Roman Catholic Diocese of Perpignan-Elne

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Perpignan-Elne, is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church, in France. The diocese comprises the Department of Pyrénées-Orientales. This see continues the old diocese of Elne^[1], which was renamed and had its see relocated at Perpignan, in 1601 after a papal bull of Pope Clement VIII.^[2] The diocese of Perpignan as it was re-established in 1817 was suffragan to the archdiocese of Albi. Its see is Perpignan Cathedral.

Its territory brought together the diocese of Elne, part of the Spanish diocese of Urgel known as French Cerdagne, three cantons of the diocese of Alet, and two villages of the diocese of Narbonne. The department was united in 1802 to the diocese of Carcassonne; by the Concordat of 1817 it received a special see.

Elne was a suffragan of Narbonne until 1511; from 1511 to 1517 it was directly subject to the Holy See; in 1517 it became again a suffragan of Narbonne; a Decree of the Council of Trentt made it a suffragan of the archdiocese of Tarragona; after 1678 it was again a suffragan of Narbonne.

History

The first known Bishop of Elne is Dominus, mentioned in 571 in the Chronicle of John of Biclarum. Among others are Cardinal Ascanio Maria Sforza (1494-95), Cardinal Caesar Borgia (1495-98), Cardinal François de Loris (1499-1506), Cardinal Jacques de Serra (1506-12), Cardinal Hieronimo Doria (1530-33); Olympe Gerbet (1854-64).

The Cathedral of Elne (eleventh century) and the adjoining cloister are rich examples of elaborate medieval ornamentation. In the later Middle Ages, and under the influence of Roman Law, Roussillon witnessed revivals of slavery; this is proved by numerous purchase deeds of Muslim and Christian slaves, dating back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

The diocese honours especially St. Vincent de Collioure, martyr (end of the third century); and St. Eulalia and St. Julia, virgins and martyrs (end of third century). In memory of former ties with the metropolis of Tarragona, the Church of Perpignan honours several Spanish saints: St. Fructuosus, Bishop of Tarragona, and his deacons Augurius and Eulogius, martyred at Tarragona in 259; some martyrs of the Diocletian persecution (end of third century); Justa and Rufina of Seville; Felix and Narcissus of Gerona; Aciselus and Victoria of Cordova; Leocadia, of Toledo; St. Ildefonsus (607-67), Archbishop of Toledo.

The Benedictine Dom Briard (1743-1828), who continued the series of Historiens de France, belonged to Perpignan. At Perpignan Pope Benedict XIII (Pedro de Luna) held a council 1 November, 1408, to rally his partisans; they gradually melted away and on 1 February, 1409, the eighteen remaining bishops advised the antipope to send ambassadors to Pisa to negotiate with Pope Gregory XII.

Numerous councils were held at Elne: in 1027, 1058, 1114, 1335, 1337, 1338, 1339, 1340, and 1380. The council held in 1027 decreed that no one should attack his enemy from Saturday at nine o'clock to Monday at one; and that Holy Mass be said for the excommunicated for a space of three months, to obtain their conversion. The author of l'Art de verifier les Dates wrongly maintains that the Council of Elvira was held at Elne.

The chief places of pilgrimage of the diocese are: Notre-Dame du Château d'Ultréra, at Sorède; Notre-Dame de Consolation, at Collioure; Notre-Dame de Font Romeu, at Odeillo; Notre-Dame de Forca-Réal, near Millas; Notre-Dame de Juigues, near Rivesaltes; the relics of Sts. Abdon and Sennen at Arles on the Tech.

