The Diocese of Padua (; ) 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
Veneto
Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
,
northern Italy
Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...
. It was erected in the 3rd century.
["Diocese of Padova "]
''Catholic-Hierarchy.org
''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'' is an online database of bishops and dioceses of the Latin Church and the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches that are in full communion with Rome. The website, not officially sanctioned by the Church, is run as a private pro ...
''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016.["Diocese of Padova"]
''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016. The diocese of Padua was originally a suffragan (subordinate) of the Patriarchate of Aquileia. When the Patriarchate was suppressed permanently in 1752, it became a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Udine. In 1818, when the dioceses of northern Italy were reorganized by
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 ...
, it became a
suffragan
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...
of the
Patriarchate of Venice
The Patriarchate of Venice (; ), also sometimes called the Archdiocese of Venice, is a patriarchate of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church, located in the Metropolitan City of Venice. Its Cathedra, episcopal seat is in the St Mark's Basilica ...
, and remains so today.
The current bishop is
Claudio Cipolla.
The seat of the bishop of Padua is in the
Cathedral-Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta. The diocese also contains the
Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua
The Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua () is a Catholic Church, Catholic church and Basilicas in the Catholic Church, minor basilica in Padua, Veneto, Northern Italy, dedicated to Anthony of Padua, St. Anthony of Padua.
Although the ...
and the
Basilica of Santa Giustina.
Territory
The Diocese of Padua covers the most part of the
Province of Padua
The province of Padua () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Padua.
Geography
It has an area of 2,142 km2, and a total population of 936,492 (2016) making it the most populated provi ...
, out of a main part of the higher plain. It also includes areas from the surrounding provinces of
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; or , archaically ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it straddles the Bacchiglione, River Bacchiglione. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and e ...
(
Thiene,
Asiago
Asiago (; Venetian language, Venetian: ''Axiago'', Cimbrian: ''Slege'', German language, German: ''Schlägen'' ) is a minor township (population roughly 6,500) with the title of ciin the surrounding plateau region (the ''Altopiano di Asiago'' o ...
and Plateau of the
Sette Comuni
The (, ) are seven that formed a Cimbrian enclave in the Veneto region of north-east Italy. The area is also known as the or Asiago Plateau, and it was the site of a major battle between Austrian and Italian forces on the Alpine Fron ...
,
Monte Grappa, southern
Valsugana
The Valsugana (, ) or Sugana Valley is one of the most important valleys in the autonomous province of Trentino in Northern Italy. Leading into the Alps' foothills, an important main north-south Roman road, the Via Claudia Augusta, one of Europ ...
),
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
(
Riviera del Brenta
() is an Italian word which means , ultimately derived from Latin , through Ligurian . It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria (the Genoa region in northwestern Italy) in the form , then shortened in English.
Riviera ma ...
),
Treviso
Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...
(
Valdobbiadene
Valdobbiadene (; ) is a town and (municipality) in the province of Treviso, Veneto, Italy.
Valdobbiadene is a wine growing area: located below the Dolomites, Alpine-Dolomite areas of Veneto, the climate allows the cultivation of the Glera variety ...
) and
Belluno
Belluno (; ; ) is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about north of Venice, Belluno is the Capital (political), capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region. W ...
(
Quero).
History
In a manuscript of the 14th century, containing a list of the bishops of Padua, the statement is made that Prosdocimus, a disciple of S. Peter the Apostle, was sent to Pavia in 42, and that he died in the reign of Antoninus Pius (138–160). He baptized Vitalianus, the king of
Padua
Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...
, his wife, and the whole people of Padua (Padua was actually a ''municipium'' under the ''
Lex Julia Municipalis''). During his episcopate, Duke Andrea Dandolo of Venice came to Padua. Justina (Giustina), the daughter of Vitalianus was driven out and killed. All this information, as Francesco Lanzoni points out, derives from the hagiographical fiction, the "Life of S. Prosdocimus", which is not older than the 12th century. Of his thirty successors in the episcopal list, only two have any external documentation at all, and those two are given in the wrong order in the list. The legendary
Fidentius Armenus, supposed third bishop, was venerated as a martyr.
In 1148, following the murder of Bishop Bellino, the Abbot of S. Giustina for the first time joined the Chapter in the election of bishops. Perhaps also the Primicerius of the Parocchi was given the same privilege. They elected Giovanni Caccio, who was confirmed by the Patriarch of Aquileia, and was in office by 29 July 1148.
