France—1

Catholicism first came to France around 120 AD in the area around Lyon.  By 250 AD, there were 30 dioceses in France.  The baptism of King Clovis in 496 resulted in the conversion of the entire nation.  Catholicism in France has faced many challenges over the centuries, especially during the French Revolution at the end the 18^th Century.  The Revolution split the Church into a faction loyal to Rome and a faction loyal to the revolutionaries.  After Napoleon became emperor, he sought to bring peace between the two factions.  This resulted in the Concordat of 1801 between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII.  One result of the Concordat was that the number of dioceses were reduced from 136 to 60.   King Louis XVIII, who ruled from 1815 to 1824, restored some of the former dioceses.  Pope John Paul II reorganized French provinces in 2002 to coincide with French administrative regions.  France today has an official policy of strict neutrality in regards to religion.

France has 48 million Catholics or 75 percent of the total population.   There are 15 ecclesiastical provinces in France.  In addition, the Archdiocese of Strasbourg (which was established as a diocese in the 3^rd Century) and the Diocese of Metz (also established in the 3^rd Century) are immediately subject to the Pope.  These dioceses cover the civil province of Alsace and part of the province of Lorraine.  There are also Eastern rite dioceses for Armenian Catholics, Maronite Catholics, Ukrainian Catholics, and all other Eastern rite Catholics.  In addition, there is a military diocese. 

This blog covers 8 ecclesiastical provinces in Northern France. 

Province of Besancon

The province consists of the civil province of Franche-Comte and part of Lorraine.  The Diocese of Besancon was created in the 2^nd Century and became a metropolitan archdiocese in the 4^th Century.  The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Besancon was constructed between the 11^th and 19^th Centuries in a Romanesque style.  Pope Pius IX declared the cathedral to be a minor basilica in 1877.

The top picture is from pinterest and the other two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Verdun was created in 340, suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

·         The Diocese of Saint-Claude was established in 1742, suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

·         The Diocese of Nancy was established in 1777 and became the Diocese of Nancy and Toul in 1824.

·         The Diocese of Saint-Die was established in 1777, suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

·         The Diocese of Belfort-Montbeliard was established in 1979.

Province of Reims

The province consists of the civil provinces of Picardie and Champagne-Ardenne.  The Diocese of Reims was created in the 3^rd Century and it became a metropolitan archdiocese in the 4^th Century.  The Archdiocese was suppressed in 1801 and restored in 1822.

Notre Dame Cathedral in Reims was built in the 13^th Century in a French Gothic style.  The coronation of French kings was usually held in the Cathedral or its predecessors.  Notre Dame has tapestries and dozens of sculpted statues.  Marc Chagall designed some of the stained glass windows.  See cathedrale-reims.com.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has six suffragan dioceses. 

·         The Diocese of Amiens was established in the 3^rd Century.

·         The Diocese of Beauvais was created in the 3^rd Century, was suppressed in 1801, before being restored in 1822.  It became the Diocese of Beauvais, Noyon, and Senlis in 1851.

·         The Diocese of Langres was created in the 3^rd Century, was suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

·         The Diocese of Soissons was created in the 3^rd Century and became the Diocese of Soissons, Laon, and Saint-Quentin in 1901.

·         The Diocese of Troyes was created in the 4^th Century.

·         The Diocese of Chalons-en-Champagne was established as the Diocese of Chalons-sur-Marne in the 4^th Century.  It was suppressed in 1801 before being restored under its current name in 1822.

Province of Rouen

The province consists of the civil provinces of Basse-Normandie and Haute-Normandie.  The Diocese of Rouen was established in the 2^nd Century and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rouen in the 5^th Century.

The Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral in Rouen dates to the 12^th Century, but fires and wars have damaged the church over the centuries and reconstruction has been necessary several times.  Impressionist artist Claude Monet used the Cathedral as a subject of 28 of his paintings.  The heart of Richard the Lionheart, King of England, is buried in the Cathedral.  See cathedrale-rouen.net/site for more information.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Bayeux was created in the 2^nd Century and became the Diocese of Bayeux and Lisieux in 1854.

·         The Diocese of Evreux was created in the 3^rd Century. 

·         The Diocese of Seez was created in the 3^rd Century.

·         The Diocese of Coutances was created in the 5^th Century.

·         The Diocese of La Havre was created in 1974.

Province of Tours

The province consists of the civil province of Centre.  The Diocese of Tours was established in the 3^rd Century and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tours in the 5^th Century.  