Bishops

To 1000

• Dominus (c. 571)
• Benenat (c. 589)
• Acatul (c. 633 to 638)
• Witaric (c. 656)
• Clar (c. 683)
• Wenedurius (783–788)
• Ramnon (825–826)
• Salomó (832–836)
• Audesind (860–885)
• Riculf I (885–915)
• Elmerald (916–920), Elmerat
• Guadald de Empuries-Rosselló (920–947), Guadal
• Riculf II (947–966)
• Suniari I (967–977)
• Hildesind (979–991)
• Berenguer de Cerdanya-Besalú (993–994)
• Fredelo (994–999)
• Berenguer de Cerdanya-Besalú (999–1003) (second time)

1000 to 1300

• Fredelo (1003–1007) (second time)
• Oliva de Besora (1009–1014)
• Berenguer III. de Sendred de Gurb (1019–1030)
• Suniari II. (1031)
• Berenguer IV. (1032–1053)
• Artal I. (1054–1061)
• Suniari III (1062)
• Ramon I. (1064–1086)
• Artal II. (1087–1096)
• Armengol (1097–1111)
• Pere Bernat (1113–1129)
• Udalgà de Castellnou (1130–1147)
• Artal III. (1148–1171)
• Guillem Jordà (1172–1186)
• Berenguer V. (1187)
• Guillem de Céret (1187–1197)
• Artal IV. (1200–1201)
• Guillem de Ortafa (1202–1209)
• Ramon de Vilallonga (1212–1216)
• Gualteri (1217–1221)
• Arnald de Serrallonga (1223–1224)
• Ramon III. (1225–1229)
• Bernat de Berga (1230–1259)
• Berenguer de Cantallops (1259–1280)
• Bernat de Sala (1280–1281)
• Berenguer de Sainte-Foi (1282–1289)
• Ramon de Costa (1289–1310)

1300 to 1500

• Ramón V. (1311–1312)
• Guillerm de Castelló (1313–1317)
• Berenguer d'Argilaguers (1317–1320)
• Berenguer Batlle (1320–1332)
• Guido de Terrena (1332–1342)
• Pere Seguier (1342–1346)
• Bernat Hug de Santa Artèmia (1347–1348)
• Bernat Fournier (1348–1350)
• Estebe Malet (1350–1351)
• Francesc de Montoliu (1352–1354)
• Joan Jouffroi (1354–1357)
• Ramon de Salgues (1357–1361)
• Pere de Planella (1361–1371)
• Pere Cima (1371–1377)
• Ramon d'Escales (1377–1380)
• Dalmaci (1380–1384)
• Bartolomeu Peyró (1384–1408)
• Ramon de Descatllar y de Palassol (1408)
• Francesc Eiximenis (1408–1409)
• Alfons d'Eixea (1409–1410)
• Jerònim d'Ocó (1410–1425)
• Joan de Casanova (1425–1431)
• Galcerà d'Albert (1431–1453)
• Joan de Margarit (1453–1462)
• Antoni de Cardona (1462–1467)
• Joan Pintor (1468–1470)
• Carles de Sant Gelai (1470–1473)
• Carles de Martiny (1475–1494)
• Ascanio Maria Sforza (1494–1495)
• Cesar Borja (1495–1498)
• Francisco Lloris y de Borja^[3] (1499–1506)

From 1500

• Santiago de Serra y Cau (1506–1513)
• Juan Castellanos de Villalba (1513–1515)
• Bernardo de Mesa, O.P. (1517–1524)
• Guillermo Valdenese (1524–1529)
• Fernando Valdés (1529–1530)
• Jerónimo Doria (1530–1532)
• Jaime de Rich, O.S.B. (1534–1537)
• Jeronimo de Requesens (1537–1542)
• Fernando de Loaces y Pérez, O.P. (1542–1543)
• Pedro Agustín (1543–1545)
• Miguel Despuig (1545–1555)
• Rafael Ubach (1555–1558)
• Lope Martínez de Lagunilla (1558–1567)
• Pedro Martir Coma, O.P. (1568–1578)
• Juan Terés i Borrull (1579–1586)
• Pedro Bonet de Santa María (1586–1588)
• Agustín Gaillart, O.S.B. (1588)
• Luis de Sans i Codol (1588)
• Fernando de Valdés Salas (1589–1598) (also Bishop of Vic)
• Onofre Reart (1599–1608) name change

