The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nantes ( la, Dioecesis Nannetensis; french: Diocèse de Nantes; br, Eskopti Naoned) is a

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

of the

Latin Rite Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in Nantes,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. The diocese consists of the department of Loire-Atlantique. It has existed since the 4th century. It is now suffragan of the Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo, having previously been suffragan to the Archdiocese of Tours. Its see is

Nantes Cathedral Nantes Cathedral, or the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul of Nantes (french: Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Nantes), is a Roman Catholic Gothic cathedral located in Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France. Construction began in 1434, on t ...

in the city of Nantes.

History

According to late traditions, Saint Clarus (Saint Clair), first Bishop of Nantes, was a disciple of

Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupat ...

. De la Borderie, however, has shown that the ritual of the Church of Nantes, drawn up by Helius the precentor in 1263, ignores the apostolic mission of Saint Clarus, and also that Saint Peter's nail in

was not brought there by Saint Clarus, but at a time subsequent to the invasions of the Northmen in the 10th century. He showed further that Saint Felix, writing with six other bishops in 567 to Saint Radegund, attributed to Saint Martin of Vertou the chief role in the conversion of the Nantais to Christianity, and that the traditions concerning the mission of Saint Clarus are later than 1400. The earliest list of the bishops of Nantes (made, according to Louis Duchesne, at the beginning of the 10th century) does not favour the thesis of a bishop of Nantes prior to

Constantine I Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

. The author of the ''Passion'' of the Nantes martyrs, Saints Donatian and Rogatian, places their death in the reign of

Constantius Chlorus Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus" ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 ...

, and seems to believe that Rogatian could not be baptized, because the bishop was absent. Duchesne believes that the two saints suffered at an earlier date, and disputes the inference of the ancient writer concerning the absence of the bishop. He believes that the first bishop of Nantes, whose date is certain, is Desiderius (453), correspondent of

Sulpicius Severus Sulpicius Severus (; c. 363 – c. 425) was a Christian writer and native of Aquitania in modern-day France. He is known for his chronicle of sacred history, as well as his biography of Saint Martin of Tours. Life Almost all that we know of Sev ...

and St. Paulinus of Nola. Several bishops, it is true, occupied the see before him, among others Saint Clarus and Saint Similianus, but their dates are uncertain. Duchesne considers as legendary the Saint Aemilianus supposed to have been Bishop of Nantes in Charlemagne's reign and to have fought the Saracens in Burgundy. Among the noteworthy bishops are: Saint Felix (550-83), whose municipal improvements at Nantes were praised in the poems of Venantius Fortunatus, and who often mediated between the people of Brittany and the Frankish kings; Saint Pacharius (end of 7th century);

Saint Gohard Gohard or Gunhard was a 9th-century bishop of Nantes, lord of Blain, saint and cephalophore martyr of the Roman Catholic Church. Gohard was born in Angers. It was during his episcopate that the Battle of Blain took place in 843 AD, the first m ...

(Gohardus), martyred by the

Northmen The Norsemen (or Norse people) were a North Germanic ethnolinguistic group of the Early Middle Ages, during which they spoke the Old Norse language. The language belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages and is the pre ...

in 843, with the monks of the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

of Aindre; Actardus (843–871), during whose time the Breton prince

Nominoe Nominoe or Nomenoe (french: Nominoë; br, Nevenoe; c. 800, 7 March 851) was the first Duke of Brittany from 846 to his death. He is the Breton ''pater patriae'' and to Breton nationalists he is known as ' ("father of the country"). ...

, in his conflict with the

metropolitan see 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 ...

of Tours, created a see at

Guérande Guérande (; br, Gwenrann, ; french: label= Gallo, Geraundd) is a medieval town located in the department of Loire-Atlantique, and the region of Pays de la Loire, Western France. The inhabitants are referred to as ''Guérandais'' (masculine), ...

, in favour of an ecclesiastic of Vannes, in the heart of the Diocese of Nantes; the preacher Cospeau (1621–36). The diocese venerates: the monk Saint Hervé (6th century); the

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

s Saint Friard and Saint Secondel of Besné (6th century); Saint Victor, hermit at Cambon (6th or 7th century); the English hermit Saint Viaud (7th or 8th century); the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

Saint Benoît, Abbot of Masserac in Charlemagne's time; Saint Martin of Vertou (d. 601), apostle of the Herbauges district and founder of the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

Vertou Abbey; Saint Hermeland, sent by Lambert, Abbot of Fontenelle, at the end of the 7th century to found on an island in the

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...

the great monastery of Aindre (now Indret); the celebrated missionary

Saint Amand Amandus ( 584 – 679), commonly called Saint Amand, was a bishop of Tongeren-Maastricht and one of the great Christian missionaries of Flanders. He is venerated as a saint, particularly in France and Belgium. Life The chief source of details ...

