Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Marseille

The Archdiocese of Marseille (Latin: Archidioecesis Massiliensis; French: Archidiocèse de Marseille) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France.^[1][2] The archepiscopal see is in the city of Marseille, and the diocese comprises the arrondissement of Marseille, a subdivision of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône in the Region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

Archdiocese of Marseille Archidioecesis Massiliensis Archidiocèse de Marseille
Marseille Cathedral
Location
Country	France
Ecclesiastical province	Marseille
Statistics
Area	650 km2 (250 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2021) 1,082,300 741,000 (68.5%)
Parishes	110
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	1st Century
Cathedral	Cathedral Basilica of St Mary Major
Patron saint	St Lazarus of Bethany
Secular priests	130 (Diocesan) 85 (Religious Orders) 26 Permanent Deacons
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	Jean-Marc Aveline
Suffragans	Archdiocese of Aix-en-Provence and Arles Diocese of Ajaccio Diocese of Nice Archdiocese of Avignon Diocese of Digne Diocese of Fréjus–Toulon Diocese of Gap and Embrun
Bishops emeritus	Georges Pontier
Map
Website
Website of the Archdiocese

Ecclesiastical province of Marseille

History

The Church of Marseille is said to have been erected in the first century by St. Lazarus, the young man mentioned in the Gospels who had been raised from the dead by Jesus Christ himself. His family migrated to Provence at some point after the Resurrection.^[3]

Revolution

The diocese of Marseille was abolished during the French Revolution, under the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790). Its territory was subsumed into the new diocese, called the 'Bouches-du-Rhone', which was part of the Metropolitanate called the 'Metropole des Côtes de la Méditerranée (which included ten new 'departements'). The electors of 'Bouches-du-Rhone' met at Aix beginning on 19 February 1791, and on 23 February elected Abbé Charles Benoît Roux, curé of Eyragues near Arles. He was consecrated in Paris by Constitutional Bishops Gobel, Miroudot and Gouttes. He very much enjoyed the social life of Marseille, but after the execution of Louis XVI on 21 January 1793, Roux joined the counter-revolutionaries. When Marseille was occupied by troops of the Convention, he fled to Aix. He was arrested and imprisoned on 20 September; he was taken to Marseille, where he faced a tribunal of the Revolution which condemned him to death. He was executed on 5 April 1794.^[4]

An archdiocese

The diocese was raised to the level of an Archdiocese on 31 January 1948 by Pope Pius XII. The suffragans of the archdiocese are: the Archdiocese of Aix, the Diocese of Ajaccio, the Archdiocese of Avignon, the Diocese of Digne, the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, the Diocese of Gap, and the Diocese of Nice.^[5]

In recent times the Archdiocese of Marseille has suffered from significant shortage of priests, despite having a reported Catholic population of over 700,000 not a single priest was ordained in 2018 or 2019.^[6]

Bishops and Archbishops of Marseille

to 1000

• Oresius (ca. 314)^[7]
• Proculus
• Venerius (ca. 431–451)^[8]
• Eustasius (attested in 463)^[9]
• Graecus
• Honoratus (ca. 496–500)^[10]
• Cannatus (second half of the fifth century)^[11]
• Theodorus (ca. 580s)^[12]
• Serenus
• Petrus of Marseille
• Abdalong (8th century)^[13]
• Maurontus (ca. 780)^[14]
• Yvo (attested on 12 March 781)^[15]
• Wadalus (813–818)^[16]
• Theobertus (ca. 822–841)^[17]
• Alboin (attested 843/844)^[18]
• Litiduinus (attested in 878 and 879)^[19]
• Berengarius (attested in 884)^[20]
• [Gulfaric] (9th century)^[21]
• [Venator] (9th century)^[22]
• Drogon (attested in 923 and 924)^[23]
• Pons (977–1008)^[24]