The Cathedral of St. Gatianus in Tours was built between 1170 and 1547.  The Cathedral is primarily Gothic, but has Romanesque and Renaissance features.  Gatianus was the first Bishop of Tours.  The Cathedral’s website is paroisse-cathedrale-tours.fr.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Archdiocese of Bourges began as a metropolitan archdiocese in the 3^rd Century and was demoted to an archdiocese in 2002.

·         The Diocese of Chartres was created in the 3^rd Century, was suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

·         The Diocese of Orleans was created in the 3^rd Century.

·         The Diocese of Blois was established in 1697, was suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

Province of Paris

The province consists of the civil province of Ile-de-France.  The Diocese of Paris was established in the 3^rd Century and the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Paris was created in 1622.  The Basilica-Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris is one of the best known churches in the world.  Construction began on the Gothic church in 1163 and was substantially completed 100 years later, but was not dedicated until 1864.  Notre Dame contains stained-glass windows, paintings, and statuary that date back centuries.  The Basilica-Cathedral contains among its treasures, the Crown of Thorns, a piece of the True Cross, and a nail used to hold Our Lord to the Cross.  About 30,000 people visit Notre Dame every day.  Notre Dame was honored as a minor basilica by Pope Pius VII in 1805.  Notre Dame was badly damaged by a fire earlier this year.  See notredamedeparis.fr/en/ for more information.

All pictures are from Wikipedia and reflect the Cathedral before the fire.

The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Meaux was established in 3^rd Century.

·         The Diocese of Versailles was established in 1801.

·         The Diocese of Creteil was established in 1966.

·         The Diocese of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes was created as the Diocese of Corbeil in 1966 and acquired in current name in 1988.

·         The Diocese of Nanterre was established in 1966.

·         The Diocese of Pontoise was created in 1966.

·         The Diocese of Saint-Denis was established in 1966.

Province of Rennes

The province consists of the civil provinces of Bretagne and Pays de la Loire.  The Diocese of Rennes was created in the 3^rd Century and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rennes in 1859.

St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rennes was originally constructed in the 12^th Century, but portions of the building have collapsed over the centuries and today’s cathedral essentially dates to the 19^th Century.  The Cathedral is built in a Gothic style with neoclassical features.  The 19^th Century reconstruction added stucco and many paintings.  Some of the marble near the altar came from the ruins of the Forum in Rome.  Additional information can be found at cathedralerennes.catholique.fr.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has eight suffragan dioceses.

•             The Diocese of Angers was established in 372.

·         The Diocese of Nantes was established in the 4^th Century.

·         The Diocese of Le Mans was established in the 5^th Century.

·         The Diocese of Quimper was established in the 5^th Century and was renamed Quimper and Leon in 1853.

·         The Diocese of Saint-Brieuc was established in the 5^th Century and was renamed Saint-Brieuc and Treguier in 1852.

·         The Diocese of Vannes was established in the 5^th Century.

·         The Diocese of Lucon was established in 1317, was suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

·         The Diocese of Laval was established in 1855.

Province of Dijon

The province consists of the civil province of Bourgogne.  The Diocese of Dijon was created in 1731 and it became a metropolitan archdiocese in 2002.  The Cathedral of St. Benignus, dedicated to a 3^rd Century martyr who brought the Faith to the Dijon area, is a Gothic structure built between 1280 and 1325.  The Cathedral website is cathedrale-dijon.fr.

The first picture is from Panaramio and the other two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

•          The Archdiocese of Sens was established a diocese in the 1^st Century and as a metropolitan archdiocese in the 3^rd Century.  It was suppressed in 1801 before being restored in 1822.  It was renamed Sens and Auxerre in 1823.  It was demoted to an archdiocese in 2002.  

·         The Diocese of Autun was established in the 3^rd Century.

·         The Diocese of Nevers was established in the 4^th Century, suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

·         The Territorial Prelature of Mission de France was established in 1954.

Province of Lille

The province consists of the civil province of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.  The Diocese of Lille was established in 1913 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lille in 2008.

The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Treille in Lille was constructed between 1854 and 1999 in a neo-Gothic style.  The Cathedral has a rose window depicting the Resurrection.  Our Lady of the Treille is represented by a stone statue and numerous miracles have been attributed to Our Lady’s intercession.  The Cathedral was given the status of a minor basilica in 1904 by Pope Saint Pius X.  Additional information can be found at cathedralelille.com.

From pinterest and Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Archdiocese of Cambrai was established as a diocese in 580.  It became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1559, was demoted to a diocese in 1801, and promoted again to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1841, before being demoted to an archdiocese in 2008.

·         The Diocese of Arras was created in the 6^th Century.