Bishop of Maastricht The Diocese of Maastricht (Latin Traiectum ad Mosam) was a Roman Catholic jurisdiction in parts of present Netherlands (including the see Maastricht) and Belgium, which has been nominally revived as a Latin titular bishopric. History Establishe ...

(7th century), a native of the district of Herbauges. Blessed Françoise d'Amboise (1427–85), who became Duchess of Brittany in 1450, had a great share in the canonization of

Saint Vincent Ferrer Vincent Ferrer, OP ( ca-valencia, Sant Vicent Ferrer , es, San Vicente Ferrer, it, San Vincenzo Ferreri, german: Sankt Vinzenz Ferrer, nl, Sint-Vincent Ferrer, french: Saint Vincent Ferrier; 23 January 1350 – 5 April 1419) was a Valencian ...

, rebuilt the choir of the collegiate church of Notre-Dame, and founded at Nantes the monastery of the

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...

. Widowed in 1457, she resisted the intrigues of

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...

, who urged her to contract a second marriage, and in 1468 became a Carmelite nun at Vannes. In 1477, at the request of Sixtus IV, she restored the Benedictine monastery of Couëts, near Nantes. The philosopher

Abelard Peter Abelard (; french: link=no, Pierre Abélard; la, Petrus Abaelardus or ''Abailardus''; 21 April 1142) was a Middle Ages, medieval French Scholasticism, scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, poet, composer and musician. This ...

was a native of the diocese. The Abbey of La Meilleraye, founded in 1132, was the beginning of an establishment of Trappist Fathers, who played a part in the agricultural development of the country. The crusades were preached at Nantes by Blessed Robert of Arbrissel, founder of

Fontevrault The Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud or Fontevrault (in French: ''abbaye de Fontevraud'') was a monastery in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in the former French duchy of Anjou. It was founded in 1101 by the itinerant preache ...

Charles of Blois Charles of Blois-Châtillon (131929 September 1364), nicknamed "the Saint", was the legalist Duke of Brittany from 1341 until his death, via his marriage to Joan, Duchess of Brittany and Countess of Penthièvre, holding the title against the c ...

won Nantes from his rival Jean de Montfort in 1341. On 8 August 1499,

Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...

married Anne of Brittany at Nantes. Chateaubriant, a town of the diocese, was a Calvinist centre in the 16th century. The

Edict of Nantes The Edict of Nantes () was signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV and granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was in essence completely Catholic. In the edict, Henry aimed pr ...

(1595), which granted Protestants religious freedom and certain political prerogatives. In 1665, by order of

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

Cardinal de Retz Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **'' Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, t ...

was imprisoned in the castle of Nantes, from which he contrived to escape. A college was created at Nantes in 1680 for the education of Irish ecclesiastics. Certain regions of the diocese were, during the Revolution, the scene of the War of La Vendée, waged in defence of religious freedom and to restore royalty. At

Savenay Savenay (; ''Savenneg'' in Breton) is a town (administratively a commune) in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France which is part of the Pays de la Loire region. It is located on the Sillon de Bretagne (a mountain range defining the ...

in December, 1793, succumbed the remains of the Vendean army, already defeated in the battle of Cholet. The atrocities committed at Nantes by the

Terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

Carrier are well-known. Four councils were held at Nantes, in 600, 1127, 1264, and 1431. The mausoleum of

Francis II, Duke of Brittany Francis II ( Breton: ''Frañsez II'', French: ''François II'') (23 June 1433 – 9 September 1488) was Duke of Brittany from 1458 to his death. He was the grandson of John IV, Duke of Brittany. A recurring theme in Francis' life would be ...

, executed in 1507 by Michel Colomb, is one of the finest monuments of the Renaissance. The chief places of pilgrimage of the diocese are: Notre-Dame de Bon Garant at

Orvault Orvault (; ) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. It is the fourth-largest suburb of the city of Nantes, and is adjacent to it on the northwest. Population See also *Communes of the Loire-Atlantique departmen ...