1000–1500

• Pons (1008–1073)^[25]
• Raymond (1073 – 7 November 1122)^[26]
• Raymond de Soliers (1122 – 26 April 1151)^[27]
• Pierre (1151 – 2 April 1170)^[28]
• Fulco de Thorame (1170 – 31 March 1188)^[29]
• Rainier (1188–1214)^[30]
• Pierre de Montlaur (7 October 1217 – 29 August 1229)^[31]
• Benoît d'Aligan, O.S.B. (1229–1267)^[32]
• Raymond of Nîmes (23 December 1267 – 15 July 1288)^[33]
• Durand de Trésémines (17 April 1289 – 3 August 1312)^[34]
• Raymond Robaudi^[35] (1 January 1313 – 12 September 1319)^[36] (transferred to Archbishopric of Embrun)
• Gasbert de la Val (18 September 1319 – 26 August 1323)^[37] (transferred to Arles)
• Aymar Amiel (26 August 1323 – 23 December 1333)^[38]
• Jean Artaudi (10 January 1334 – 1335, after July 7)^[39]
• Joannes Gasqui (13 October 1335 – 10 September 1344)^[40]
• Robert de Mandagot (13 September 1344 – 1358)^[41]
• Hugh d'Arpajon (4 February 1359 – 31 May 1361)^[33]
• Pierre Fabri (1361, June–September?)^[33]
• Guillaume Sudre, O.P. (27 August 1361 – 1366)^[42]
• [ Philippe de Cabassole ] (1366–1368) Administrator^[43]
• Guillaume de la Voute (9 December 1368 – 1 July 1379)^[44] (transferred to Valence-et-Die, by Clement VII)
• Aymar de La Voute (1379-1395)
• Benoît II (1397-1418)
• Paul de Sade (1418-1420)
• Avignon Nicolaï (1420-1421)
• André Boutaric (1433)
• Barthélémy Rocalli (1433-1445)
• Louis de Glandevès (1445)
• Nicola de Brancas (1445-1466)
• Jean Alardeau (1466-1496)
• Ogier d'Anglure (1496-1506)

1500 to 1700

• Pierre Baudonis (1506)
• Antoine Dufour (1506-1509)
• Claude de Seyssel (1511-1517)
• Innocent Cibo (1517-1530)
• Jean-Baptiste Cibo (1530-1550)
• Cristoforo Guidalotti Ciocchi del Monte (1550-1556)
• Pierre Ragueneau (1556-1572)
• Frédéric Ragueneau (1572-1603)
• Jacques Turricella (1605-1618)
• Arthur d'Épinay de Saint-Luc (1619-1621)
• Nicolas Coëffeteau (1621)
• François de Loménie (1624-1639)
• Eustache Gault (1639-1640)
• Jean-Baptiste Gault (1640-1643)
• Étienne de Puget (1644-1668)
• Toussaint de Forbin-Janson (1668–1679)
• Jean-Baptiste d'Estampes de Valençay (12 January 1680 – 6 January 1684)^[45]
• Charles Gaspard Guillaume de Vintimille du Luc (21 January 1692 – 14 May 1708)^[46]

1700 to 1948

• Bernard de Poudenx (14 May 1708 – 19 January 1709)^[47]
• Henri François Xavier de Belsunce de Castelmoron (19 February 1710 – 4 June 1755)^[48]
• Jean-Baptiste de Belloy (4 August 1755 – 21 September 1801)^[49]
  • Charles Benoît Roux (Constitutional Bishop) (1791–1794)

[1801–1817] Diocese of Marseille suppressed, by the Concordat of 1801.^[50]

• Charles-Fortuné de Mazenod^[51] (1823–1837)
• Charles-Joseph-Eugene de Mazenod^[52] (1837–1861)
• Patrice Cruice^[53] (18 Jun 1861 – 1 Sep 1865)
• Charles-Philippe Place^[54] (6 Jan 1866 – 13 Jun 1878)
• Joseph Robert^[55] (13 Jun 1878 – 19 Nov 1900)
• Cardinal Pierre Andrieu (5 Apr 1901 – 2 Jan 1909)
• Joseph-Marie Fabre (29 Apr 1909 – 9 Jan 1923 )
• Daniel Champavier (19 Jan 1923 – 2 Feb 1928 )
• Maurice-Louis Dubourg (17 Dec 1928 – 9 Dec 1936 )
• Jean Delay (14 Aug 1937 – 5 Sep 1956 ) first Archbishop of Marseille (31 January 1948)

