Erected in the 4th century, the diocese of Tarbes is the historical diocese of Bigorre, part of the larger region of Gascony. The diocese were suppressed in 1801 following the concordat, it was restored in 1822 and has since covered the department of Hautes-Pyrénées. The name of the diocese was changed from the Tarbes to the Diocese of Tarbes et Lourdes on 20 April 1912.[2]
In 2022, in the Diocese of Tarbes, there was one priest for every 1,210 Catholics.
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The earliest known bishop of Tarbes appears to be Syagrius, who attended the Council of Nîmes in 394.[3]
The Cathedral had been burned and seriously damaged in the French Wars of Religion by the Huguenots, and was a long time in being restored. The Cathedral had fourteen Canons.[4] Until 1524 the Canons served under the Rule of Saint Augustine; thereafter they were secular canons. There were twelve prebendaries. The Chapter had an unusually large number of dignitaries: a Provost (which became dormant), eight Archdeacons, the Cantor, the Sacristan, the Chamberlain and the Infirmarius.[5]
In 1676 the city of Tarbes, which was under the jurisdiction of the King of France, had approximately 2000 Catholic inhabitants. In the city were convents of the Franciscans (O.Min.), Carmelites, Capucines, and Doctrinarii; there was a convent of Ursuline nuns. Elsewhere in the diocese there were convents of Dominicans, Repenties, Capucines, Carmelites, and Minims of S. Francesco di Paola. There were also five houses of Benedictine monks: Saint-Sever-de-Rustan, Saint-Savin-in-Lavadan, Saint-Pé-de-Generest, Saint-Pierre-de-Tasque, and Saint-Orenz-de-Reulle.[6]
Previous Bishops of Tarbes (-et-Lourdes) include:[7]
He was deposed in 1073 by a Synod of Septempopulania, presided over by the Papal Legate, Giraldus Bishop of Ostia. Pontius took his case on appeal to Pope Gregory VII, who ordered him restored. J. D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima editio editio novissima (Venice 1775), p. 396.
Bishop Dodo attended the Council of Piacenza in 1095. Records indicate that King Philip I of France, who had been excommunicated, sent a delegation. Gallia christiana I, p. 1229. J. D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima editio editio novissima (Venice 1775), p. 809. Robert Somerville (2011). Pope Urban II's Council of Piacenza. OUP Oxford. p.10. ISBN978-0-19-925859-8.
Gallia christiana I, p. 1236. Gaillard was removed by order Urban VI of the Roman Obedience, and the diocese was given an Administrator, Abbot Dominique of S. Savini, in 1383. Eubel I, p. 474 and n. 7. Evidently Gaillard followed Clement VII of the Avignon Obedience, and was not removed by him.
Pierre was appointed by Urban VI of the Roman Obedience. He was captured by partisans of Clement VII of the Avignon Obedience, and the Benedictine Abbot Bernard of St. John de Sordua was appointed Administrator in both spiritual and temporal affairs in 1391: Eubel, I, p. 474, note 8.
Louis d'Albret had been Bishop of Cahors since 1460. He had been made a cardinal by Pope Pius II on 18 December 1461. He died on 4 September 1465. Eubel, II, p. 14 and 123.
Gentien d'Amboise was a natural son of Jean IV d'Amboise. A half-brother, therefore was Cardinal Georges d'Amboise, another was Geoffroy Abbot of Cluny (1483–1518);
Claude Mallier was nominated by the government of King Louis XIV on 28 October 1648, and confirmed by Pope Innocent X on 1 February 1649. He resigned in 1668. He died on 21 September 1681. Gauchat, IV, p. 326 with n. 3.
Du Houssay was nominated by King Louis XIV on 13 April 1668, and confirmed by Pope Clement IX on 3 September 1668. He died on 5 May 1675. Ritzler, V, p. 368 with n. 2.
Baume was nominated by King Louis XIV on 12 September 1675, and approved by Pope Clement X on 30 August 1675. He was transferred to Auch on 4 February 1692. Ritzler, V, p. 368 with n. 3.
Cambout-Beçay, who was Royal Aumonier, was nominated by King Louis XV on 5 July 1717; confirmed (preconised) by Pope Clement XI on 2 October 1719. He died on 8 July 1729. Ritzler, V, p. 368 and n. 5.
Roche-Aymon had been a Canon of Macon, and Vicar General of Limoges. He was appointed Bishop of Sarepta in Phoenicia and named auxiliary bishop of Limoges on 11 June 1725. He was transferred to Tarbes on 2 October 1730, and on 11 November 1740 he was named Archbishop of Toulouse. Ritzler, V, p. 345 and n. 3. He was created a cardinal by Pope Clement XIV on 16 December 1771. He died in Paris on 27 October 1777, after a protracted illness, and was buried in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Pierre J. Perreaud (1778). Oraison funebre d'éminentissime ... seigneur Charles-Antoine de la Roche-Aymon (in French). Reims: Pierard.
Molinier had been Rector and Professor at the seminary in Tarbes. He was elected bishop by the electors of Hautes-Pyrénées on 20 March 1791, and consecrated in Paris by Constitutional Bishop Gobel on 26 April. In 1802 he moved to Paris, where he died on 31 January 1814. Pisani, pp. 388–393.
Before the Revolution, Neirac had been Grand-Vicar and Archdeacon of Vabres. After the Concordat of 1801 he was named Grand-Vicar of Cahors. Thanks to the patronage of Cardinal de Bausset, he was chosen Bishop of Tarbes in 1817, but the official reestablishment of the See did not take place until 1822, and therefore he was not consecrated until 15 July 1823. L'Ami de la religion et du roi: journal ecclésiastique, politique et littéraire (in French). Vol.75. Paris: A. Le Clère. 1833. p.37. Laffon, pp. 137–146. He was reputed an ultra-royalist: Berthe, Maurice; Laffon, Jean-Baptiste; Soulet, Jean-François (1982). Histoire de Tarbes (in French). Roanne: Horvath. p.238.
Nicolas Brouwet, born 31 Aug 1962, ordained 27 Jun 1992, appointed on 11 Feb 2012. David M. Cheney, Catholic-Hierarchy,Bishop Nicolas Brouwet, retrieved: 2016-09-09. Diocèese de Tarbes, Évêque, retrieved: 2016-09-10. (in French)
Sainte-Marthe, Denis de (1715). Gallia Christiana, In Provincias Ecclesiasticas Distributa (in Latin). Vol.Tomus primus. Paris: Excudebat Johannes-Baptista Coignard, Regis & Academiae Gallicae Architypographus. pp.1225–1262, Instrumenta, pp. 191–197.
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