Roman Catholic Diocese of Gap-Embrun explained

Jurisdiction:Diocese
Gap and Embrun
Latin:Dioecesis Vapincensis et Ebrodunensis
Local:Diocèse de Gap et d'Embrun
Country:France
Province:Marseille
Metropolitan:Archdiocese of Marseille
Area Km2:5,643
Population:141,500
Population As Of:2013
Catholics:121,300
Catholics Percent:85.7
Denomination:Catholic
Sui Iuris Church:Latin Church
Rite:Roman Rite
Established:5th Century
Cathedral:Cathedral of Notre-Dame and Saint Arnoux in Gap
Bishop:Xavier Malle
Metro Archbishop:Jean-Marc Aveline
Suffragan:for one -->
Archdeacon:for one-->
Emeritus Bishops:Jean-Michel di Falco Léandri (2003-2017)
Map:Diocèse de Gap.svg
Map Alt:locator map of diocese of Gap

The Diocese of Gap and Embrun (Latin: Dioecesis Vapincensis et Ebrodunensis; French: Diocèse de Gap et d'Embrun) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southern France.[1] The episcopal see is Gap Cathedral, in the city of Gap. It has a co-cathedral, the Co-cathédrale of Notre Dame in Embrun. The diocese also has a minor basilica, the Basilique Notre-Dame du Laus, in Saint-Étienne-le-Laus. The Diocese of Gap and Embrun is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Marseille.

The current bishop is Jean-Michel di Falco.

Statistics

In 2014, the diocese served an estimated 121,700 Catholics (85.8% of an estimated 141,900 total) in 188 parishes and a mission. It had 55 priests (51 diocesan, 4 religious), 8 deacons, 71 lay religious (5 brothers, 66 sisters) and 3 seminarians. In 2017 there were 59 diocesan priests, 17 of whom were seventy-five years of age or older (and three over the age of ninety). Only one is under the age of thirty.[2]

History

Early Gap

Ancient traditions in liturgical books, of which at least one dates from the fourteenth century, state that the first Bishop of Gap was St. Demetrius, disciple of the Apostles and martyrs.[3] Victor de Buck in the Acta Sanctorum [4] finds nothing inadmissible in these traditions,[5] while Canon Albanès defends them[6] against Joseph Roman.[7] Albanès names as bishops of Gap the martyr St. Tigris (fourth century), then St. Remedius (394–419), whom Louis Duchesne makes a Bishop of Antibes[8] and who was involved in the struggle between Pope Zosimus and Bishop Proculus of Marseilles. According to Duchesne the first historically known bishop is Constantinus, present at the Council of Epaone in 517. The church of Gap had, among other bishops, Aredius of Gap (or St. Arey, 579–610?), who had at Gap a school,[9] and who was held in esteem by Pope Gregory the Great. Worth mention is St. Arnoux (1065–1078), who had been a monk of the abbey of Saint-Trinité de Vendome, and was named bishop by Pope Alexander II to replace the simoniac Bishop Ripert. Arnoux became a patron saint of the city of Gap.

Medieval Gap

In 890, the bishops of Provence assembled in the Council of Valence, under the leadership of the archbishops of Lyon, Arles, Embrun, and Vienne. The bishops took note of the fact that Archbishop Bernoin of Vienne had been to Rome to complain to the pope of the increasing disorder of the kingdom since the death of Charlemagne. They singled out the invasions of the Northmen and of the Saracens, who had caused the depopulation of the entire area.[10] On 7 July 1057, Pope Victor II wrote a letter of privileges for Archbishop Winimann (Viminien) of Embrun, whom he had consecrated and to whom he had given the pallium. In the bull, the Pope took note of the invasion, occupation, and devastation of the city of Embrun by the Saracens, a city only 40 km. from Gap. Embrun had also been a place of refuge for undisciplined people fleeing from other localities.[11] The whole of Provence, in fact, suffered from similar difficulties in the eighth and ninth centuries.[12]

On 31 July 1178, Bishop Gregory of Gap obtained a bull from the Emperor Frederic Barbarossa which made him Count of the City and territory of Gap.[13] The bishops were still subjects of the Count of Forcalquier, which became the property of Raymond of Bérenger, Count of Provence.[14]

