The Roman Catholic Diocese of Angers (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: ''Dioecesis Andegavensis'';

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''Diocèse d'Angers'') is a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, 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 Roman province, pro ...

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 ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The episcopal see is located in

Angers Cathedral Angers Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Maurice d'Angers) is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Maurice in Angers, France. It is the seat of the Bishops of Angers. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, it is known for its mixtur ...

in the city of

Angers Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the prov ...

. The diocese extends over the entire

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Maine-et-Loire Maine-et-Loire () is a department in the Loire Valley in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France. It is named after the two rivers, Maine and the Loire. It borders Mayenne and Sarthe to the north, Loire-Atlantique to the west, Indre-e ...

. It was a

suffragan see A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, ...

of the Archdiocese of Tours under the old regime as well as under the Concordat. Currently, the diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo.

History

The first Bishop known in history is Defensor, who, when present in 372, at the election of the

Bishop of Tours The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tours (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Turonensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Tours'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese has roots that go back to the 3rd cent ...

, made a determined stand against the nomination of Saint Martin. The legend concerning the earlier episcopate of a certain Auxilius, is connected with the cycle of legends that centre about Saint Firmin of Amiens and is contradicted by

Angevin Angevin or House of Anjou may refer to: *County of Anjou or Duchy of Anjou, a historical county, and later Duchy, in France ** Angevin (language), the traditional langue d'oïl spoken in Anjou **Counts and Dukes of Anjou *House of Ingelger, a Frank ...

tradition from before the thirteenth century. Among the illustrious names of the Diocese of Angers during the first centuries of its existence are those of Saint

Maurilius Maurilius (–1067) was a Norman Archbishop of Rouen from 1055 to 1067. Maurilius was originally from Reims, and was born about 1000. He trained as a priest at Liege and became a member of the cathedral chapter of Halberstadt.Douglas ''William ...

, disciple of Saint Martin, and at an earlier period hermit of Chalonnes, who made a vigorous stand against

idolatry Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the A ...

, and died in 427; Thalassius, consecrated bishop in 453, who has left a compendium of

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

, consisting of the decisions of the councils of the

province of Tours The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tours (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Turonensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Tours'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese has roots that go back to the 3rd centu ...

; Saint Albinus (sixth century); Saint

Licinius Valerius Licinianus Licinius (c. 265 – 325) was Roman emperor from 308 to 324. For most of his reign he was the colleague and rival of Constantine I, with whom he co-authored the Edict of Milan, AD 313, that granted official toleration to C ...

, former

Count of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertians ...

, and bishop during the early part of the seventh century. As for the tradition that

Saint Renatus Saint Renatus (Italian: ''San Renato'', French: ''Saint-René'') is the name of a French and an Italian saint of the Catholic Church who is claimed to be the same person. There are different stories of two saints with by the name Renatus, who wer ...

, who had been raised from the dead by Saint Maurilius, was Bishop of Angers for some time shortly before 450, it bases its claims to credibility on a late life of Saint Maurilius written in 905 by the deacon Archinald, and circulated under the name of

Gregory of Tours Gregory of Tours (30 November 538 – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of the area that had been previously referred to as Gaul by the Romans. He was born Georgius Florenti ...

, and it seems to have no real foundation. Among the Bishops of Angers in modern times were

Cardinal de la Balue Jean Balue (5 October 1491) was a French cardinal and minister of Louis XI. Born without resources, he managed to climb the political ladder by exploiting connections, to whom he often did not remain loyal, and by making himself an indispensable ...

(1467) confined by Louis XI in an iron cage (1469–1480) for his negotiations with

Charles the Bold Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...

; the

Jansenist Jansenism was an early modern theological movement within Catholicism, primarily active in the Kingdom of France, that emphasized original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination. It was declared a heresy by th ...

Henri Arnauld Henri Arnauld (1597–1692) was a French Catholic bishop. Arnauld was born in Paris, and was first destined for the Bar, but was taken to Rome by Cardinal Bentivoglio and during this absence, which lasted five years, the court granted him (16 ...

(1649–1693); Monsignor Freppel (1870–1891), who had a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, and warmly defended religious interests; Monsignor Mathieu (1893–1896), cardinal of the Curia and member of the

French Academy French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, a majestic structure without side aisles, dedicated to

Saint Maurice Saint Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, or Mauritius; ) was an Egyptians, Egyptian military leader who headed the legendary Theban Legion of Roman Empire, Rome in the 3rd century, and is one of the favorite and most widely venerated saints of that Ma ...