Archbishops of Marseille since 1948

• Marc-Armand Lallier (28 September 1956 – 26 August 1966 )
• Georges Jacquot (1 November 1966 – 25 September 1970 )
• Cardinal Roger Etchegaray (22 December 1970 – 13 April 1985 )
• Cardinal Robert Coffy (13 April 1985 – 22 April 1995 )
• Cardinal Bernard Panafieu (22 April 1995 – 12 May 2006 )
• Georges Pontier (12 May 2006 – 8 August 2019)^[56]
• Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline (8 August 2019^[56] –)

See also

• Catholic Church in France
• Église Saint-Joseph (Marseille)
• List of Catholic dioceses in France
• Maurice Dubourg

References

1. "Archdiocese of Marseille" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved January 4, 2017
2. "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Marseille" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016
3. Gospel of John 11-12. Albanès (1899), pp. 1–6. The church of Marseille also possessed relics of Mary Magdalen and Martha, Lazarus' sisters. Lazarus' own remains were in the Cathedral in 1122, along with relics of Saint Peter, his brother Saint Andrew, and Saint Stephen the Protomartyr: Albanès (1884), p. 42.
4. Paul Pisani (1907). Répertoire biographique de l'épiscopat constitutionnel (1791-1802) (in French). Paris: A. Picard et fils. pp. 323–325. A. M. de La Tour-Keyrié (1889). Documents sur Charles-Benoit Roux, évêque des Côtes-de-la-Méditerranée, élu à Aix le 23 février 1791 et exécuté à Marseille le 16 germinal an IIe (in French). Aix: A. Makaire.
5. David M. Cheney, Catholic-Hierarchy: Archdiocese of Marseille. Retrieved: 2016-08-15.
6. Arnaud Bevilacqua And Gauthier Vaillant (June 26, 2019). "France shows a spike in priestly ordinations for 2019". La Croix. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
7. Oresius participated in the Council of Arles of 314: Duchesne, p. 274, no. 1. Albanès (1884), p. 5.
8. Duchesne, p. 274, no. 3.
9. Duchesne, p. 274, no. 4.
10. A disciple of S. Hilarius, Honoratus was a correspondent of Pope Gelasius (492–496).
11. Son of the king and queen of Aix. His name 'Canus Natus' ('born with white hair') is nothing but a bad folk etymology. The only documentary evidence for Cannatus is from liturgical books, the earliest of which is from 1122. Duchesne, p. 275 no. 7. Canus Natus is omitted by Gallia christiana (1716). Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima (1899) includes him (pp. 15–19), but with a question mark and the date 485. Belsunce (1747), I, pp. 201–206.
12. Theodorus was present at the Council of Mâcon in 585. He was still alive in 591. Duchesne, p. 275.
13. "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Marseilles". newadvent.org.
14. A report of the Missus dominicus Vernarius to Charlemagne, praising Maurontus for his efforts on behalf of the abbey of S. Vincent. Albanès, pp. 33–34.
15. Albanès, p. 36.
16. Albanès, pp. 37–38.
17. Duchesne, p. 276, no. 14. Albanès, pp. 38–41.
18. Albanès (1884), p. 28. Albanès (1899), pp. 41–42.
19. Duchesne, p. 277, no. 18.
20. Duchesne, p. 277, no. 19.
21. Albanès (1884), pp. 29–30. Albanès (1899), p. 42. His name is known from a single document, which Albanès knew only from a printed text; the document is an index of other documents, with a very brief summary of the contents and date. A. assumes that the name is correctly copied and that the text is authentic. Gulfaric's name does not appear in the original Gallia christiana (1716). Duchesne, pp. 276–277, no. 16.
22. Venator's name has the same history as Gulfaric(us). The text quoted by Albanès (1899), p. 42, gives him an episcopacy of at least ten years.
23. Albanès (1884), p. 35. Albanès (1899), pp. 45–46.
24. Pons was the son of Guillaume, Vicomte de Marseille, and nephew of Bishop Honoratus. Albanès, pp. 48–51.