, a very old pilgrimage, repeatedly made by Francis II, Duke of Brittany; Notre-Dame de Bon Secours at Nantes, a pilgrimage centre which dates back to the 14th century; Notre-Dame de Toutes Aides. Notre-Dame de Miséricorde became a place of pilgrimage in 1026 in memory of the miracle by which the country is said to have been freed from a dragon; the present seat of the pilgrimage is the Church of St. Similien at Nantes. The

Ursulines The Ursulines, also known as the Order of Saint Ursula (post-nominals: OSU), is an enclosed religious order of consecrated women that branched off from the Angelines, also known as the Company of Saint Ursula, in 1572. Like the Angelines, they ...

, founded by Saint Angela Merici, were established at Nantes in 1640. Among the congregations for women originating in the diocese are: the Sisters of Christian Instruction, a teaching order founded in 1820 at Beignon (Diocese of Vannes) by Abbé Deshayes, of which the mother-house was transferred to St-Gildas des Bois in 1828; Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, a teaching and nursing order, founded in 1853 (mother-house at La Haye Mahéas); Franciscan Sisters, founded in 1871 (mother-house at St-Philbert de Grandlieu); Oblate Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus, founded in 1875 by Sophie Victorine de Gazeau (mother-house at Nantes).

Bishops

To 1000

*c. 280: Saint Clair *c. 310–330: Ennius *c. 330: Saint Similien *c. 374: Eumalius or Evhémère I. *c. 383: Martius *End of 4th century: Arisius *Didier, † c. 444 *c. 446: Léon *Euribe, † 461 *462 – † c. 472: Nonnechius I. *Cariundus, † c. 475 *Cerunius *Clemens or Clément I., † c. 502 *511: Epiphane *c. 515 – † 541: Evhémère II. *548 – † 8. June 582: Saint Felix I. *Nonnechius II., † 596. *610–614: Eufronius *c. 614–626: Léobard *c. 630: Saint Pascharius *c. 637: Taurinus *c. 640: Haïco *c. 650: Salapius *c. 703: Agathée *Amelon *c. 725: Émilien *732: Salvius *756–757: Déomart *c. 776 – † c. 800: Odilard *c. 800: Alain *c. 820 – † 833: Atton *834 – † 835: Drutcaire *835–824. June 843: Saint Gonthard *843–846: Actard *851: Gislard *853–871: Actard (again) *872–886: Ermengar *886 – † 5. February 896: Landrain *900 – † 906: Foucher *c. 906: Isayas *907: Adalard *Hoctron *950–958: Herdren *c. 960 – † c. 980: Gauthier I. *987: Judicaël *990: Hugo *992 – † 1005: Hervé

1000 to 1300

*1005 – † 15 October 1041: Gautier II. *1047 – 3 October 1049: Budic, Pudicus († 1050), deposed by

Pope Leo IX Pope Leo IX (21 June 1002 – 19 April 1054), born Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 February 1049 to his death in 1054. Leo IX is considered to be one of the most historically ...

*1049–1052: Erard, Aerard, Airard *1052 – † 31 July 1079: Quiriac (or Guérec, Guerech, Waroch or Werech) *1079–1111: Benedict *1112: Robert I. *1112 – † 29 October 1140: Brice *1142 – † 1147: Iterius *1147 – † 29 December 1169: Bernard I. *25 December 1170 – † 15 January (1184?): Robert II. *1184 – † 1187: Artur? *1185–1197: Maurice de Blaron (also

Bishop of Poitiers The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poitiers (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Pictaviensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Poitiers'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in France. The archepiscopal see is in the city of Poitiers. ...

), † 29 November 1198 *1199 – † 1208: Geoffroi *Gautier III, † 1212? *1213 – † 8 February 1227: Etienne de la Bruyère *1227: Clément II († 8 September 1227) *1228 – † 4 February 1235: Henri I. *1236 – May 1240: Robert III (transferred to

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

) *1240 – † 21 September 1263: Galeran *1264 – † 7 February 1267: Jacques I. *1267 – † October 1277: Guillaume I. de Vern *1278 – † 11 May 1291: Durand *1292 – † 1297: Henri II. de Calestrie *1299–1304: Henri III. *End September 1304 – † 14 February 1337: Daniel Vigier *17 July 1338: Barnabé *1339 – † 24 August (1353?): Olivier Salahadin *20 December 1354 – † 23 February 1366: Robert Paynel *16 March 1366 – 1384: Simon de Langres *4 April 1384 – † 13 September 1391: Jean I. de Montrelais (also Bishop of Vannes) *4 September 1392 – † 8 August (1397?): Bonabius de Rochefort *1397 – † 1404: Bernard du Peyron *1404 – † 17 April 1419: Henri le Barbu (also Bishop of Vannes) *24 August 1419 – † 14 September 1443: Jean II. de Châteaugiron (also Bishop of Saint-Brieuc) *1443–1461: Guillaume II. de Malestroit *19 March 1462 – † 23 February 1477: Amauri d'Acigné *1477: Jacques II. d'Elbiest *1477 – † 12 November 1487: Pierre I. du Chaffault *1 October (1489?) – † August 1493: Robert V. d'Espinay *1495 – † 25 September 1500: Jean III. d'Espinay