Huguenots

In 1561 a Protestant preacher arrived in Gap from Geneva, and on 31 July began public preaching at an old mill next to the church of the Cordeliers outside the walls of Gap. On 16 and 17 November he preached publicly inside the city, at Sainte-Colombe. The consuls of Gap reported the incidents to the Lieutenant-General of the King, La Motte Gondrin, who immediately ordered the guilty preacher to be arrested for violating the king's edict. In 1562, however, the Protestant armies defeated and killed La Motte Gondrin, and on 1 May they attacked and took control of Gap. Bishop Gabriel de Clermont abandoned his post and apostasized. The preacher was released from prison and celebrated the Protestant triumph. In October, however, the Catholics in the neighborhood came up from Tallard and attacked Gap and drove the Protestants out. In 1568 however, bands of Protestant soldiers, encouraged by the successes of the armies of the Prince de Condé, engaged in battle at Gap and massacred more than one hundred Catholics whom they trapped inside the city. They then retired to Veynes and Die, leaving what was left of Gap to the Catholics. But in September 1576 another Protestant force, led by the Duc de Lesdiguières, having been refused entry into Gap, on the night of 2/3 January 1577 were admitted to the city by Protestants living in Gap, seized and sacked the city. The bishop, Paparin de Chaumont, fled. The episcopal palace, the residence of the canons, the cathedral, and six religious establishments were damaged or destroyed. They held the city until 1581. In September, Bishop Paparin de Chaumont was able to return, under the protection of the Duc de Mayenne and the forces of the Catholic League.[15]

French revolution

In 1790 the National Constituent Assembly decided to bring the French church under the control of the State. Civil government of the provinces was to be reorganized into new units called 'départements', originally intended to be 83 or 84 in number. The dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church were to be reduced in number, to coincide as much as possible with the new departments. Since there were more than 130 bishoprics at the time of the Revolution, more than fifty dioceses needed to be suppressed and their territories consolidated.[16] Clergy would need to take an oath of allegiance to the State and its Constitution, specified by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, and they would become salaried officials of the State. Both bishops and priests would be elected by special 'electors' in each department. This meant schism, since bishops would no longer need to be approved (preconised) by the Papacy; the transfer of bishops, likewise, which had formerly been the exclusive prerogative of the pope in canon law, would be the privilege of the State; the election of bishops no longer lay with the Cathedral Chapters (which were all abolished), or other responsible clergy, or the Pope, but with electors who did not even have to be Catholics or Christians.[17] All monasteries, convents and religious orders in France were dissolved, and their members were released from their vows by order of the National Constituent Assembly (which was uncanonical); their property was confiscated "for the public good", and sold to pay the bills of the French government.[18] Cathedral Chapters were also dissolved.[19]

The diocese of Gap and the diocese of Embrun were suppressed by the Legislative Assembly, and the territories combined into a new diocese, Hautes-Alpes, with its seat at Gap. A new bishop, to replace Bishop La Broue de Vareilles, whose seat was declared vacant since he had refused to take the oath to the Civil Constitution, was to be elected. Ignace de Cazeneuve, a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter of Gap, was elected by special Electors in March 1791, and was consecrated in Paris on 3 April by Constitutional Bishop Jean-Baptiste Gobel. He ceased functioning after 1793, and resigned on 1 June 1798. Fr. André Garnier was named bishop in succession to Cazeneuve by the Metropolitan, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Aubert, and was consecrated in Aix on 19 January 1800. He resigned in 1801.

In 1799, Pope Pius VI, made a prisoner by order of the Directory, was being transported from Florence to Valence, he passed through Gap on 29 June and bestowed his blessing on the crowds which had gathered to see him. He spent the night in Gap, and received some of the local notables. The Pope died in prison in Valence on 29 August 1799.[20]

The diocese of Gap and the diocese of Embrun were legally suppressed by the Concordat of 1801 between First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII. In the Bull Qui Christi Domini of 29 November 1801,[21] the departments of Hautes-Alpes and of Basses-Alpes were united in a single diocese with its seat at Digne.[22] Other territories were reassigned to the restored Diocese of Avignon, Diocese of Grenoble and Diocese of Valence.[23]

The diocese of Gap was re-established at least in theory by the Concordat of 1817 between King Louis XVIII and Pope Pius VII, but its implementation was delayed by the refusal of the Chamber of Deputies to ratify the treaty. There was no diocese of Gap between 1801 and 1822. The diocese was actually restored on 6 (or 10) October 1822, comprising, besides the ancient diocese of Gap, a large part of the ancient Archdiocese of Embrun.[24] The diocese of Gap was made a suffragan of the archdiocese of Aix. The name of the Metropolitan see of Embrun had been absorbed in the title of the Archbishop of Aix-en-Provence and Arles until 2007. In 2008, the title was reattached to the Diocese of Gap by a decision of the Congregation of Bishops, conveyed in a letter of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Ré, the Prefect.[25] The diocese was divided into two Archdeaconries: Saint-Arnoux and Notre-Dame-d'Embrun. The Major Seminary was at Gap, and the Minor Seminary at Embrun.[26] In 2017, there is no longer a diocesan seminary; students for the priesthood are sent to the Diocesan Seminary of Saint-Luc d'Aix en Provence.[27]

In 1947 it gained territory from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Torino (Turin, in Piemonte, Italy).

