The former Archdiocese of Embrun was suppressed after the French Revolution. It was replaced, under the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790) by a diocese which had the same boundaries of the civil departement in which it was located. The diocese was called 'Haute-Alpes', with its center at Gap.
When the Diocese of Gap was re-established in 1822 it comprised, besides the ancient Diocese of Gap, a large part of the ancient Archdiocese of Embrun. The name of the metropolitan see of Embrun, however, had been absorbed in the title of the Archbishop of Aix-en-Provence and Arles, until 2007. In 2008, the title of Embrun was reattached to the Diocese of Gap by papal decree of Pope Benedict XVI.[1]
Tradition ascribes the evangelization of Embrun to Saints Nazarius and Celsus, martyrs under emperor Nero. Gregory of Tours states that they were martyred at Embrun. Their bodies, however, were discovered in a cemetery in Milan by Saint Ambrose.[2] They were also drowned at Trier, on orders of the Emperor Nero. Their entire story is without historical foundation, and a mass of contradictions and improbabilities. According to another tradition, the first Bishop of Embrun, Saint Marcellus, was such a successful preacher that, by the end of his episcopacy, there was not a single pagan left in the diocese.[3]
The see became an archbishopric about 800.[4] In 1056 Pope Victor confirmed the Archbishop of Embrun as Metropolitan of the Sees of Digne, Chorges, Solliès, Senez, Glandèves, Cimiez-Nice, Vence, and Antibes (Grasse). Bishop Winimann[5] was also granted the pallium[6] In 1276 the Archbishops of Embrun were made Princes of the Holy Roman Empire.
The see was suppressed in the French Revolution, being transferred to the diocese of Gap, and the cathedral church became a mere parish church.[4]
St. Guillaume (1120–34), founder of the Abbey of Boscodon;[7]
Fisquet, p. 844. It is pointed out that two of the bishoprics no longer existed in 1076, and it is suggested that the list is a later addition to the document.
The abbey was actually founded by Guillaume and Pierre de Montmirail in 1130; in 1132 the Benedictine Rule was adopted; in 1142 the Bishop of Embrun, another Guillaume, thought the monks so mediocre that he imported several monks from Chalais. Ivan Gobry (2000). Cavalieri e pellegrini. Ordini monastici e canonici regolari nel XII secolo (in Italian). Roma: Città Nuova. pp.123–125. ISBN978-88-311-9255-2.
In the episcopal election at Embrun in 438, two factions elected two bishops in the midst of threats and violence, especially involving laypersons; one of the elect, Armentarius, was below the canonical age for consecration, but, without the knowledge and consent of the bishops of the province, he got two bishops somehow to consecrate him. The matter was brought to the Council of Riez, which met on 29 November 439, fourteen bishops being present. The election was annulled as uncanonical, and Armentarius, who had resigned before he received the summons to attend the Council, was treated leniently and given the status of chorepiscopus, though it was made clear that this did not involve any of the prerogatives of a legitimate bishop. Sirmond, pp. 439–448. Duchesne, p. 291.
Ingenuus was present at the Council of Orange on 4 November 441: John M. Pepino (2009). St. Eucherius of Lyons: Rhetorical Adaptation of Message to Intended Audience in Fifth Century Provence. Ann Arbor MI USA. pp.19 and 76. ISBN978-1-109-04557-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) He was also at the Council of Arles in 451 and the Council of Arles in 455. He corresponded with Pope Hilarius (461-468), and took part in the Council of Rome of 19 November 465. His episcopate might have lasted until c. 475 or even 487. Fisquet, pp. 814-816. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1058-1059.
Catulinus took part in the Council of Epaona on 6 September 517: Sirmond, p. 899. In attempting to apply the canons to Embrun, however, he aroused the anger of the Arian aristocracy, who drove him into exile. He lived in Vienne for four or five years. Fisquet, pp. 816-817.
La Grande Encyclopédie précise que Gallican I a été expulsé de son siège par les Ariens. La source fait peut être une confusion avec Catulin (cf. note n°4).
Salonius was summoned before the Second Council of Lyon in 567, to explain his notorious lifestyle; he was deposed, but he appealed to King Guntram, who used his influence with Pope John III (561-574) to have Salonius reinstated. He was deposed a second time at the Council of Châlons in 579 and locked up in a monastery. Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks Book V, chapter xx. Sirmond, pp. 1163-1164. Fisquet, pp. 822-823.
