)
• St. Nebridius (Nebridi) (c. 540)
• Paternus (Patern) (c. 546).
• Ugno (c. 589–599)
• Emila (c. 610–633)
• Severus II (Sever II) (c. 633–636)
• Oia (c. 636–638)
• Quiricus (Quirze) (c. 640–666), later bishop of Toledo
• Idalaci (c. 667–689)
• Laülf (c. 689–702)

Medieval Period

Arnau de Gurb was bishop during the mid- to late thirteenth century.

In the twelfth century the diocese was restored by Ramon Berenguer, Count of Barcelona.

• John (Joan) (around 850)
• Ataulfus (Ataülf) (c. 850–860).
• Frodoí (c. 861–890).
• Theodoric (Teodoric) (c. 904–937).
• Guilara (c. 937–959).
• Pere (c. 962–973)
• Vives (974–995)
• Aeci (995–1010)
• Deusdat (1010–1029)
• Guadall Domnuç (1029–1035)
• Guislabert (1035–1062)
• Berenguer (1062–1069)
• Humbert (Umbert) (1069–1085).
• Bertram (Bertran) (1086–1096).
• Fulk II of Cardona (Folc II de Cardona) (1096–1099)
• Berenguer Bernat (1100–1106).
• Ramon Guillem (1107–1114).
• St. Olegarius (Sant Oleguer) (1114–1137).
• Arnau Ermengol (1137–1143)
• Guillem de Torroja (1144–1171)
• Bernat de Berga (1172–1188)
• Ramon de Castellvell (1189–1199)
• Berenguer de Palou I (1200–1206)
• Pere de Cirac (1208–1211)
• Berenguer de Palou II (1212–1241)

Bishop of Barcelona Berenguer de Palou II (seated) with James I of Aragon

• Pere de Centelles (1241–1252)
• Arnau de Gurb (Arnoldo de Guerbo) (1252–1284)
• Guerau de Gualba (1284–1285)
• Bernat Pelegrí (1288–1300)
• Pontius de Gualba (Ponç de Gualba) (1303–1334)
• Ferrer d'Abella (1335–1344)
• Bernat Oliver (1345–1346)
• Miguel de Ricomá (1346–1361)
• Guillem de Torrelles (1361–1369)
• Berenguer d’Erill (1369–1371)
• Pere de Planelles
• Ramon d’Escales (1386–1398)
• Joan Armengol (1389–1408)
• Francesc de Blanes (1409–1410)
• Francesc Climent (Sapera)
• Andreu Bertrán (1416–1420; 1431–1433)
• Simó Salvador (1433–1445)
• Jaume Girard (1445–1456)
• Juan Soler (1456–1463)
• Fra Juan Jiménez Cerdá (1465–1472)
• Rodrigo Borgia (Rodrigo de Borja) (1472–1478)
• Gonzalo Fernández de Heredia (1478–1490)
• Pere García (1490–1505)

List of Bishops and Archbishops of Barcelona since 1505

• Enric de Cardona Enríquez (18 April 1505 – 23 January 1512)
• Martín García (bishop) (27 August 1511 – 7 March 1521)
• Guillem Ramon de Vic (1521–1525), (coadjutor 1519–1521)
• Silvio Passarino (1525–1529)
• Luis Cardona (27 August 1529 – 23 January 1531)
• Joan de Cardona (15 February 1531 – 1 February 1546)
• Jaume Caçador (17 May 1546 – 4 June 1561 Died)
• Guillem Caçador (4 June 1561 – 13 November 1570)
• Martín Martínez de Villar (3 March 1573 – 14 December 1575)
• Joan Dimas Loris (4 July 1576 – 8 August 1598)
• Ildefons Coloma i de Melo (27 September 1599 – 13 January 1603)
• Rafael de Rovirola (18 February 1604 – 12 October 1609)
• Joan de Moncada (22 March 1610 – 30 July 1612)
• Lluís Sans Codol (20 August 1612 – 23 February 1620)
• Joan Sentís (20 July 1620 – 7 October 1632)
• García Gil Manrique (28 November 1633–1655)
• Ramon de Sentmenat i de Lanuza (25 October 1655 – 11 February 1663)
• Ildefons de Sotomayor (1664–1682)
• Benedicto Ignacio de Salazar (1683–1691)
• Manuel de Alba (1693–1697)
• Benet de Sala i de Caramany (1698–1715).
• Diego Astorga Cespedes (30 March 1716 – 22 July 1720)
• Andrés de Orbe y Larreátegui (24 August 1720 – 10 April 1725)
• Bernardo Ximénez de Cascante (11 June 1725 – 13 December 1730)
• Gaspar de Molina y Oviedo (28 June 1731 – 5 May 1734)
• Felipe Aguado Requejo (30 August 1734 – 3 November 1737)
• Francisco Castillo Vintimilla (1738 – 31 July 1747)
• Francisco Díaz Santos y Bullon (1 April 1748 – 25 May 1750)
• Manuel López Aguirre (22 July 1750 – 7 February 1754)
• Asensio Sales (16 December 1754 – 17 January 1766)
• Josep Climent Avinent (21 July 1766 – 16 August 1775)
• Gabino Valladares Mejia (11 September 1775 – 13 February 1794)
• Eustaquio Azara (12 September 1794 – 24 June 1797)
• Pere Díaz de Valdes (14 September 1798 – 15 November 1807 )
• Pau de Sitjar Ruata (16 March 1808 – 21 August 1831)
• Pedro Martínez San Martin (20 December 1832 – 24 March 1849)
• Josep-Domènec Costa Borràs (7 January 1850 – 3 August 1857)
• Antoni Palau Térmens (25 September 1857 – 8 July 1862 )
• Pantaleón Montserrat Navarro (1 October 1863 – 21 July 1870)
• Joaquim Lluch i Garriga (16 January 1874 Appointed - 22 June 1877)
• José María de Urquinaona y Vidot (15 July 1878 – 31 March 1883)
• Jaume Català i Albosa (9 August 1883 – 1 March 1899)
• Josep Morgades i Gili (19 June 1899 – 8 January 1901)
• Salvador Casañas i Pagès (19 April 1901 – 27 October 1908 )
• Juan José Laguarda y Fenollera (29 April 1909 – 4 December 1913 )
• Enrique Reig y Casanova (28 May 1914 – 22 April 1920)
• Ramon Guillamet i Coma (22 April 1920 – 14 April 1926)
• Josep Miralles y Sbert (14 April 1926 – 23 December 1947)
• Manuel Irurita Almándoz (13 March 1930 – 3 December 1936)
• Gregorio Modrego y Casaus (30 December 1942 – 7 January 1967), first Archbishop of Barcelona
• Marcelo Gonzalez Martin (7 January 1967 – 3 December 1971)
• Narcís Jubany Arnau (3 December 1971 – 23 March 1990 )
• Ricardo María Carles Gordó (23 March 1990 – 15 June 2004 )
• Lluís Martínez Sistach (15 June 2004 – Present), first Metropolitan Archbishop

Suffragan dioceses

• Sant Feliu de Llobregat
• Terrassa

See also

• History of Barcelona

Notes

1. ^ Dr. Josep Maria Martí Bonet: Historia de la Diócesis de Barcelona del s. IV al s. XXI, Arquebisbat de Barcelona. Retrieved on 2010-11-15.
2. ^ CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Barcelona
3. ^ Episcopologi

External links

• Bishops of the Cathedral (Catalan)

Coordinates: 41°23′02″N 2°10′35″E / 41.38389°N 2.17639°E / 41.38389; 2.17639