France—2

This blog covers 7 ecclesiastical provinces in Southern France. 

Province of Lyon

The province consists of the civil province of Rhone-Alpes.  The Diocese of Lyon was established in the 2^nd Century and it was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in the 3rd Century.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Lyon was built between 1180 and 1476 in Romanesque and Gothic styles.  The Cathedral features two crosses dating to 1274, a 15^th Century chapel, a 14^th Century astronomical clock, and a 19^th Century pipe organ.  The Cathedral’s website is cathedral-lyon.fr.

All are from Wikipedia.

The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.

·         The Archdiocese of Chambery—Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne—Tarentaise began as the Diocese of Chambery in 1779.  It became a Metropolitan Archdiocese in 1817 and was given its current name in 1966.  It was demoted to an archdiocese in 2002.

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

·         The Diocese of Grenoble was established in the 4^th Century and became the Diocese of Grenoble-Vienne in 2006.

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

·         The Diocese of Belley-Ars began as the Diocese of Belley in the 5^th Century.  It was suppressed in 1801 and restored in 1822.  It acquired its current name in 1988.

·         The Diocese of Annecy was created in 1822.

·         The Diocese of Saint-Etienne was created in 1970.

Province of Bordeaux

The province consists of the civil province of Aquitaine.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bordeaux was established in the 3^rd Century.

The Cathedral of St. Andrew in Bordeaux was consecrated in 1096, but mostly dates to the 14^th and 15^th Centuries.  The future King Louis VII married Eleanor of Aquitaine here in 1137.  The Cathedral is home to the Marcade collection, consisting of illuminations, paintings, sculptures, liturgical vestments, and silver goods.  See cathedrale-bordeaux.fr.

All are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Perigueux was created in the 3^rd Century, was suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.  It was renamed Perigueux and Sarlat in 1854.

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

·         The Diocese of Bayonne was established in the 4^th Century and was renamed Bayonne, Lescar, and Oloron in 1909.

·         The Diocese of Aire was established in the 5^th Century and suppressed in 1801.  It was restored in 1822 and acquired its current name of Aire and Dax in 1857.

Province of Toulouse

The province consists of the civil province of Midi-Pyrenees.  The Diocese of Toulouse was established in the 3^rd Century and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1317.

The Cathedral of St. Stephen in Toulouse was built between 1073 and the 13^th Century in both Gothic and Romanesque styles.  The Cathedral has 15 chapels and stained glass windows dating to the 13^th Century.  The choir stalls and organ case were made of walnut in the early 1600s.  The Cathedral also has 17^th Century tapestries.  See paroissescathedraletoulouse.fr.

The first picture is from Flickr and the rest are from Wikipedia.

The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Albi was established in the 3^rd Century and was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1678.  It was suppressed in 1801, restored in 1822, and demoted to an archdiocese in 2002.

·         The Archdiocese of Auch began as the Diocese of Auch in the 6^th Century.  It became a metropolitan archdiocese in 879.  It was suppressed in 1801, restored in 1822, and demoted to an archdiocese in 2002.

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

·         The Diocese of Tarbes and Lourdes began as the Diocese of Tarbes in the 4^th Century.  It was suppressed in 1801 and restored in 1822.  It acquired its current name in 1912.

·         The Diocese of Rodez was established in the 5^th Century, was suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

·         The Diocese of Pamiers was established in 1295, was suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

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

Province of Clermont

The province mostly consists of the civil province of Auvergne.  The Diocese of Clermont was established in the 3^rd Century and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 2002.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Clermont was built during the 13th and 14th Centuries and is made of black lava stone in a northern Gothic style.  It was badly damaged during the French Revolution and subsequent wars and was not completely finished until 1884.  Twin towers rise over 300 feet above the street.  The stained glass windows may have been made by the same studio that made the windows for Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.  There are also two rose windows with 25-foot diameters.  See cathedrale-catholique-clermont.fr.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

•          The Diocese of Le Puy-en-Velay was established in the 3^rd Century, was suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.  

·         The Diocese of Moulins was established in 1817.

·         The Diocese of Saint-Flour was established in 1317, suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.

Province of Marseille

The province consists of the civil provinces of Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur and Corse.  The Diocese of Marseille was established in the 1^st Century, was suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.  It became an archdiocese in 1948 and the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Marseille in 2002. 

The Basilica-Cathedral of St. Mary Major was designed by Leon Vaudoyer and Henri-Jacques Esperandieu in a Byzantine-Roman Revival style.  The church was built between 1852 and 1896 on the site of cathedrals dating back to the 5^th Century.  It seats 3,000 people.  The Cathedral was designated as a minor basilica in 1896 by Pope Leo XIII.  

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.

•          The Archdiocese of Aix was established in the 1^st Century and became a metropolitan archdiocese in the 5^th Century.  It was demoted to an archdiocese in 2002.  

·         The Archdiocese of Avignon was established in the 4^th Century and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1475.  It was demoted a diocese in 1801 before being restored as a metropolitan archdiocese in 1822.  It was demoted to an archdiocese in 2002.

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

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

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

·         The Diocese of Frejus-Toulon was established in 4^th Century as the Diocese of Frejus.  It was suppressed in 1801 and restored in 1822.  The current name dates to 1957.

·         The Diocese of Gap was established in the 5^th Century, was suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822.  It was renamed Gap and Emburn in 2007.

Province of Poitiers

The province consists of the civil provinces of Poitou-Charentes and Limousin.  The Diocese of Poitiers was established in the 3^rd Century and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 2002.  

Saint Peter’s Cathedral Basilica in Poitiers was constructed by Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine.  Its style is early Gothic and Romanesque and has two unfinished towers in front, the tallest being 110 feet tall.  The stained glass windows and the choir stalls date to the 13^th Century.  The pipe organ was built in 1791 by Claude-Francois Clicpuot.  Pope Saint Pius X designated it as a minor basilica in 1912.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Limoges was established in the 1^st Century. 

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

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

·         The Diocese of La Rochelle was created in 1648 and became the Diocese of La Rochelle and Saintes in 1852.  The Diocese includes the French colony of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, located off the east coast of Canada.  The colony has a population of 5,500 almost all of whom are Catholic.

Province of Montpellier

The province consists of the civil province of Languedoc-Roussillon.  The Diocese of Maguelonne was established in the 3^rd Century and was renamed as the Diocese of Montpellier in 1536.  It became a metropolitan archdiocese in 2002.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul in Montpellier is a 14^th Century Gothic building.  Protestants murdered several Catholics in the Cathedral in 1561 and looted everything inside.  The Cathedral today has an 18^th Century pipe organ and seven bells in two bell towers.  The Cathedral was raised to the status of a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1847.  The Cathedral Basilica’s website is cathedrale-montpellier.fr.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

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

·         The Diocese of Carcassonne and Narbonne was established as the Diocese of Carcassone in 533 and acquired its current name in 2006.

·         The Diocese of Nimes was established in the 5^th Century, suppressed in 1801, and restored in 1822. 

·         The Diocese of Perpignan-Elne was created as the Diocese of Elne in 570 and took its current name in 1601.  It was suppressed in 1801 and restored in 1822.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also archdioceses that are not part of a province that are directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.  

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell (although some basilicas do not display them).  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.