25. Albanès (1899), pp. 52–62. Albanès (1884), pp. 39–40
26. Bishop Raymond attended the Council of Vienne on 15 September 1112. Albanès (1899), pp. 62–65.
27. Albanès (1899), pp. 65–71.
28. Albanès (1899), pp. 72–86.
29. Fouque is mentioned in a charter of 10 September 1170 as Bishop-elect. Albanès (1899), pp. 86–93.
30. Albanès (1899), pp. 93–99.
31. Eubel, I, p. 329. Albanès (1899), pp. 100–117.
32. Benedict had been Abbot of Grasse (Crassensis). He resigned the episcopacy in order to enter the Order of Friars Minor. He died on 11 July 1268. Eubel, I, pp. 329–330. Albanès (1899), pp. 117–172.
33. Eubel, I, p. 330.
34. Eubel, I, p. 330. Albanès (1899), pp. 194–227.
35. Albanès (1884), pp. 63–64.
36. Eubel, I, p. 330. Albanès (1899), pp. 227–238. Albanès (1884), pp. 63–64.
37. In 1319 Gasbert, who had been serving as Treasurer General of the Holy Roman Church, became Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church. C. Samaran and G. Mollat, La fiscalité pontificale en France au XIVe siècle (Paris 1905), pp. 167–168. Albanès (1884), pp. 65–66.
38. Eubel, I, p. 330. Albanès (1899), pp. 245–260. Albanès (1884), pp. 67–69.
39. Eubel, I, p. 330. Albanès (1899), pp. 260–295. Albanès (1884), pp. 70–72.
40. Eubel, I, p. 330. Albanès (1899), pp. 296–313. Albanès (1884), pp. 73–75.
41. Eubel, I, p. 330. Albanès (1899), pp. 314–331.
42. Guillaume Sudre was promoted to the Cardinalate by Pope Urban V on 18 September 1366, and promoted to the See of Ostia on 17 September 1367. Eubel, I, p. 20. Albanès, pp. 332–342.
43. The texts gathered by Albanès, pp. 342–346, indicate clearly that Philippe de Cabassole was not the Bishop of Marseille, only the Administrator. Philippe was created Cardinal Priest by Pope Urban V on 22 September 1368.
44. Albanès, pp. 347–364.
45. He was the grand-nephew of Cardinal Achille d'Estampes. Ritzler, V, p. 260, with n. 3. Albanès, pp. 640–643.
46. Vintimille was nominated by Louis XIV to Marseille in 1684, but due to the bad relations between the King and Pope Innocent XI, the bulls of appointment (preconisation) and consecration were never issued during that pontificate. Albanès, p. 645. It was not until 1692 that Pope Innocent XII signed the bulls. Vintimille was nominated by Louis XIV on 10 February 1708 to the diocese of Aix. He was promoted to the diocese of Paris on 17 August 1729 by Louis XV. Ritzler, V, p. 93; p. 260 and n. 4.
47. Poudenx was nominated by Louis XIV on 10 February 1708. Ritzler, V, p. 260 and n. 5.
48. Belsunce was granted the pallium as a special favor on 6 August 1731. Ritzler, V, p. 260, with n. 6.
49. Belloy had been Bishop of Glandèves in 1751–1755. He was nominated by Louis XV on 22 June 1755. He resigned at the request of Pope Pius VI on 21 September 1801. He was named Archbishop of Paris on 10 April 1802, and died in Paris on 10 June 1808. Ritzler, VI, pp. 226, 280–281.
50. Émile Sévestre (1905). L'histoire, le texte et la destinée du Concordat de 1801. Paris: Lethielleux. p. 496.
51. Société bibliographique (France) (1907). L'épiscopat français... pp. 334–335.</
52. Jean Leflon (1961). Eugène de Mazenod, Bishop of Marseilles: The steps of a vocation, 1782-1814 (in French). Vol. I, II, III, IV. New York: Fordham University Press. ISBN 9780823204342. Société bibliographique (France) (1907). L'épiscopat français... pp. 335–337.
53. Albanès (1884), pp. 185–187. Société bibliographique (France) (1907). L'épiscopat français... pp. 337–338.
54. Albanès (1884), pp. 188–189.Société bibliographique (France) (1907). L'épiscopat français... p. 338.
55. Société bibliographique (France) (1907). L'épiscopat français... pp. 338–339.
56. "Resignations and Appointments, 08.08.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.