Cathedral and Chapter

The Cathedral of the Assumption of Notre-Dame was served by a chapter composed of four dignities (dignités; not dignitaries): the dean, the archdeacon, the provost, and the sacristan. There were in addition nine canons (one of whom was called the Canon Theological and another Capiscol.[28] Gap was unique among the churches of Province, in that its Cathedral Chapter was not headed by its provost, but by its dean.[29] In 2017, there was a Dean and ten Canons.

Bishops

to 1000

[Saint Demetrius (end of 1st century)][30]

Saint Tigrides (4th century ?)[31]

Saint Remedius (394–419)[32]

[Saint Constantinus (439)][33]

1000 to 1300

1300 to 1600

Notes and References

  1. http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/gapz0.htm "Diocese of Gap"
  2. https://www.diocesedegap.fr/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Annuaire_Dioc%C3%A9sain_GAP_2016_Ecran.pdf Guide diocesain 2016
  3. A Demetrius is named in the third letter of John (3 John 12). He is first called a martyr in 1393: Albanés, pp. 439–440.
  4. Acta Sanctorum,October, Tomus XI, pp. 795–799.
  5. Quamobrem nil ego video in pristina Vapicensi de S. Demetrio traditione quod fidem superet (p. 798D). De Buck's remark, however, is the conclusion of an argument more than two columns long which seeks to demonstrate that a Roman road passed through Gap and that Gap existed as a civitas. His remark does not address the historicity of Demetrius, only the plausibility that Christianity could have reached Gap in the first century. In fact, he quotes the liturgical biography of Demetrius from the mid-nineteenth century (p. 796E), which states, Sanctum praesulem apostolorum Domini fuisse discipulum non constat quidem monumentis historicis, sed antiquissima est ecclesiae Vapicensis traditio. ('That the holy bishop was a disciple of the apostles of the Lord is not evident in fact from historical materials, but is an ancient tradition of the Church of Gap'). Goyau has deliberately or carelessly misrepresented De Buck's position. De Buck's elaborate argument, however, is inadvertently destroyed by Albanés' observations (pp. 433–434).
  6. Albanés' editor, Ulisse Chevalier, remarks about Albanés in his introduction to Gallia christiana novissima: "Le public attendait avec impatience la mise en oeuvre des arguments que M. Albanés tenait pour irréfragables en faveur de l'apostolicité des églises de Provence. Quelle opinion qu'on ait à cet égard, on regrettera toujours que le représentant le plus autorisé de l'école dite légeendaire n'ait pas eu le temps de résumer des idées qui avaient mis un demi-siècle à s'elaborer dans son esprit."
  7. Roman (1870), pp. 11–12.
  8. Duchesne, p. 101-102, note 2, and he is never named as Bishop of Gap.
  9. Albanés, p. 457, on the authority of Book: Benedictines of Saint-Maur. Histoire litteraire de la France,3: ou lé on traite de l'origine et du progrés, de la decadence et du retablinement des Sciences parmi les Gaulois et parmi les François.... Tome III. 1735. Chez Osmont. Paris. fr. 547. Albanés says, "Il prit un soin particulier pour instruire la jeunesse, et l'école de Gap à la fin du Ve siècle est célèbre dans l'histoire. This is a piece of grotesque exaggeration of his source.
  10. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, edito novissima, Tomus XVIII (Venice: Antonius Zatta 1773), pp. 95–96.
  11. Book: Denis de Sainte-Marthe. Gallia Christiana: In Provincias Ecclesiasticas Distributa. Tomus tertius (3). 1725. Typographia Regia. Paris. la. Instrumenta, p. 177.
  12. Fisquet, p. 4.
  13. Book: Denis de Sainte-Marthe (OSB). Gallia Christiana, In Provincias Ecclesiasticas Distributa. Tomus primus. 1715. Johannes-Baptista Coignard. Paris. la. Instrumenta, pp. 86–87.
  14. Fisquet, p. 3.
  15. Fisquet, pp. 6–10.
  16. Book: Louis Marie Prudhomme. La République française en quatre-vingt-quatre départements, dictionnaire géographique et méthodique. 1793. Chez l'éditeur, rue des Marais. Paris. fr. 7–11.
