The Diocese of Meaux (
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
: ''Dioecesis Meldensis'';
French: ''Diocèse de Meaux'') is a
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
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, prov ...
of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
in France. The diocese comprises the entire department of
Seine-et-Marne
Seine-et-Marne () is a department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square kilometres (2,284 square miles); it roughly covers its ...
. It was suffragan of the
Archdiocese of Sens
The Archdiocese of Sens and Auxerre (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Senonensis et Antissiodorensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Sens et Auxerre'') is a Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese comprises the department of Yon ...
until 1622, and subsequently of
Archdiocese of Paris
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 associated ...
.
History
Creation
The present Diocese of Meaux is made up of the greater part of the former Diocese of Meaux, a large part of the former
Diocese of Sens, a part of the former
Diocese of Paris
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 associated ...
, and a few parishes of the former Dioceses of
Troyes
Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...
,
Soissons
Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...
and
Senlis
Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hauts-de-France.
The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...
.
Hildegar, who lived in the ninth century, says in his "Life of St. Faro" (Burgundofaro), that this bishop was the twentieth since
Denis of Paris
Denis of Paris (Latin: Dionysius) was a 3rd-century Christian martyr and saint. According to his hagiographies, he was bishop of Paris (then Lutetia) in the third century and, together with his companions Rusticus and Eleutherius, was martyred ...
.
According to the tradition accepted by Hildegaire, Denis was the first bishop of Meaux, and was succeeded by his disciple
Saintin, who in turn was succeeded by Antoninus; Rigomer occupied the See of Meaux at the close of the fifth century. This episcopal list, however, is without credibility. In 876 or 877, Hincmar showed
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald (; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as CharlesII, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), King of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a series of civil wars during t ...
a document which he claimed had been transcribed from a very old copy and according to which Antoninus and Saintin, disciples of Denis, had brought to
Pope Anacletus
Pope Anacletus (born – died ), also known as Cletus, was the bishop of Rome, following Peter and Linus. Anacletus served between and his death, . Cletus was a Roman who, during his tenure as pope, ordained a number of priests and is trad ...
(c. 79–91) the account of the martyrdom of Denis, and on their return to Gaul had successively occupied the See of Meaux. However, the same document reports that, during their trip to Rome, Antoninus died and was resurrected from the dead by Saintin, hardly a circumstance to inspire confidence in the document or the events described in it.
Councils
A council convoked in 845 at Meaux by Charles the Bald adopted important measures for the re-establishment of discipline in the three ecclesiastical provinces of
Sens
Sens () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yonne Departments of France, department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, 120 km southeast from Paris.
Sens is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture and the second la ...
,
Bourges
Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...
, and Reims. Other councils were held at Meaux in 962, 1082, 1204, 1229 (ended in Paris), where the
Count of Toulouse
The count of Toulouse (, ) was the ruler of Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the Frankish kings,
the hereditary counts ruled the city of Toulouse and its surrounding county from the late 9th century until 12 ...
was reconciled with the church; in 1240 a council was held in which the sentence of excommunication was pronounced against
Frederick II by Joannes of Palestrina, legate of
Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX (; born Ugolino di Conti; 1145 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decretales'' and instituting the P ...
; there was held an important council in 1523. Four councils were held at
Melun
Melun () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region, north-central France. It is located on the southeastern outskirts of Paris, about from the centre of the capital. Melun is the prefecture of Seine-et-Marne, ...
, in 1216, 1225, 1232, 1300. The city of
Provins
Provins () is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. Known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and importance througho ...
was famous in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
for its burlesque ceremonies (fête de fous, fête do l'âne, fête des Innocents) held in the church. The church of Champigny has a magnificent crypt dating from the thirteenth century.
The cathedral of St-Etienne de Meaux is a fine Gothic edifice begun about 1170. The pouillé of 1353 shows that the Chapter of the Cathedral had six dignities and at least thirty-seven Canons (who are named). The dignities were: the Dean, the Archdeacon of Meaux, the Archdeacon of Brie, the Cantor, the Treasurer and the Chancellor.
Notable events
Pope Eugene III
Pope Eugene III (; c. 1080 – 8 July 1153), born Bernardo Pignatelli, or possibly Paganelli, called Bernardo da Pisa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1145 to his death in 1153. He was the first Cist ...
stayed some days at Meaux from 12 June to 30 June 1147.
