Saint-Papoul Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Saint-Papoul
Saint-Papoul is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.-History:The town of Saint-Papoul was founded during the 8th century when an abbey was established here, dedicated to Saint Papulus....
in Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
. The dedication is to Saint Papulus , an early Christian bishop and martyr, from whom the settlement also took its name.
It was the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Papoul. This diocese, along with a number of others in the region, was created in 1317 in the aftermath of the suppression of the Albigensians. The Abbey of Saint-Papoul had been founded here in the 8th century, and in 1317 the abbot was elevated to the status of bishop, and the abbey church to that of cathedral.
The diocese and the abbey were suppressed during 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...
and the diocese was abolished under the Concordat of 1801
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....
, its territory being transferred almost entirely to the Diocese of Carcassonne. The abbey buildings remain and the cathedral / abbey church has become the parish church of the village of Saint-Papoul.