The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tours (Lat:Archidioecesis Turonensis) is an Archdiocese 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 archdiocese encompasses the historical Gallo-Roman province of Civitas Turonum and the French province of Touraine

Touraine

The Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...

. Since 1790 it has corresponded with the département of Indre et Loire. Erected in the 3rd century, the diocese was elevated in the 5th century.

The ecclesiastical province of Tours

Tours

Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...

 corresponded with the late Roman province of Tertia Lugdunensis. During Breton independence the see of Dol briefly exercised metropolitical functions (mainly tenth century). In 1859 the Breton dioceses except that of Nantes

Nantes

Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....

 were constituted into a province of Rennes

Rennes

Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...

. Tours kept its historic suffragans of Le Mans

Le Mans

Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...

, Angers

Angers

Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....

 (a hostile bishop of Angers appears to have been present at the episcopal consecration of St. Martin) together with Nantes and a newly constituted diocese of Laval

Laval, Mayenne

Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...

. In 2002 Tours lost all connection with its historic province, all its previous suffragans depending henceforth on an expanded province of Rennes (corresponding to the Brittany

Brittany

Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

 and Pays de la Loire

Pays de la Loire

Pays de la Loire is one of the 27 regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" ¹...

 administrative regions). Tours since 2002 has become the ecclesiastical metropolis of the Centre administrative region, i.e. including the dioceses of Bourges, which has lost its metropolitical function to Clermont Ferrand, Orleans, Chartres and Blois, which depended historically on Sens (Lugdunensis Quarta) and more recently on Paris (and briefly Bourges).

The current bishop is Bernard-Nicolas Jean-Marie Aubertin, who was appointed in 2005.

Pilgrimages

The main pilgrimage sites in the diocese besides the grottos of Marmoutier, are: Notre-Dame-la-Riche, a sanctuary erected on the site of a church dating from the third century, and where the founder St. Gatianus is venerated; Notre-Dame-de-Loches; St. Christopher and St. Giles at St-Christophe, a pilgrimage dating from the ninth century; the pilgrimage to the Oratory of the Holy Face

Oratory of the Holy Face

The Oratory of the Holy Face is a Roman Catholic prayer oratory in Tours France. It is the site where devotions to the Holy Face of Jesus started in Tours by Venerable Leo Dupont based on messages reported by Sister Marie of St. Peter...

 in Tours, managed by Priests of the Holy Face

Priests of the Holy Face

Priests of the Holy Face is a Roman Catholic religious order. It was canonically erected on December 8, 1876.The order was started in 1876 by Archbishop Charles-Théodore Colet of Tours in order to administer the Oratory of the Holy Face, where prayers to the Holy Face of Jesus are recited...

 canonically erected on 8 December, 1876.

Ordinaries

1. St. Gatianus ca 249-301
2. St. Litorius 338-370
3. St. Martin
   Martin of Tours
   Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
   
    371-397
4. St. Bricius
   Bricius of Tours
   Saint Brice of Tours was the fourth Bishop of Tours, succeeding Martin of Tours in 397.According to legend, Brice was an orphan rescued by Martin and raised in the monastery at Marmoutiers...
   
    397-443
5. St. Eustochius
   Eustochius
   Saint Eustochius was the fifth bishop of Tours from 443 to 460. He was succeeded by his close relative, Saint Perpetuus. His extremely rare name suggests a possible connection to Saint Eustochium. T. S. M. Mommaerts & D. H...
   
    443-460
6. St. Perpetuus
   Saint Perpetuus
   Saint Perpetuus was the sixth Bishop of Tours, from 460 to 490. He succeeded his relative, probably an uncle, Eustochius, and was succeeded by another close relative, Saint Volusianus....
   
    460-490
7. St. Volusianus
   Saint Volusianus
   Saint Volusianus was the seventh Bishop of Tours, from 491 to 498. He came from a rich and pious senatorial family, and was a close relative of his predecessor Saint Perpetuus, as well as of Ruricius of Limoges. He was deprived of his see by the Visigoths, exiled to Toulouse, and perhaps martyred....
   
    491-498
8. Verus
   Verus
   Verus may refer to:* Verus , Roman centurion and senator* Verus , Roman gladiator-See also:* Lucius Verus , Roman co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius* Gnaeus Julius Verus , Roman general and senator...
   
    498-508
9. St. Licinius 508-520
10. Theodorus & Proculus
    Proculus
    Proculus was a Roman usurper, one of the "minor pretenders" according to Historia Augusta; he took the purple against Emperor Probus in 280....
    
     (jointly) 520-521?
11. Dinfius 521?
12. Ommatius 521-525
13. Leo
    LEO
    LEO as an initialism may refer to:* Low Earth orbit, a satellite path* Law enforcement officer, an official* Louisville Eccentric Observer, a newspaper* LEO , an electronic device* LEO , a lunar mission...
    
     526
14. Francilio 527-529
15. Injuriosus 529-546
16. Baudinus 546-552
17. Gunthar 552-554
18. St. Eufronius
    Eufronius
    Saint Euphronius or Saint Eufronius was Bishop of Tours from 555 to 573. He was succeeded by St. Gregory of Tours....
    
     555-573
19. Gregory
    Gregory of Tours
    Saint Gregory of Tours was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of Gaul. He was born Georgius Florentius, later adding the name Gregorius in honour of his maternal great-grandfather...
    