In 1562 most of the inhabitants of Meaux had become Protestants. In the
First War of Religion Joachim de Montluc, sent by the king, proceeded with rigour against them. They were still sufficiently powerful in 1567 to attempt to carry off, in the vicinity of Meaux,
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...
and
Charles IX. Shortly after
St. Bartholomew's day in August 1572, the
Protestants of Meaux were massacred. At the château of
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau ( , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the Kilometre zero#France, centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a Subprefectures in Franc ...
, built by Francis I, was held the theological conference of 4 May 1600, between the Catholics (Cardinal
du Perron, de Thou, Pithou) and the Calvinists (du Plessis Mornay,
Philippe Canaye,
Isaac Casaubon
Isaac Casaubon (; ; 18 February 1559 – 1 July 1614) was a classical scholar and philologist, first in France and then later in England.
His son Méric Casaubon was also a classical scholar.
Life Early life
He was born in Geneva to two F ...
).
In 1664,
John Eudes
John Eudes, CIM (; 14 November 1601 – 19 August 1680) was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic priest and the founder of both the Order of Our Lady of Charity in 1641 and Congregation of Jesus and Mary, also known as the Eudists, in 16 ...
preached for two months at Meaux.
Jeanne Guyon
Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de La Motte Guyon (commonly known as Madame Guyon, ; 13 April 1648 – 9 June 1717) was a French Christian accused of advocating Quietism, which was considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church. Madame Guyon was impris ...
passed the first six months of 1695 at the Visitation convent of Meaux, where Bossuet had frequent conferences with her, but failed to make her abandon her mystic views.
was superior of the preparatory seminary (the Pétit Seminaire) of Châage, in the Diocese of Meaux, from 1812 to 1814. He was particularly famous for his insistence on the importance of history in the curriculum, and for his elementary textbooks in the subject. His ''Histoire de France'' was anti-revolutionary and anti-Napoleonic, and caused controversy for some decades.
Revolution
The diocese of Meaux was abolished during the
French Revolution by the
Legislative Assembly, under the
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy () was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution, that sought the Caesaropapism, complete control over the Catholic Church in France by the National Constituent Assembly (France), French gove ...
(1790). Its territory was subsumed into the new diocese, called 'Seine-et-Marne', which was part of the Metropolitanate called the 'Metropole de Paris' (which included seven new 'départements'). The Civil Constitution mandated that bishops be elected by the citizens of each 'département', which immediately raised the most severe canonical questions, since the electors did not need to be Catholics and the approval of the Pope was not only not required, but actually forbidden. Erection of new dioceses and transfer of bishops, moreover, was not in the competence of civil authorities or of the church in France. The result was schism between the 'Constitutional Church' and the Roman Catholic Church. The legitimate bishop of Meaux, Camille de Polignac, refused to take the oath, and therefore the episcopal seat was declared vacant. Two-thirds of the clergy of Meaux, however, took the oath.
On 27 February 1791 the electors of Seine-et-Marne were assembled, and on 18 March, after three ballots, they elected the parish priest of Dontilly, Pierre Thuin. Thuin travelled to Paris for his consecration, which was carried out on 27 March by Jean-Baptiste Gobel, the titular Bishop of Lydda, who had just been installed as Constitutional Bishop of Paris. Thuin's installation at Meaux was not attended by the Canons of the Cathedral or by the directors of the diocesan seminary. Bishop de Polignac emigrated to Switzerland and then to Hungary; he did not return until 1814. Thuin, and all the Constitutional Bishops, were required to resign in May 1801 by First Consul Bonaparte, who was negotiating a treaty with
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...
, the
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between the First French Republic and the Holy See, signed by First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace–Lorraine, ...
(15 July 1801). Once the Concordat went into effect, Pius VII was able to issue the appropriate bulls to restore many of the dioceses and to regulate their boundaries, most of which corresponded closely to the new 'départements'.
The
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between the First French Republic and the Holy See, signed by First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace–Lorraine, ...
gave to the Diocese of Meaux the department of
Marne, but in 1821 and 1822 the territory of the department of Marne was separated from Meaux and distributed to the
Diocese of Reims and the
Diocese of Châlons.
