The Diocese of Huesca ( Latin, ''Oscensis'') is a

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ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church located in north-eastern Spain, in the province of Huesca, part of the autonomous community of

Aragón Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

. The Diocese of Huesca is a suffragan diocese in the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of sever ...

of the

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

Archdiocese of Zaragoza. The diocese encompasses parts of the province of Huesca in north-eastern Spain, seven parishes in the Broto valley and three within the territorial limits of the Archdiocese of Saragossa, one parish being situated in the city of Saragossa itself. The Diocese of Huesca was created in or before the 6th century; after the

Moorish The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or se ...

conquest of 713 its bishops moved to Aragon (the itinerant "Bishops of Aragon"). The episcopal seat was established in

Jaca Jaca (; in Aragonese: ''Chaca'' or ''Xaca'') is a city of northeastern Spain in the province of Huesca, located near the Pyrenees and the border with France. Jaca is an ancient fort on the Aragón River, situated at the crossing of two great ...

during 1063-1096, then finally moved back to Huesca after king Pedro I of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

took the city from the Moors in November 1096.

History

Early history (c. 500 – 713)

The date of origin of the diocese cannot be definitely ascertained; the earliest evidence of its existence is the signature of Gabinius, Bishop of Huesca, to the decrees of the

Third Council of Toledo The Third Council of Toledo (589) marks the entry of Visigothic Spain into the Catholic Church, and is known for codifying the filioque clause into Western Christianity."Filioque." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. ...

, held in 589.

Isidore of Seville Isidore of Seville ( la, Isidorus Hispalensis; c. 560 – 4 April 636) was a Spanish scholar, theologian, and archbishop of Seville. He is widely regarded, in the words of 19th-century historian Montalembert, as "the last scholar of ...

, writing in the 7th century, mentions the presence of Elpidius, Bishop of Huesca, at an earlier council, but this is not considered authoritative. The year of the diocese being erected is given as 533. After 589, we next hear of the diocese through a synod held there in 598 which ordered annual diocesan conferences and enacted various disciplinary measures.

Itinerant bishops of Aragon (713–1063)

The

invasion of 710 rapidly worked toward Huesca; when the city was taken in 713 the bishop fled, and the diocese was directed from

by itinerant

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

s, sometimes called bishops of

, sometimes bishops of Huesca or Jaca, who lived either at

or in the neighbouring monasteries of San Juan de la Peña, San Pedro de Siresa, and San Adrián de Sasabe. Among the bishops of Aragon were: * . c. 920 : Iñigo * . c. 922 : Ferriolus * 933–947 : Fortuño * 971–978 : Aureolus * . c. 981 : Atón * 1011–1036 : Mancius * 1036–1057 : García * 1058–1075 : Sancho * 1076–1086 : García Ramírez * 1087–1097 : Peter

Jaca as seat of the bishops of Huesca (1063–1096)

A council held at Jaca in 1063 determined anew the boundaries of the Diocese of Huesca, which thereafter included the present dioceses of Huesca,

, and

Barbastro Barbastro (Latin: ''Barbastrum'' or ''Civitas Barbastrensis'', Aragonese: ''Balbastro'') is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain. The city (also known originally as Barbastra or Bergiduna) is at the junction of the rivers Cin ...

, as well as a part of the Diocese of Lérida. Jaca was then made the permanent seat of the diocese. At the same time Sancho II was appointed Bishop of Huesca, and hastened to request the Pope Alexander II to confirm the decisions of the council. In the same year of 1063, however, King

Sancho Ramirez The name Sancho is an Iberian name of Basque origin (Santxo, Santzo, Santso, Antzo, Sans). Sancho stems from the Latin name Sanctius.Eichler, Ernst; Hilty, Gerold; Löffler, Heinrich; Steger, Hugo; Zgusta, Ladislav: ''Namenforschung/Name Studies/ ...

of Aragon (1063-1094) had won back from the Moors the city of

, and had granted it to the Bishop of Roda. García Ramírez, the new Bishop of Huesca (1076–1086) and the king's brother, regarded this as an infringement of the rights of jurisdiction granted the Bishop of Jaca by the council of Jaca. He therefore renewed his petition to the new pope ( Gregory VII) to have the decisions of the council confirmed, which request the pope granted . As, however, Bishop Raimundo of Roda also obtained the confirmation of all his privileges from Gregory, a violent dispute arose between the Bishops of Huesca and Roda as to jurisdiction over the churches of Barbastro, Bielsa, Gistao, and Alquezar, which in 1080 was decided by the king in favour of the Bishop of Roda.