  17. Book: Ludovic Sciout. Historie de la constitution civile du clergé (1790-1801) .... Tome I. 1872. Firmin Didot frères, fils et cie. Paris. fr. 204–208.
  18. Book: Pierre Brizon. L'église et la révolution française des Cahiers de 1789 au Concordat. 1904. Pages libres. Paris. fr. 27–30.
  19. Philippe Bourdin, "Collégiales et chapitres cathédraux au crible de l'opinion et de la Révolution," Annales historiques de la Révolution française no. 331 (janvier/mars 2003), 29-55, at 29-30, 52-53.
  20. Fisquet, pp. 14–15.
  21. https://books.google.com/books?id=9Jd6UdDs2aoC&pg=PA245 Bull Qui Christi Domini
  22. P. Guillaume, in: L'épiscopat français..., pp. 250–251.
  23. Fisquet, p. 17.
  24. Fisquet, p. 18. Pierre-Louis-Théophile-Georges . Goyau . Diocese of Gap . 6 . 378.
  25. http://diocesedegap.over-blog.com/article-17867335.html Letter of Cardinal Ré on the Diocese of Gap website
  26. Fisquet, p. 18.
  27. https://www.diocesedegap.fr/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Annuaire_Dioc%C3%A9sain_GAP_2016_Ecran.pdf Guide diocesain 2016
  28. Fisquet,, pp. 15–16.
  29. Albanés, pp. 545–546.
  30. Albanés, pp. 445–448. Duchesne, p. 286 note 6, points out that there is no documentary evidence. Demetrius of Gap had the same feast day, 26 October, as Demetrius of Thessalonike, leading both De Buck (p. 795B) and Duchesne to suspect conflation or borrowing.
  31. Albanés, pp. 448–449. The deposition of bishops Teridius and Remedius of Vapingo on 3 February is noted in the Martyrologicum Hieronymianum p. 17 (ed. De Rossi and Duchesne) in: Acta Sanctorum Novembris Tomi II pars prior (Bruxelles 1894), p. 17. There is no other evidence for Teredius (or Tigrides).
  32. Albanés, pp. 449–451.
  33. Duchesne, pp. 286–287 note 6, indicates that Constantinus is a composite character, made up of Constantius, his alleged successor, and Constantianus, Bishop of Carpentras. Constantinus of Carpentras attended the Council of Orange in 441: Carolus Munier, Concilia Galliae, A. 314 – A. 506 (Turnholt: Brepols 1963), p. 87.
  34. Constantius was present at the Council of Epaona in 517. Carolus De Clercq, Concilia Galliae, A. 511 – A. 695 (Turnholt: Brepols 1963), p. 36. Albanés, pp. 452–453.
  35. Bishop Vellesius was present at the Council of Orange in October 549 (De Clercq, p. 159), the Council of Paris in 552 (De Clercq, p. 168), and was represented by the priest Honoratus at the Council of Arles in 554 (De Clercq, p. 173). Albanés, pp. 453–454. Duchesne, p. 287 no. 2.
  36. Sagittarius, Bishop of Gap, was the brother of Salonius, who was bishop of Embrun. Both had been raised in Lyon under the care of Nicetius of Lyon. After taking control of their dioceses, the two brothers turned to brigandage and other crimes. Complaints were levelled against Bishop Sagittarius at the Council of Lyon in 566 (Fisquet, p. 31) or 570 (Duchesne), and he and his brother were deposed; they appealed to Pope John III, who ordered them to be restored. They were also subjects of discussion at the Council of and Paris (573). He was deposed again at the Council of Chalon-sur-Saône in 579 on charges of adultery and homicide. Having escaped, he was killed fighting during the Siege of Comminges in 585. Gregory of Tours, Historia Francorum Book IV, 42, Book V, chapters 20 and 27, Book VII, chapter 28, 34–39. Fisquet, pp. 31–33. Albanés, pp. 454–456. Duchesne, p. 287 no. 3. De Clercq, p. 200, 219.
  37. Bishop Aredius was present at the Council of Valence (583/585), and the Council of Mâcon (October 585). He was sent a letter by Pope Gregory I in June 601 (Arigio episcopo Galliarum), requesting aid for the mission of Augustine to England. P. Jaffé and S. Loewenfeld, Regesta pontificum Romanorum Tomus I, editio altera (Leipzig: Veit 1885), p. 206 no. 1832. Albanés, pp. 456–458. Duchesne, p. 287 no. 4. De Clercq, pp. 236, 249. A Vita S. Arigii vel Aredii survives, in: Acta Sanctorum Maii Tomus I (Antwerp 1680), pp. 107–111.
