Bishopric of Nice
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nice is a diocese
of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church
in France
. The diocese comprises the Départment of Alpes-Maritimes. The diocese is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Marseille.
The current bishop is Louis Albert Joseph Roger Sankalé, appointed in 2005.
, or else by St. Mary Magdalen, St. Martha
, and St. Lazarus
. St. Bassus, a martyr under Emperor Decius, is believed to have been the first Bishop of Nice. The See of Nice in Roman Gallia Narbonensis
existed in 314, since the bishop sent delegates to the Council of Arles in that year. The first bishop historically known is Amantius, who attended the Council of Aquileia in 381.
Cimiez
, near Nice, had also an episcopal see around 260, held in the middle of the fifth century by St. Valerianus; a papal rescript of St. Leo the Great, issued after 450 and confirmed by pope Saint Hilarus in 465, united the sees of Nice and Cimiez. This newly-formed see remained a suffragan of Embrun
up to the French Revolution
.
St. Anselm, a former monk of Lérins
, is mentioned as Bishop of Nice (1100–07).
Bishops of Nice bore the title of Counts of Drap, making them prince-bishop
s, since the donation of property situated at Drap
, made in 1073 by Pierre, Bishop of Vaison, a native of Nice, to Raymond I, its bishop, and to his successors.
Charlemagne
, when visiting Cimiez (devastated by the Lombards in 574), caused St. Syagrius to build on its ruins the monastery of St. Pontius, the largest Alpine abbey of the Middle Ages.
The diocese was re-established by the Concordat of 1801 as suffragan of Aix
. While the Countship of Nice from 1818 to 1860 was part of the Sardinian States, the see became a suffragan of Genoa
. When Nice was annexed to France in 1860, certain parts which remained Italian were cut off from it and added to the Diocese of Vintimille. In 1862 the diocese was again a suffragan of Aix. The arrondissement of Grasse
was separated from the Diocese of Fréjus
in 1886, and given to Nice which since unites the three former diocese of Nice, diocese of Grasse and diocese of Vence.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The diocese comprises the Départment of Alpes-Maritimes. The diocese is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Marseille.
The current bishop is Louis Albert Joseph Roger Sankalé, appointed in 2005.
History
By tradition, Nice was evangelized by St. Barnabas, sent by St. PaulPaul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, or else by St. Mary Magdalen, St. Martha
Martha
Martha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem...
, and St. Lazarus
Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
. St. Bassus, a martyr under Emperor Decius, is believed to have been the first Bishop of Nice. The See of Nice in Roman Gallia Narbonensis
Gallia Narbonensis
Gallia Narbonensis was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in southern France. It was also known as Gallia Transalpina , which was originally a designation for that part of Gaul lying across the Alps from Italia and it contained a western region known as Septimania...
existed in 314, since the bishop sent delegates to the Council of Arles in that year. The first bishop historically known is Amantius, who attended the Council of Aquileia in 381.
Cimiez
Cimiez
Cimiez is a neighborhood in Nice, southern France. The area contains the Musée Matisse and the ruins of Cemenelum, capital of the Ancient Roman province Alpes Maritimae on the Ligurian coast...
, near Nice, had also an episcopal see around 260, held in the middle of the fifth century by St. Valerianus; a papal rescript of St. Leo the Great, issued after 450 and confirmed by pope Saint Hilarus in 465, united the sees of Nice and Cimiez. This newly-formed see remained a suffragan of Embrun
Embrun, Hautes-Alpes
Embrun is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Description:...
up to the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
St. Anselm, a former monk of Lérins
Lérins Abbey
Lérins Abbey is a Cistercian monastery on the island of Saint-Honorat, one of the Lérins Islands, on the French Riviera, with an active monastic community....
, is mentioned as Bishop of Nice (1100–07).
Bishops of Nice bore the title of Counts of Drap, making them prince-bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
s, since the donation of property situated at Drap
Drap
Drap is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, made in 1073 by Pierre, Bishop of Vaison, a native of Nice, to Raymond I, its bishop, and to his successors.
Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, when visiting Cimiez (devastated by the Lombards in 574), caused St. Syagrius to build on its ruins the monastery of St. Pontius, the largest Alpine abbey of the Middle Ages.
The diocese was re-established by the Concordat of 1801 as suffragan of Aix
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
. While the Countship of Nice from 1818 to 1860 was part of the Sardinian States, the see became a suffragan of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. When Nice was annexed to France in 1860, certain parts which remained Italian were cut off from it and added to the Diocese of Vintimille. In 1862 the diocese was again a suffragan of Aix. The arrondissement of Grasse
Arrondissement of Grasse
The arrondissement of Grasse is an arrondissement of France, located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region...
was separated from the Diocese of Fréjus
Diocese of Fréjus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. In 1957 it was renamed as the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon.A suffragan of the Archbishopric of Aix, it comprised the whole département of Var...
in 1886, and given to Nice which since unites the three former diocese of Nice, diocese of Grasse and diocese of Vence.
Ordinaries
- Jean-Baptiste Colonna d'Istria † (13 Apr 1802 Appointed - 29 Jul 1833 Retired)
- Dominique Galvano † (28 Aug 1833 Appointed - 17 Aug 1855 Died)
- Jean-Pierre Sola † ( 1857 Appointed - Oct 1877 Retired)
- Matthieu-Victor-Félicien Balaïn, O.M.I. † (22 Nov 1877 Appointed - 30 May 1896 Appointed, Archbishop of Auch)
- Henri-Louis Chapon † (30 May 1896 Appointed - 14 Dec 1925 Died)
- Louis-Marie Ricard † (31 Mar 1926 Appointed - 21 Oct 1929 Died)
- Paul-Jules-Narcisse Rémond † (20 May 1930 Appointed - 24 Apr 1963 Died)
- Jean-Julien-Robert Mouisset † (24 Apr 1963 Succeeded - 30 Apr 1984 Retired)
- François de Sales Marie Adrien Saint-Macary † (30 Apr 1984 Succeeded - 14 Nov 1997 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Rennes )
- Jean Marie Louis Bonfils, S.M.A. (28 Aug 1998 Appointed - 28 Mar 2005 Retired)
- Louis Albert Joseph Roger Sankalé (28 Mar 2005 Succeeded - )
Sources and references
See also
- County of NiceCounty of NiceThe County of Nice or Niçard Country is a historical region of France, located in the south-eastern part, around the city of Nice.-History:Its territory lies between the Mediterranean Sea , Var River and the southernmost crest of the...