Fornier, Marcellin (1592-1649), Histoire générale des Alpes Maritimes ou Cottiènes: et particulière de leur métropolitaine, Embrun. Cf. Carlo Cipolla, ed. (1898). Monumenta novaliciensia vetustiora: raccolta degli atti e delle cronache riguardanti l'abbazia della Novalesa (in Italian and Latin). Vol.Tomo I. Forzani e c., tip. del Senato. p.viii, xiv-xv., where it is stated that the monastery was founded in 726, and that its Founder was a rich Frank by the name of Abbone. The original charter of foundation survives, dated 30 January 726: Cipolla p. 7-13. On p. 8, in the note, he records that 'Walchunus' (Vualchinus) was not a bishop of Embrun, citing B. Hauréau and Jules Marion.
Bishop Arnaldus took part in the Council of Valence in 890; in 899 he presided at the consecration of Ragenfredus as Archbishop of Vienne: Duchesne, p. 292, no. 15.
Winnimanus was the recipient of a privilege from Pope Victor II (1055-1057) in July 1056: Gallia christiana III, Instrumenta pp. 177-179. The document also recalls the preaching of Bishop Marcellinus.
Master Bernard Chabert was Chancellor of Paris when he was chosen to be Bishop of Geneva in 1206. In October of 1212 he was chosen to be Archbishop of Embrun, and as archbishop he attended the Council of Montpellier in January 1216, which took up the problem of the Albigensian heresy and the war between Simon de Montfort and Count Raymond VI of Toulouse. He was chosen to be the Procurator who carried the Decrees of the Council to Pope Innocent III for approval. While in Rome he participated in the IV Lateran Council of November 1215. The Pope confirmed the decrees of the Council of Montpellier on 2 April 1216. In 1218 Bernard helped arrange the marriage of Beatrix, daughter of the Dauphin André, and Amaury the son of Simon de Montfort; this alliance brought Amaury the counties of Embrun and Gap. Fisquet, pp. 861-868.
In 1276 Rudolph, King of the Romans, confirmed all the privileges granted by his predecessors to the Bishops of Embrun, and in addition made him a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. D. de Saint-Marthe, Gallia christiana Tomus III (Paris 1725), Instrumenta, pp. 182-183.
Guillaume de Mandagot was appointed Archbishop of Embrun by Pope Boniface VIII on Palm Sunday, 28 March 1295, and two weeks later was consecrated by the Pope. D. de Saint-Marthe, Gallia christiana Tomus III (Paris 1725), Instrumenta, p. 183. Fisquet, p. 81. He received the pallium on the following Thursday.
Rostaing was promoted from the diocese of Fréjus on 26 November 1494: Eubel, II, p. 148. He died in Rome on 27 July 1510: Eubel, III, p. 190, n. 3. Fisquet, 926-927.
Fisquet, pp. 974-979. Nominated by Louis XIV on 18 June 1668, Genlis was approved by Pope Clement IX on 15 July 1669: Ritzler, V, p. 190, with note 2. Genlis' Testament: Bulletin de la Société d'études des Hautes-Alpes (in French). Vol.8. Gap: Société d'études des Hautes-Alpes. 1889. pp.141–149.
Tencin was a native of Grenoble. He was in Rome when he received the letter of appointment of King Louis XV of 6 May 1724. He was consecrated by Pope Benedict XIII on 2 July 1724. Jean, pp. 189. Fisquet, pp. 983-1017. He was created cardinal by Pope Clement XII on 23 February 1739 and assigned the titulus of SS. Nereus et Achilles. He died on 2 March 1758.
In 1791 Leyssin excommunicated Ignace Caseneuve, and emigrated to Lausanne and then to Bavaria. He died at Nuremberg on 26 August 1801, before the Concordat was signed. Jean, p. 189.
Cazeneuve was consecrated in Paris by Constitutional Bishop Gobel on 3 April 1791. In 1792 he took part in the Convention, but did not vote for the execution of King Louis XVI. He abandoned his ministry in 1793 and refused to take it up again in 1795. He resigned on 1 June 1798. After the Concordat, he made a public retractation and submission. He died in Gap on 10 May 1806. Paul Pisani (1907). Répertoire biographique de l'épiscopat constitutionnel (1791-1802) (in French). Paris: A. Picard et fils. pp.337–338.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:Goya, Pierre-Louis-Théophile-Georges (1909). "Diocese of Gap". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol.6. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