Bishops' seat returns to Huesca (1096–present)

In November 1096, King Pedro I of

took back Huesca from the Moors and restored the original see. Pope

Urban II Pope Urban II ( la, Urbanus II; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening th ...

decreed (May 11, 1098) that, instead of Jaca, Huesca should again be the seat of the bishop, as it had been until the year 713 . But Jaca itself had a separate existence under a vicar-general, independent of the Bishop of Huesca. It also retained its own cathedral chapter, which originally followed the

Rule of St. Augustine The Rule of Saint Augustine, written about the year 400, is a brief document divided into eight chapters and serves as an outline for religious life lived in community. It is the oldest monastic rule in the Western Church. The rule, developed ...

, but in 1270 both this chapter and that of Huesca were secularized. The history of the Diocese of Huesca is from this time on closely associated with that of the present Diocese of Barbastro. The episcopal city of Huesca was long a centre for education and art. Ancient Osca was the seat of the famous school of

Sertorius Quintus Sertorius (c. 126 – 73 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who led a large-scale rebellion against the Roman Senate on the Iberian peninsula. He had been a prominent member of the populist faction of Cinna and Marius. During the ...

. After the failure of his plans at Perpignan, king Pedro IV of

in 1354 established a university at Huesca, which was maintained by a tax laid on the city's food, and which pursued a steady if not a brilliant existence until it was eclipsed by the great college at Saragossa. In 1571, the Diocese of Barbastro was erected out of part of Huesca. From 1848 to 1851 the See of Huesca was vacant. The

Concordat of 1851 The Concordat of 1851 was a concordat between the Spanish government of Queen Isabella II and the Vatican. It was negotiated in response to the policies of the anticlerical Liberal government, which had forced her mother out as regent in 1841. A ...

formally annexed Barbastro once more to Huesca, but preserving its name and administration, being administered by a vicar Apostolic.

Population figures for the Diocese

In 1910 the Diocese of Huesca comprised 181 parishes and 15 subsidiary parishes, with 240 priests and 50 churches and chapels. It had a Catholic population of 87,659. In 1950 there were 110,000 Catholics in the diocese. There were 196 parishes in the diocese. By 1980 there were 76,500 Catholics in the diocese, and it had 197 parishes. The year 1990 saw 82,500 Catholics and 210 parishes in the diocese. By 2004 there were 78,000 Catholics and 200 parishes.

Bishops of Huesca

* c. 522–546 : Elpidius * c. 546–556 : Pompeianus * 557–576 : Vincent * 576–600 : Gabinius * --------------- : Ordulfus - (Mentioned between 633 and 638) * --------------- : Eusebius - (Mentioned in 653) * --------------- : Gadisclo - (Mentioned in 683) * --------------- : Audebertus - (Mentioned in 693) 713–1096 : '' Huesca under

rule.'' * --------------- : Nitidius - (Late 8th century) * --------------- : Frontinianus - (Early 9th century) ''Among the bishops of Aragon were:'' * . c. 920 : Iñigo * . c. 922 : Ferriolus * 933–947 : Fortuño * 971–978 : Aureolus * . c. 981 : Atón * 1011–1036 : Mancius * 1036–1057 : García * 1058–1075 : Sancho * 1076–1086 : García Ramírez * 1087–1097 : Peter 1096 : ''Huesca conquered by king

Peter I Peter I may refer to: Religious hierarchs * Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus * Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint * Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholicos ...