Bibliography

Reference works

• Albanés, J. H.; Chevalier, Ulysse (1899). Gallia christiana novissima: Marseille (Évêques, prévots, statuts) (in French and Latin). Montbéliard: Société anonyme d'imprimerie montbéliardaise.
• Gams, Pius Bonifatius (1873). Series episcoporum Ecclesiae catholicae: quotquot innotuerunt a beato Petro apostolo. Ratisbon: Typis et Sumptibus Georgii Josephi Manz. pp. 573–575. (Use with caution; obsolete)
• Eubel, Conradus, ed. (1913). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 1 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana. (in Latin) pp. 329–330.
• Eubel, Conradus, ed. (1914). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 2 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana. (in Latin) p. 187.
• Eubel, Conradus (ed.); Gulik, Guilelmus (1923). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 3 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana. {{cite book}}: |first1= has generic name (help) p. 237-238.
• Gauchat, Patritius (Patrice) (1935). Hierarchia catholica IV (1592-1667). Münster: Libraria Regensbergiana. Retrieved 2016-07-06. pp. 234.
• Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1952). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi V (1667-1730). Patavii: Messagero di S. Antonio. Retrieved 2016-07-06. pp. 260.
• Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1958). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi VI (1730-1799). Patavii: Messagero di S. Antonio. Retrieved 2016-07-06. p. 280.
• Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1968). Hierarchia Catholica medii et recentioris aevi sive summorum pontificum, S. R. E. cardinalium, ecclesiarum antistitum series... A pontificatu Pii PP. VII (1800) usque ad pontificatum Gregorii PP. XVI (1846) (in Latin). Vol. VII. Monasterii: Libr. Regensburgiana.
• Remigius Ritzler; Pirminus Sefrin (1978). Hierarchia catholica Medii et recentioris aevi... A Pontificatu PII PP. IX (1846) usque ad Pontificatum Leonis PP. XIII (1903) (in Latin). Vol. VIII. Il Messaggero di S. Antonio.
• Pięta, Zenon (2002). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentioris aevi... A pontificatu Pii PP. X (1903) usque ad pontificatum Benedictii PP. XV (1922) (in Latin). Vol. IX. Padua: Messagero di San Antonio. ISBN 978-88-250-1000-8.

Studies

• Albanès, Joseph-Hyacinthe (1884). Armorial & sigillographie des évêques de Marseille: avec des notices historiques sur chacun de ces prélats, publiés sous les auspices de Mgr Lévêque de Marseille (in French). Marseille: Marius Olive. [uncritical of Christian mythology, uses hagiography as history]
• Belsunce, Henri François Xavier de (1747). L ́ antiquité de l ́Église de Marseille, et la succession de ses évêques (in French). Vol. Tome I (to 1192). Marseille: Ve. J.P. Brebion.
• Belsunce, Henri François Xavier de (1747). L'antiquité de l'eglise de Marseille et la succession de ses évêques (in French). Vol. Tome II (1192-1433). Marseille: Brébion.
• Belsunce, Henri François Xavier de (1751). L'antiquité de l'eglise de Marseille et la succession de ses évêques (in French). Vol. III (1433-1708). Marseille: Brébion. pp. 201–206.
• De Vic, Cl.; Vaissete, J. (1876). Histoire generale de Languedoc (in French). Vol. Tome IV. Toulouse: Edouard Privat.
• Duchesne, Louis (1907). Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule: I. Provinces du Sud-Est. Paris: Fontemoing. pp. 274–277. second edition (in French)
• Société bibliographique (France) (1907). L'épiscopat français depuis le Concordat jusqu'à la Séparation (1802-1905). Paris: Librairie des Saints-Pères.

External links

• (in French) Centre national des Archives de l'Église de France, L’Épiscopat francais depuis 1919, retrieved: 2016-12-24.
• Diocesan website
• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Marseilles (Massilia)" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

43°17′12″N 5°22′12″E