Bishops of Perpignan

• Joan de Palau
• Antonio Gallart y Traginer (1609–1612)
• Francisco de Vera Villavicencio, O. de M. (1613–1616)
• Federico Cornet (1617)
• Ramón Ivorra (1617–1618)
• Rafael Ripoz, O.P. (1618–1620)
• Francisco de Santjust y de Castro, O.S.B. (1621–1622)
• Pedro Magarola Fontanet (1622–1627)
• Francisco López de Mendoza (1627–1629)
• Gregorio Parcero de Castro, O.S.B. (1630–1634)
• Gaspar Prieto Orduña, O. de M. (1636–1637)
• François Perez Roy (Francisco Pérez Roy, Francesc Pères i Roi) (1638–1643)
• Joseph du Vivier de Saint-Martin (1643)
• Vacant (1643–1668)
• Vincent de Margarit (1668–1672)
• Jean-Louis de Bruelh (1673–1675)
• Jean-Baptiste d`Etampes (1675–1680)
• Louis Habert de Montmort (1682–1695)
• Jean Hervé Basan de Flamenville (1695–1721)
• Antoine Boivin de Vaurouy (1721)
• Vacant (1721–1726)
• Jean Mathias Barthélemy de Gramont de Lanta (1726–1743)
• Charles-François-Alexandre de Cardevac D'Havrincourt (1743–1783)
• Jean Gabriel D’Agay (1783–1788)
• Antoine-Félix de Leyris D'Esponchez (1788–1790) (1801)
  • Gabriel Deville (1791–1793)
  • Dominique-Paul Villa (1798–1801)
• Jean-François de Saunhac-Belcastel (1822–1853)
• Philippe-Olympe Gerbet (1853–1864)
• Etienne-Emile Ramadié (1864–1876)
• Joseph-Frédéric Saivet (1876–1877)
• Jean-Auguste-Emile Caraguel (1877–1885)
• Noël-Mathieu-Victor-Marie Gaussail (1886–1899)
• Jules-Louis-Marie de Carsalade du Pont (1899–1932)
• Henri-Marius Bernard (1933–1959)
• Joël-André-Jean-Marie Bellec (1960–1971)
• Henry-Camille-Gustave-Marie L'Heureux (1972–1981)
• Jean-Berchmans-Marcel-Yves-Marie-Bernard Chabbert, O.F.M. (1982–1996)
• André Louis Fort (1996–2002)
• André Marceau (2004–present)

References

• Gallia Christiana, nova, VI (1739), 1030-79, Instr., 474-97
• Louis Duchesne, Fastes Episcopaux
• Puiggiari, Catalogue Biographique des eveques d'Elne (Perpignan, 1842)
• Gazanyole, Histoire du Roussillon (Perpignan, 1857)
• De Barthelemy, Etudes sur les etablissements monastiques du Roussillon (Paris, 1857)
• Tolra de Bordas, L'Ordre de Saint Francois d'Assise en Roussillon, fragments et recits sur l'histoire ecclesiastique du diocese d'Elne (Paris, 1884)
• Brutails, Etude sur l'esclavage en Roussillon du XIIe au XVIIe siecle (Paris, 1886)
• ____, Monographie de la Cathedrale et du Cloitre d'Elne (Perpignan, 1887)
• Toreilles, Perpignan pendent la Revolution (3 vols., 1896-97)
• Borrallo, Promenades archeologiques; Elne et sa cathedrale (Perpignan, 1909)
• De Beaulieu, Les Sanctuaires de la Vierge en Roussillon (2 vols., Perpignan, 1903-04).

Notes

1. ^ Or diocese of Elna, Catalan name.
2. ^ Perpignan-Elne (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]
3. ^ The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church - Biographical Dictionary - Consistory of May 31, 1503

External links

• Source

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. 

Coordinates: 42°42′02″N 2°53′44″E / 42.70056°N 2.89556°E / 42.70056; 2.89556