     573-594
20. Pélage I 595-602
21. Lupare 602-614
22. Agiric 614-617
23. Ginaldus 617-618
24. Valatus 618-619
25. Sigélaicus 619-622
26. Léobald 622-625
27. Modégisile 625-638
28. Latinus 638-650
29. Carégisile 650-652
30. Rigobert 652-654
31. Papolene 654-660
32. Chrotbert 660-695
33. Pélage II 695-700
34. Evartius 700-709
35. Ibbon 709-724
36. Gontran II 724-732
37. Didon 732-733
38. Rimbert 733-752
39. Aubert 752-754
40. Ostald 754-760
41. Gravien 760-765
42. Eusebe 765-771
43. Herling 771-792
44. Joseph I 792-815

To 1000

• Landran I 815-836
• Ursmarus 836-846
• Landran II 846-52
• Amaury 852-856
• Hérard 856-871
• Actard 872-875
• Adalardus 875-890
• Héberne 890-916
• Robert II of Tours
  Robert II of Tours
  Robert II was bishop of Tours from 916 to 931.Robert had gone to Rome and was returning to his diocese. In the Alps he and his companions were attacked by brigands and slain.-Sources:...
  
   916-932
• Théotolon 932-945
• Joseph II 946-957
• Frotaire 957-960
• Hardouin 960-980
• Archambault de Sully 981-1008

1000-1300

• Hugues de Chateaudun 1008-1023
• Arnoul 1023-1052
• Barthelemy de Faye 1053-1068
• Raoul I 1072-1085
• Raoul II 1086-1117
• Gilbert de Maillé 1118-1125
• Hildebert de Lavardin 1125-1134
• Hugues d'Etampes 1134-1146
• Engebault de Preuilly 1146-1157
• Joscion 1157-1174
• Barthelemy de Vendôme 1174-1206
• Géoffroy de la Lande 1207-1208
• Jean de la Faye 1208-1228
• François Cassard 1228-1229
• Juhel de Manthefelon 1229-1244
• Géoffroy Marcel 1245-1250
• Pierre de Lamballe 1251-1256
• Philippe 1256-1257
• Vincent de Pirmil 1257-1270
• Jean de Montsoreau 1271-1284
• Olivier de Craon 1284-1285
• Bouchard Dain 1285-1290
• Philippe de Candé 1290-1291
• Renaud de Montbazon 1291-1313

1300-1500

• Géoffroy de la Haye 1314-1323
• Etienne de Bourgueil 1324-1334
• Pierre Frétaud 1336-1357
• Philippe Blanche 1357-1363
• Simon de Renoul 1363-1379
• Seguin d'Auton 1379-
• Aléaume Boistel 1380-1383
• Guy de Roye 1383-1384
• Seguin d'Auton 1384-1394
• Ameil du Breuil 1393-1414
• Jacques Gélu 1414-1426
• Philippe de Coëtquis 1427-1441
• Jean Bernard 1441-1466
• Bastet de Crussol 1466-1468
• Hélie de Bourdeilles
  Hélie de Bourdeilles
  Hélie de Bourdeilles was a French Franciscan, Archbishop of Tours and Cardinal.He was the son of the viscount Arnaud de Bourdeilles...
  
   1468-1484
• Robert de Lenoncourt 1484-1509

1500-1700

• Dominique Caretto 1509-1513
• Christophe de Brillac 1514-1519
• Martin of Beaune 1519-1527
• Antoine of the Bar 1528-1547
• Georges d'Armagnac
  Georges d'Armagnac
  Georges d'Armagnac was a French humanist, patron of arts, Cardinal and diplomat deeply embroiled in the Italian Wars and in the French Wars of Religion.-Biography:...
  
   1547-1551
• Etienne Poncher 1551-1552
• Alessandro Farnese 1553-1554
• Simon de Maillé 1554-1597
• François de la Guesle 1597-1614
• Sebastien d'Ori Galagai 1617-
• Bertrand d'Eschaud 1617-1641
• Victor Bouthillier 1641-1670
• Charles de Rosmadec 1671-1672
• Michel Amelot de Gournay 1673-1687
• Claude de Saint George 1687-
• Mathieu Isoré d'Hervault 1693-1716

1700-1900

• Armand Pierre de la Croix de Castries 1717-
• Henri Oswald de la Tour d'Auvergne 1719-1721
• François Blouet de Camilly 1721-1723
• Louis Jacques de Chapte de Rastignac 1723-1750
• Bernardin de Rosset de Fleury 1750-1773
• Joachim François Mamert de Conzié 1774-1795
• Jean de Dieu Raymond de Boisgelin 1802-1804
• Louis Mathias de Barral
  Louis-Mathias, Count de Barral
  Louis-Mathias, Count de Barral was a French church figure.He was born at Grenoble and was educated for the priesthood at the seminary of St. Sulpice, in Paris, and after ordination was made secretary, then coadjutor, and in 1790, successor, to his uncle, the Bishop of Troyes...
  
   1805-1815
• Jean-Baptiste du Chilleau 1818-1824
• Augustin Louis de Montblanc 1824-1841
• François Nicolas Madeleine Morlot 1842-1857
• Joseph Hippolyte Guibert 1857-1871
• Felix Pierre Fruchaud 1871-1874
• Charles-Théodore Colet
  Charles-Théodore Colet
  Charles-Théodore Colet was a French Roman Catholic Archbishop.He was born in Gérardmer in France and was ordained a priest in 1831. He was appointed Bishop of Luçon in 1861 and the Archbishop of Tours in 1874....
  
   1874-1883
• Guillaume René Meignan 1884-1896
• René François Renou 1896-1913

From 1900

• Albert Negre 1913-1931
• Ludovico Gaillard 1931-1956
• Louis Ferrand 1956-1980
• Jean Marcel Honoré 1981-1997
• Michel Moutel 1997-1998
• André Vingt-Trois
  André Vingt-Trois
  André Armand Vingt-Trois is a French cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of Paris, having previously served as Archbishop of Tours from 1999 to 2005. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007....
  
   1999-2005
• Bernard-Nicolas Jean-Marie Aubertin 2005-