.'' # 1097–1099 : Pedro # 1099–1130 : Esteban # 1130–1134 : Arnaldo Dodón # 1134–1160 : Dodón # --------- 1162 : Martín # 1166–1185 : Esteban de San Martín # 1187–1201 : Ricardo # 1201–1236 : García de Gudal # 1238–1252 : Vidal de Canellas # 1253–1269 : Domingo de Solá # 1269–1273 : García Pérez de Zuazo # 1273–1290 : Jaime Sarroca # 1290–1300 : Ademar # 1300–1313 : Martín López de Azlor # 1313–1324 : Martín Oscabio # 1324–1328 : Gastón de Moncada # 1328–1336 : Pedro de Urrea # 1337–1345 : Bernardo Oliver # 1345–1348 : Gonzalo Zapata # 1348–1357 : Pedro Glascario # 1357–1361 : Guillermo de Torrellás # 1362–1364 : Bernardo Folcaut # 1364–1368 : Jimeno Sánchez de Ribabellosa # 1369–1372 : Juan Martínez # 1372–1383 : Fernando Pérez Muñoz # 1383–1384 : Berenguer de Anglesola # 1384–1393 : Francisco Riquer y Bastero # 1393–1403 : Juan de Baufés # 1403–1410 : Juan de Tauste # 1410–1415 : Domingo Ram y Lanaja #* 1415–1421 : ''See vacant'' # 1421–1443 : Hugo de Urríes # 1443–1457 : Guillermo de Siscar # 1458–1465 : Guillermo Pons de Fenollet # 1470–1484 : Antonio de Espés # 1484–1526 : Juan de Aragón y de Navarra # --------- 1527 : Alonso de So de Castro y de Pinós # 1528–1529 : Diego de Cabrera # 1530–1532 :

Lorenzo Campeggio Lorenzo Campeggio (7 November 1474 – 19 July 1539) was an Italian cardinal and politician. He was the last cardinal protector of England. Life Campeggio was born in Milan, the eldest of five sons. In 1500, he took his doctorate in ca ...

# 1532–1534 : Jerónimo Doria # 1534–1544 : Martín de Gurrea # 1545–1572 : Pedro Agustín # 1572–1574 : Diego de Arnedo # 1577–1584 : Pedro del Frago # 1584–1593 : Martín de Cleriguech # 1594–1607 : Diego de Monreal # 1608–1615 : Berenguer de Bardaxí # 1616–1628 : Juan Moriz de Salazar # 1628–1641 : Francisco Navarro de Eugui # 1641–1654 : Esteban de Esmir # 1644–1670 : Fernando de Sada Azcona # 1671–1674 : Bartolomé de Fontcalda # 1677–1685 : Ramón de Azlor y Berbegal # 1686–1707 : Pedro de Gregorio Antillón # 1708–1714 : Francisco Garcés de Marcilla # 1714–1734 : Pedro Gregorio de Padilla # 1735–1736 : Lucas de Cuartas y Oviedo # 1738–1742 : Plácido Bailés Padilla # 1743–1775 : Antonio Sánchez Sardinero # 1776–1789 : Pascual López Estaún # 1790–1792 : Cayetano de la Peña Granada # 1793–1797 : Juan Armada Araujo # 1797–1809 : Joaquín Sánchez de Cutanda # 1815–1832 : Eduardo Sáenz de la Guardia # 1833–1845 : Lorenzo Ramón Lahoz #* 1848–1851 : ''See vacant'' # 1851–1861 : Pedro José de Zarandia # 1861–1870 : Basilio Gil Bueno # 1875–1886 : Honorio María de Onaindía # 1888–1895 : Vicente Alda Sancho # 1895–1918 : Mariano Supervía Lostalé, (or Mariano Supervía y Lostalé) # 1918–1922 : Zacarías Martínez Núñez # 1922–1934 : Mateo Colom Canals # 1935–1973 : Lino Rodrigo Ruesca #* 1965–1969 : Jaime Flores Martín - (Apostolic Administrator) #* -------- 1969 : Damián Iguacén Borau - (Apostolic Administrator) #* 1969–1977 : Javier Osés Flamarique - (Apostolic Administrator) # 1977–2001 : Javier Osés Flamarique #* 2001–2003 : Juan José Omella Omella - (Apostolic Administrator) # 2003–2009 : Jesús Sanz Montes

References

Catholic Encyclopedia The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...

, 1910
Diocese of Huesca
an

* IBERCRONOX

an

External links

*
Official Diocese of Huesca website
{{authority control Huesca Huesca Aragonese culture