  38. Bishop Valatonius had previously been Archdeacon of Gap. He is mentioned in the Life of Aredius as his successor. He participated in the Council of Paris in 614. Albanés, pp. 458–459. Duchesne, p. 287 no. 5. De Clercq, p. 281.
  39. Bishop Potentissimus was present at the Council of Chalon-sur-Saône in a year between 647 and 653. Albanés, pp. 459–460. Duchesne, p. 287 no. 6. De Clercq, pp. 302, 309.
  40. Symphorianus was no longer alive in 739, when his nephew Abbo wrote his Last Will and Testament. That is the sole reference to the bishop, who (the Testament recalls) was driven from his bishopric by evil men. Albanés, p. 460.
  41. Bishop Donadeus is known only from a signature to the documents of the so-called False Synod of Narbonne of 27 June 788. Albanés, p. 461.
  42. Bishop Birico was present at the Council of Pontigny in 876. He was also at the Assembly of Mantaille in 879. Book: Jacques Sirmond. Concilia antiqua Galliae. Tomus III. 1629. Sebastien Cramoisy. Paris. la. 443, 497. Albanés, pp. 461–462. Duchesne, p. 287, no. 9.
  43. Living during the Saracen occupation, he was forced to seek refuge at Apt. Albanés, p. 462.
  44. Hugo (or Hugues) is attested in a charter of confirmation of Ile-Barbe on 20 August 971. In a Bull of 15 May 1105, Pope Paschal II mentions a donation made by Hugo to the Abbey of Saint-André-de-Rosans, which had been founded in 988, indicating that he was still bishop after 988. Albanés, pp. 463–464.
  45. He is also called Féraud de Domene, and Féraud de Nice. His stepmother was the widow of Miron de Nice, and he had seven brothers. On 15 October 1040, he took part, with Pope Benedict IX in the consecration of the church of Saint-Victor in Marseille. Albanés, pp. 464–466.
  46. Arnulphus (Arnoux)took the Benedictine habit at the monstery of S. Trinité de Vendôme. In 1063 he accompanied his Abbot, Oderic, to Rome to obtain protection against Foulques, Count of Vendôme. On 8 May 1063 Pope Alexander II issued a bull of patronage and protection. He repaired the cathedral of Gap. He died on 19 September, either in 1070 or 1074 (Fisquet), or as late as 1079 (a conjecture of Albanés, relying on a statement that Arnulphus had a reign of ten or fifteen years). Fisquet, pp. 46–51. Albanés, pp. 469–471.
  47. Frederick: Albanés, p. 482. The Guide diocesain 2016, p. 54, assigns the years 1198–1199; retrieved: 2017-07-23.
  48. Guillaume de Gières: Eubel, I, p. 514.
  49. Hugo was transferred to the diocese of Arles (France) after 10 February 1217 He died on 29 August 1217. Albanés, pp. 484–485. Eubel, I, pp. 103 with note 1; 514.
  50. Guigo, Fr. Guiges: Albanés, p. 485. Eubel, I, p. 514.
  51. Guillaume: Eubel, I, p. 514.
  52. Bishop Robert: Fisquet, pp. 61–62. Albanés, pp. 487–488. Eubel, I, p. 514.
  53. Otho: Eubel, I, p. 514.
  54. Raimond: Eubel, I, p. 514.
  55. Geofroi: Eubel, I, p. 514.
  56. Olivier de Laye: Albanés, pp. 493–494. Eubel, I, p. 514.
  57. Bertrand de Lincel was nephew of Bishop Geofroi de Lincel. Albanés, pp. 494–495. Eubel, I, p. 514.
  58. Guillaume d'Étienne: Albanés, pp. 495–497. Eubel, I, p. 514.
  59. Dragonnet de Montauban: Albanés, pp. 497–498. Eubel, I, p. 514.
  60. Henri de Poitiers was transferred to the Diocese of Troyes on 13 March 1353 by Pope Innocent VI. He died on 25 August 1370. Albanés, pp. 497–498. Eubel, I, p. 494, 514.
  61. Gilbert had previously been bishop of Saint-Pons-de-Thomières (1348–1353). He was transferred to the diocese of Gap on 30 January 1353 by Pope Innocent VI. He was transferred from Gap to Lodève by Pope Innocent on 21 August 1357. He died on 21 July 1361. Fisquet, p. 86. Albanés, pp. 500–501. Eubel, pp. 310, 406, 514.
  62. Jacques was a nephew of Cardinal Bertrand de Déaulx. He was previously bishop of Montauban (1355–1357). He was transferred to the diocese of Gap on 21 August 1357 by

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