, dates from the twelfth century and exhibits the characteristic type of Angevin or Plantagenet architecture. During the Middle Ages Angers was a flourishing monastic city with six great monasteries: the Abbey of St. Aubin founded by King

Childebert I Childebert I (c. 496 – 13 December 558) was a Frankish King of the Merovingian dynasty, as third of the four sons of Clovis I who shared the kingdom of the Franks upon their father's death in 511. He was one of the sons of Saint Clo ...

; the Abbey of St. Serge by

Clovis II Clovis II (633 – 657) was King of Neustria and Burgundy, having succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639. His brother Sigebert III had been King of Austrasia since 634. He was initially under the regency of his mother Nanthild until her deat ...

; those of St. Julien, St. Nicholas and Ronceray, founded by Count

Foulques Nerra Fulk III, the Black ( 987–1040; fro, Foulque Nerra), was an early count of Anjou celebrated as one of the first great builders of medieval castles. It is estimated Fulk constructed approximately 100 castles, along with abbeys throughout the Lo ...

, and All Saints' Abbey, an admirable structure of the twelfth century. In 1219

Pope Callixtus II Pope Callixtus II or Callistus II ( – 13 December 1124), born Guy of Burgundy, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 February 1119 to his death in 1124. His pontificate was shaped by the Investiture Controversy, ...

went in person to Angers to assist at the second consecration of the church attached to Ronceray Abbey. The Diocese of Angers includes

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 Duchy of Anjou, Anjou. It was founded in 1101 by the i ...

, an abbey founded at the close of the eleventh century by

Robert d'Arbrissel Robert of Arbrissel ( 1045 – 1116) was an itinerant preacher, and founder of Fontevraud Abbey. He was born at Arbrissel (near Retiers, Brittany) and died at Orsan Priory in the present department of Cher. Sources The first ''Vita'' was written ...

but which did not survive the Revolution. The ruins of St. Maur perpetuate the memory of the great Benedictine abbey of that name. In 1244, a university was founded at Angers for the teaching of canon and civil law. In 1432 faculties of theology, medicine and art were added. This university was divided into six "nations," and survived up to the time of the Revolution. In consequence of the law of 1875 giving liberty in the matter of higher education, Angers again became the seat of a Catholic university. The Congregation of the Good Shepherd (Bon Pasteur), which has houses in all parts of the world, has its mother-house at Angers by virtue of a papal brief of 1835.

Berengarius Berengar of Tours (died 6 January 1088), in Latin Berengarius Turonensis, was an 11th-century French people, French Christianity, Christian theologian and archdeacon of Angers, a scholar whose leadership of the cathedral school at Chartres set a ...

, the heresiarch condemned for his doctrines on the

Holy Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ot ...

, was Archdeacon of Angers about 1039, and for some time found a protector in the person of Eusebius Bruno, Bishop of Angers. Bernier, who played a great role in the wars of La Vendée and in the negotiations that led to the Concordat, was curé of St. Laud in Angers.

Bishops

To 1000

* Defensor (around 372) *

(423–453) * Thalasse (or Thalaise) (453-462) * Andulphe (−529) * Aubin (Albinus) (529–550) * Audovée (581–592) * Lezin (592–610) * Mainboeuf (610–660) * Dodon (837-880) * Rainon (881-906) * Rothard (910) * Renaud I (920) * Hervé (929-942) * Aimon (943-966)? * Nefingus (966–973) * Renaud II. (973–1006)

1000 to 1300

* Hubert of Vendôme (1006–1047) * Eusebius Bruno (1047–1081) * Gottfried of Tours (1081–1093) * Gottfried of Mayenne (1093–1101) * Renaud de Martigné (1102–1125) *

Ulger Ulger (''Ulgerius''; died 1149) was the Bishop of Angers from 1125. Like his predecessor, Rainald de Martigné (died 1123), he consolidated the Gregorian reform in his diocese. Ulger was a student of Marbod and the latter's successor as archdeaco ...

