Diocese of Ajaccio
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ajaccio (Adjax or Ajax in Latin), is a diocese
of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church
in France
. The diocese comprises the whole of the island of Corsica
.
Erected in the 3rd century, the diocese was formerly a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Pisa. Since the French Concordat
of 1801, the diocese has been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Aix.
Its first bishop known to history was Evander, who assisted at the Council of Rome
in 313.
Before the French Revolution
, Corsica contained five other dioceses:
The Byzantine ruins at Mariana
perpetuate the memory of the church built by the Pisa
ns in the 12th century.
There is a legend that the bishops banished from Africa to Corsica in 484 by Hunneric, Arian
King of the Vandals, built with their own hands the primitive cathedral of Ajaccio. The present cathedral, dating from the end of the 16th century, owes its construction to the initiative of Gregory XIII, who while still Ugo Buoncompagni
, spent some time at Ajaccio as papal legate
.
The see was left vacant for five years, during which time the diocesan revenues were applied to the building of the cathedral. It was finished by Bishop Giustiniani after his nomination.
Liturgical services are held according to the Greek Byzantine rite
in the village of Cargèse
, founded in 1676 by the descendants of the Greek aristocrat Stephen Comnenus (Stephanos Comnenos), whom the Ottoman Turks
had expelled from the Peloponnesus.
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 whole of the island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
.
Erected in the 3rd century, the diocese was formerly a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Pisa. Since the French Concordat
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801. It solidified the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France and brought back most of its civil status....
of 1801, the diocese has been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Aix.
Its first bishop known to history was Evander, who assisted at the Council of Rome
Council of Rome
The Council of Rome was a meeting of Christian Church officials and theologians which took place in 382 under the authority of the bishop of Rome, Damasus I. The previous year, the Emperor Theodosius I had appointed the "dark horse" candidate Nectarius Archbishop of Constantinople...
in 313.
Before 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...
, Corsica contained five other dioceses:
- diocese of Accia (vacant since 1563);
- diocese of Aléria, an ancient city of the Phocians, whose bishop resided at CorteCorteCorte is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. It is the fourth-largest commune in Corsica .-Administration:Corte is a subprefecture of the Haute-Corse department.-History:...
; - diocese of Sagone, a vanished city whose bishop resided at Calvi, while the Chapter was at VicoVico, Corse-du-SudVico is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...
; - diocese of MarianaRoman Catholic Diocese of Mariana in CorsicaThe Diocese of Mariana in Corsica is a Roman Catholic titular bishopric.-History:The Diocese of Mariana was a Roman Catholic diocese seated in the Ancient Roman city of Mariana on Corsica...
, also a vanished city, whose bishop resided at BastiaBastiaBastia is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It is also the second-largest city in Corsica after Ajaccio and the capital of the department....
; - and diocese of Nebbio.
The Byzantine ruins at Mariana
Mariana, Corsica
Mariana is a Roman site south of Biguglia, in the Haute-Corse département of the Corsica région of south-east France. It lies in the littoral area known as La Marana, near the present town of Lucciana. There are several old churches in the area including the Church of Santa Maria Assunta and San...
perpetuate the memory of the church built by the Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
ns in the 12th century.
There is a legend that the bishops banished from Africa to Corsica in 484 by Hunneric, Arian
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
King of the Vandals, built with their own hands the primitive cathedral of Ajaccio. The present cathedral, dating from the end of the 16th century, owes its construction to the initiative of Gregory XIII, who while still Ugo Buoncompagni
Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar, which remains the internationally-accepted civil calendar to this date.-Youth:He was born the son of Cristoforo Boncompagni and wife Angela...
, spent some time at Ajaccio as papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
.
The see was left vacant for five years, during which time the diocesan revenues were applied to the building of the cathedral. It was finished by Bishop Giustiniani after his nomination.
Liturgical services are held according to the Greek Byzantine rite
Greek Byzantine Catholic Church
The Greek Byzantine Catholic Church is a sui iuris particular Church in full union with the Roman Catholic Church which uses the Byzantine liturgical rite in the Koine Greek and modern Greek languages...
in the village of Cargèse
Cargèse
Cargèse is a village and commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the west coast of the island of Corsica, 27 km north of Ajaccio...
, founded in 1676 by the descendants of the Greek aristocrat Stephen Comnenus (Stephanos Comnenos), whom the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
had expelled from the Peloponnesus.
Ordinaries
- Louis Sébastiani (de La Porta) † (13 Apr 1802 Appointed - 9 Dec 1831 Died)
- Toussaint (Raffaele Sante) Casanelli d'Istria † (28 Jun 1833 Appointed - 12 Oct 1869 Died)
- Pierre-Paul de Cuttoli † (21 Dec 1869 Appointed - 18 Dec 1870 Died)
- François-André-Xavier de Gaffory † (27 Feb 1872 Appointed - 14 Jul 1877 Died)
- Paul-Matthieu de La Foata † (21 Aug 1877 Appointed - 3 Jan 1899 Died)
- Louis Olivieri † (7 Dec 1899 Appointed - 17 May 1903 Died)
- Marie-Joseph Ollivier † (21 Feb 1906 Appointed - 21 Mar 1906 Died)
- Jean-Baptiste Desanti † (1 Jun 1906 Appointed - 11 Feb 1916 Died)
- Auguste-Joseph-Marie Simeone † (27 May 1916 Appointed - 30 Jul 1926 Appointed, Bishop of Fréjus)
- Jean-Marcel Rodié † (29 Apr 1927 Appointed - 7 Mar 1938 Appointed, Bishop of Agen)
- Jean-Baptiste-Adrien Llosa † (14 Sep 1938 Appointed - 26 Jul 1966 Retired)
- André Charles Collini † (26 Jul 1966 Succeeded - 22 Dec 1972 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Toulouse (-Narbonne-Saint Bertrand de Comminges-Rieux))
- Jean-Charles Thomas (4 Feb 1974 Appointed - 23 Dec 1986 Appointed, Coadjutor Bishop of Versailles)
- Sauveur Casanova † (13 Aug 1987 Appointed - 5 Jan 1995 Retired)
- André Jean René Lacrampe, Ist. del Prado (5 Jan 1995 Appointed - 13 Aug 2003, Appointed Archbishop of Besançon)
- Jean-Luc Brunin (6 May 2004 Appointed - 24 June 2011, Appointed Bishop of Le Havre)
Source and external links
- Cathedral of Ajaccio
- http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dajac.html