1500–1800

*1500–1506: Guillaume Guégen *1507–1511:

Robert Guibé Robert Guibé (died 1513) (called the Cardinal of Nantes) was a French Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Robert Guibé was born in Vitré ca. 1460, the son of Adanet Guibé and Olive Laudais. In 1475, he became cantor of the ca ...

(also Bishop of Rennes) *1511–1532: François Hamon *1532–1542: Louis d'Acigné *1542–1550: John, Cardinal of Lorraine *1550–1554:

Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon Charles de Bourbon (22 September 1523 – 9 May 1590) was a French cardinal. The Catholic League considered him the rightful King of France as Charles X after the death of Henry III in 1589. His claim was recognized as part of the secret Treaty o ...

*1554–1562:

Antoine de Créquy Antoine is a French given name (from the Latin ''Antonius'' meaning 'highly praise-worthy') that is a variant of Danton, Titouan, D'Anton and Antonin. The name is used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, West Greenland, Haiti, French Guiana ...

(also Bishop of Amiens) *1562–1566: Antoine II de Créquy *1566–1594:

Philippe du Bec Philippe Crespin du Bec (1519 – January 10, 1605) was a French churchman of the 16th century. He was successively Bishop of Vannes (1559–1566), Bishop of Nantes (1566–1594) and Archbishop of Reims (1594–1605). Master of the King's Chapel a ...

(also

Archbishop of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese a ...

) *1596: Jean Dubec-Crespin *1596–1617: Charles de Bourgdneuf de Cucé (also

Bishop of Saint-Malo The former Breton and French Catholic Diocese of Saint-Malo ( la, Dioecesis Alethensis, then la, Dioecesis Macloviensis, label=none) existed from at least the 7th century until the French Revolution. Its seat was at Aleth up to some point in th ...

) *1621–1622: Henri de Bourgneuf d'Orgères *1622–1636: Philippe Cospéau (also

Bishop of Lisieux 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 ...

) *1636–1667: Gabriel de Beauvau *1668–1677: Gilles de La Baume Le Blanc de La Vallière *1677–1717: Jean-François de Beauvau du Rivau *1717–1723:

Louis de La Vergne-Montenard de Tressan Louis de La Vergne-Montenard de Tressan or Louis III de La Vergne de Tressan ( - ) was a French cleric of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop of Rouen (France) from to . Biography He was born in Tressan (France) in . He was the second son of J� ...

(also

Archbishop of Rouen The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Arch ...

) *1723–1746: Christophe-Louis Turpin de Crissé de Sanzay (also Bishop of Rennes) *1746–1775: Pierre Mauclerc de La Mousanchère *1775–1783: Jean-Augustin Frétat de Sarra *1784–1801: Charles-Eutrope de La Laurencie

From 1800

*1802–1813: Jean-Baptiste Duvoisin *1817–1822: Louis-Jules-François-Joseph d'Andigné de Mayneuf *1822–1838: Joseph-Michel-Jean-Baptiste-Paul-Augustin Micolon de Guérines *1838–1848: Jean-François II. de Hercé *1848–1869: Antoine-Matthias-Alexandre Jacquemet *1870–1877: Félix Fournier *1877–1892: Jules François Lecoq *1893–1895: Auguste-Léopold Laroche *1896–1914: Pierre-Emile Rouard *1914–1935: Eugène-Louis-Marie Le Fer de la Motte *1936–1966: Jean-Joseph-Léonce Villepelet *1966–1982: Michel-Louis Vial *1982–1996:

Emile Marcus Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau *Émile (novel), ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil an ...

, P.S.S. *1996–2009: Georges Pierre Soubrier, P.S.S. *2009–2019: Jean-Paul James *2020–present: Laurent Percerou

References

Sources

External links

* Centre national des Archives de l'Église de France
''L’Épiscopat francais depuis 1919''
retrieved: 2016-12-24.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nantes, Roman Catholic Diocese of Nantes 4th-century establishments in Roman Gaul Nantes Loire-Atlantique