Bishops of Meaux
Prior to 1300
*Medovechus (attested 549, 552)
*Gundoaldus (attested 614, 627)
*
Faro (Burgundofarus) (626–672)
* Hildevertus (672–680);
* Herlingus (attested 683)
*
athus
* Ebrigisilus (end of the seventh century);
*
Gilbert of Meaux ( – 1015);
*Macarius (attested 1011)
*Bernerus (attested 1029)
*Dagobertus
*Galterius ( – 1082)
*Robert (1082–1085)
*Gauthier de Chambly (1085–1105)
*Manasses (1105 – 9 January 1120)
*Burchardus (1120 – 3/4 January 1134)
*Manasses (1134–1158)
*Rainaldus (1158 – 1 May 1161)
*Hugues (1161)
*Étienne de la Chapelle (1162–1171)
*Pierre ( – )
*Simon (1176 – 7 May 1195)
*Ansellus (1195–1207)
*Gaufrid de Cressy (Poissy) (1208–1213)
*Guillaume de Nemours (1214 – 19 August 1221)
*Almaric (1221–1222)
*Pierre de Cuisy (1223–1255)
*Alermus de Cuisy (1255 – 13 August 1267)
*Jean de Poincy (1267 – 27 October 1269)
*Jean de Garlande (1269–?)
*Jean (11 April 1288 – ?)
*Adam de Vaudoy (1289–1298?)
*
aufridus 'Butticularius'(July–September 1298)
From 1300 to 1600
*Nicolas Vole (1305 – 18 April 1308)
*Simon Festu (18 October 1308 – 30 December 1317)
*Guillaume de Brosse (14 February 1318 – 27 February 1321)
*Pierre de Moussy (17 February 1321 – 7 October 1325)
*
Durand de St-Pourçain (13 March 1326 – 10 September 1334)
*Jean de Meulant (12 October 1334 – 3 January 1351)
*
Philippe de Vitry
Philippe de Vitry (31 October 12919 June 1361) was a French composer-poet, bishop and Music theory, music theorist in the style of late medieval music. An accomplished, innovative, and influential composer, he was widely acknowledged as a le ...
(1351–1361);
*Jean Royer (6 September 1361 – 29 April 1377)
*Guillaume de Dormans (11 February 1379 – 17 October 1390) (Avignon Obedience)
* Pierre Fresnel (17 October 1390 – 20 August 1409)(Avignon Obedience);
*Jean de Saintes (20 August 1409 – 20 September 1418) (appointed by Alexander V)
*Robert de Girème (10 July 1419 – 19 January 1426)
*Jean de Briou (8 April 1426 – 17 August 1435)
*Pasquier de Vaux (23 September 1435 – 25 October 1439)
* Pierre de Versailles (25 September 1439 – 1446)
*Jean le Meunier
* Jean du Drac
* Tristan de Salazar
* Louis de Meldun
* Jean d'Huillier
* Jean de Pierrefonds (13 November 1500 – 2 September 1510)
* Louis Pinelle (30 April 1511 – 1515)
*
Guillaume Briçonnet (31 December 1515 – 1534)
* Cardinal
Antoine du Prat (1534–1535);
*Jean de Buz (13 August 1535 – 9 October 1552)
*
Louis de Brézé (1554–1564);
*
Jean du Tillet (1564–1570);
*
Louis de Brézé (1570–1589);
*Alexandre de la Marche (15 October 1589 – 1594)
*
ean Touchard(1594–1597)
*Louis l'Hôpital (13 July 1597 – 1602) ''in commendam''
From 1600 to 1800
*Jean de Vieupont (22 April 1602 – 16 August 1623)
*Jean de Belleau (15 July 1624 – 16 August 1637)
* Dominique Séguier (10 January 1637 – 16 May 1659);
*Dominique de Ligny (13 January 1659 – 27 April 1681)
*
Jacques Bossuet (1681–1704);
* Cardinal
Henri-Pons de Thiard de Bissy (1705–1737)
*Antoine-René de la Roche de Fontenille (1737–1759)
*Jean-Louis de Marthonie de Caussade (1759–1779)
*Camille-Louis-Apollinaire de Polignac (1779–1801)
**Pierre Thuin (Constitutional Bishop) (18 March 1791 – 1801)
Since 1800
*
Louis-Mathias, Count de Barral (1802–1805).