(1125–1148) * Normand de Doué (1148–1153) * Mathieu de Loudun (1156–1162) * Geoffroy La Mouche (1162–1177) * Raoul I. de Beaumont (1177–1197) * Guillaume I. de Chemillé (1197–1202) * Guillaume II. de Beaumont (1203–1240) * Michel I. Villoiseau (1240–1260) * Nicolas Gellent (1260–1291) * Guillaume III. Le Maire (1291–1317)

1300 to 1500

* Hugues Odard (1317–1323) * Foulques de Mathefelon (1324–1355) * Raoul II. de Machecoul (1356–1358) * Guillaume IV. Turpin de Cressé (1358–1371) * Milon de Dormans (1371–1373) * Hardouin de Bueil (1374–1439) * Jean I. Michel (1439–1447) * Jean II. de Beauveau (1447–1467) * Jean de La Balue (1467–1476) * Jean II de Beauveau (1476–1479) (administrator) * Auger de Brie (1479–1480) (administrator) * Jean de La Balue (1480–1491) * Jean IV. de Rély (1491–1499) * François de Rohan (1499–1532)

1500 to 1800

* Jean Olivier (1532–1540) * Gabriel Bouvery (1540–1572) * Guillaume Ruzé (1572–1587) * Charles Miron (1588–1616) *

Guillaume Fouquet de la Varenne Guillaume Fouquet de la Varenne (1560 in La Flèche – 7 December 1616) was a French chef who became an important statesman in the service of Henry IV. Biography Guillaume Fouquet was born into a bourgeois family in La Flèche (France, Loire ...

(1616–1621) * Charles Miron (1622–1627) * Claude de Rueil (1628–1649) *

(1650–1692) * Michel Le Peletier (1692–1706) * Michel Poncet de la Rivière (1706–1730) * Jean de Vaugirault (1731–1758) * Jacques de Grasse (1758–1782) *

Michel Cauet Michel may refer to: * Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name) * Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers) * Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...

(1782–1802) * Hugues Pelletier (1791–1793)

From 1800

* Charles Montault des Isles (1802–1839) * Louis-Robert Paysant (1839–1841) * Guillaume-Laurent-Louis Angebault (1842–1869) * Charles-Emile Freppel (1869–1891) * François-Désiré Mathieu (1893–1896) (also

Archbishop of Toulouse The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toulouse (–Saint Bertrand de Comminges–Rieux) ( la, Archidioecesis Tolosana (–Convenarum–Rivensis); French: ''Archidiocèse de Toulouse (–Saint-Bertrand de Comminges–Rieux-Volvestre)''; Occitan: ''A ...

) * Louis-Jules Baron (1896–1898) * Joseph Rumeau (1898–1940) * Jean-Camille Costes (1940–1950) * Henri-Alexandre Chappoulie (1950–1959) *

Pierre Veuillot Pierre Marie Joseph Veuillot (5 January 1913 – 14 February 1968) was a Roman Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Paris. Life After having frequented the first year of the graduate course of Medicine, he joined the Carmes Seminary in Rue d' ...

(1959–1961) (also

Archbishop of Paris The Archdiocese of Paris (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Parisiensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Paris'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. It is one of twenty-three archdioceses in France ...

) * Henri-Louis-Marie Mazerat (1961–1974) *

Jean Pierre Marie Orchampt Jean Pierre Marie Orchampt (9 December 1923 – 21 August 2021) was a French prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Prior to his death, he was the oldest living bishop from France, at the age of 97. Orchampt was born in Vesoul and was ordained a ...

(1974–2000) *

Jean-Louis Bruguès Jean-Louis Bruguès, OP (born 22 November 1943) is a French archbishop of the Catholic Church. He was the Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church from 2012 to 2018. Biography Bruguès was born at Bagnères de Bigorre, in the diocese o ...

, O.P. (2000–2007) *

Emmanuel Delmas Immanuel ( he, עִמָּנוּאֵל, 'Īmmānū'ēl, meaning, "God is with us"; also Romanization of Hebrew, romanized: , ; and or in Koine Greek of the New Testament) is a Hebrew name that appears in the Book of Isaiah (7:14) as a sign that ...

(since 2008) ( fr)

References

Bibliography

Reference works

* (Use with caution; obsolete) * (in Latin) * (in Latin) * * * *

Studies

* * * *Matz, Jean-Michel – Comte, François (ed.) (2003): ''Fasti Ecclesiae Gallicanae. Répertoire prosopographique des évêques, dignitaires et chanoines des diocèses de France de 1200 à 1500. VII. Diocèse d’Angers''. Turnhout, Brepols.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Angers, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Roman Catholic dioceses in France cs:Seznam biskupů v Angers de:Liste der Bischöfe von Angers fr:Liste des évêques d'Angers