*Pierre-Paul de Faudoas (1805–1819)
*Jean-Joseph-Marie-Victoire de Cosnac (1819–1830)
*Romain-Frédéric Gallard (1831–1839)
*Auguste Allou (1839–1884)
*Marie-Ange-Emmanuel de Briey (1884–1909)
*Emmanuel-Jules-Marie Marbeau (3 February 1910 – 31 May 1921)
*Louis-Joseph Gaillard (21 November 1921 – 25 September 1931)
*Frédéric Lamy (16 August 1932 – 20 August 1936)
*Joseph Evrard (1 February 1937 – 25 July 1942)
*Georges-Louis-Camille Debray (25 July 1942 – 29 April 1961)
*Jacques Ménager (7 December 1961 – 13 July 1973)
*Louis Kuehn (13 May 1974 – 27 August 1986)
*Guy Gaucher (27 August 1986 – 7 May 1987)
*Louis Cornet (31 July 1987 – 17 August 1999)
*
Albert-Marie de Monléon (17 August 1999 – 9 August 2012)
Bishop-emeritus
The bishop emeritus is Albert-Marie Joseph Cyrille de Monléon (born 20 January 1937, in Paris, who was installed on 10 October 1999 following his transfer from the post of
Bishop of Pamiers. On Thursday, August 9, 2012,
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
accepted the resignation of Bishop de Monléon, who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 75, from the Diocese of Meaux, and appointed as the next
bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Meaux, Auxiliary Bishop Jean-Yves Nahmias,
Auxiliary Bishop
An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
...
of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paris
The Archdiocese of Paris (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. It is one of twenty-three archdioceses in France. The original diocese is traditionally thought to have been created ...
.
Current bishop
Bishop Jean-Yves Nahmias was born on September 16, 1957, in Saint-Mand, near Paris, in the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Créteil in
Créteil, France. He studied at the
University of Paris I, where he has been a member of G.F.U. (Groupes de Formation Universitaire); he graduated with a License in Financial Law. He pursued his studies in philosophy and theology for two years at the
Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private university, private pontifical university in Rome, Italy.
The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyo ...
in Rome, then as a student of the
French Seminary in Rome, and then in the Institute of Theological Studies in Brussels, where he obtained a
Licentiate in Sacred Theology
Licentiate in Sacred Theology (; abbreviated LTh or STL) is the second of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the first being the Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and the third being the Doctorate in Sacred Theology) which are conferred ...
in 1991. Nahmias was ordained to the
priesthood on June 24, 1989, and was incardinated for service to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paris. Nahmias served as Parochial Vicar (Assistant
Pastor
A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...
) at the Parish of Notre-Dame de la Croix, Paris, and as a
chaplain
A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...
in Public Schools Jean-Baptiste-Clément,
Etienne Dolet and
Martin Nadaud (1990-1994). In addition, from 1992 to 1996, was in charge of the Diocesan Service for Vocations, and from 1993, Director of Office for Vocations. Later, he was the parochial vicar at the Parish Saint-Ambroise, and a chaplain in
Public Schools Voltaire and Alain-Fournier
(1994-1996). He became rector of the Archdiocesan Seminary of Paris and the diocesan delegate for the
Seminarians
A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clerg ...
(1996-2001); and finally, was the
vicar general
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop or archbishop of a diocese or an archdiocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vica ...
of the Archdiocese of Paris under Cardinals
Jean-Marie Lustiger and
André Vingt-Trois (2001-2006). Nahmias was appointed as Titular Bishop of Termini Imerese and Auxiliary Bishop of Paris on June 1, 2006, by Pope Benedict XVI, and was consecrated a bishop on September 8, 2006. He serves as President of Radio Notre-Dame. Within the
French Bishops' Conference, he serves on the Board for Communication.
[Le diocèse de Meaux]
''Monseigneur Jean-Yves Nahmias''
, retrieved: 2016-12-22.
See also
*
Catholic Church in France
The Catholic Church in France, Gallican Church, or French Catholic Church, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome. Established in the 2nd century in unbroken communion with the bishop of Rome, it was sometim ...
References
Bibliography
Reference works
*
* pp. 333–334. (in Latin)
* p. 189 (in Latin)
*
* pp. 548–549. (Use with caution; obsolete)
* p. 237 (in Latin)
* p. 263 (in Latin)
* p. 284. (in Latin)
*
*
*
Studies
*
gglutinative, POV-Catholic, hagiographic*
*
*
*
*
External links
* David M. Cheney, ''Catholic-Hierarchy:''
''Diocese of Meaux'' Retrieved: 2016-07-07
* ''Bibliographie de Meaux''
Les évêques de Meaux retrieved: 2016-12-24.
nsourced, without references
* Centre national des Archives de l'Église de France
''L'Épiscopat francais depuis 1919'', retrieved: 2016-12-24.
*
Église catholique de Meaux: Home page*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meaux, Roman Catholic Diocese of
Meaux
Meaux () is a Communes of France, commune on the river Marne (river), Marne in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, Franc ...