Troubled election of 1283
Following the death of Bishop Joannes Forzate on 4 June 1283, the Canons attempted to gather for an electoral meeting. Trouble began when the Primicerius complained about his right to take part in the election along with the Archpriest and the Canons, and that he had not been summoned to the meeting. On 24 July 1283, he announced his intention to appeal to the pope. Several days later, the Canons assembled again and elected Prosavio, who was then Bishop of Treviso. But he refused the election. On 1 August 1283, another meeting took place with the Archpriest Bovetinus presiding. Five of the Canons voted for Canon Prencevalle di Bonifaccio Conti (Percevalle), while the other five voted for Giovanni dagli Abbati. Five other electors made no nomination. Those who had voted for Giovanni dagli Abbati declared him elected and sought his consent, which was given; they prepared a certificate of election which was to be given to the Patriarch of Aquileia for his approval and canonical institution. Giovanni dagli Abbati requested time to consider his response. The supporters of Prencevalle did the same, and the conflict ended up in the court of the Patriarch, where it was heard in March 1284.
Cardinal
Latinus Frangipani Malabranca, the Bishop of Ostia and nephew of
Pope Nicholas III
Pope Nicholas III (; Wiktionary:circa, c. 1225 – 22 August 1280), born Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 November 1277 to his death on 22 August 1280.
He was a Roman nobleman who h ...
(1277–1280), who was papal Legate in the Romandiola, declared that Giovanni dagli Abbati had no right to be considered for election, based on information provided to the effect that Giovanni was a simoniac, living in concubinage, and was a source of scandal.
The Patriarch was prepared to rule in favor of Giovanni, who by that time had two-thirds of the electors on his side, but heavy pressure was applied by the family and friends of Prencevalle, and the Patriarch therefore quashed the entire election. He then, on his own initiative as Metropolitan, provided (appointed) a new bishop, who was Prencevalle, despite the fact that Prencevalle was only in minor orders and required a papal dispensation to be elected bishop. The entire affair was appealed to the Holy See. Despite the appeal, the Patriarch went ahead and consecrated Prencevalle and had him installed as Bishop of Padua.
On 1 July 1286, Pope Honorius IV issued a mandate to the Bishop of Castello, Bartolomeo Quirini, to suspend Prencevalle from the spiritual and temporal administration of the diocese of Padua, and to confiscate all the fruits and other income which he had received from the time of his provision in March 1284. Quirini was ordered to cite Prencevalle to appear at the papal court within six weeks. The Pope appointed Apostolic Administrators for the diocese of Padua, the Archpriest and Canon Andrea Gausoni. Prencevalle failed to appear before the pope, and therefore the Bishop of Castello proceeded against him. Eventually Prencevalle submitted his resignation.
On 4 March 1287, Pope Honorius IV appointed Bernardus, a canon of Agde (France) and an auditor causarum (judge) in the papal court, as the new bishop of Padua.
Pileo di Prato
Bishop Pietro Pileo di Prato of the diocese of Treviso was appointed
bishop of Padua by
Pope Innocent VI on 12 June 1359. As bishop, he summoned and presided over a diocesan synod on 8 March 1360. At exactly the same time he was involved in his capacity as Grand Chancellor of the
University of Padua
The University of Padua (, UNIPD) is an Italian public research university in Padua, Italy. It was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from the University of Bologna, who previously settled in Vicenza; thus, it is the second-oldest ...
, in mediating a dispute between the Law Faculty and the Arts Faculty, as to whether there should be one university or two. On 20 March 1360, he issued his decision, that there should be two institutions, but that the Rector of the Arts should swear to obey the statutes of the Law Faculty. In 1361, he modified the statutes of the cathedral Chapter, allowing younger Canons who were studying at the university to do so without penalty for their absence from their cathedra duties. Bishop Pileo also obtained from Pope Urban V a chair in theology for the University of Padua, only the third such chair to be established, after Paris and Bologna. In 1394, he founded the Collegio Pratense in Padua, for the benefit of scholars studying at the University of Padua, and provided for the institution in his Testament of 1399.
In 1348, Padua, like most large cities in Italy, was
attacked by the bubonic plague. A Paduan chronicler reports that scarcely one-third of the population survived the onslaught. In 1382, another major visitation of the plague took place. It began apparently in Friuli, then spread to Belluno, Feltre, Treviso and Venice (where 20,000 people died between May and November 1382). Finally Padua and the Romandiola suffered. All of the monks in S. Maria dell' Alto in Monselice died.
In 1594, the Chapter of the cathedral of the Assumption was composed of four dignities and twenty-two Canons.
Reorganization
In 1751, pressured both by Austria and Venice, who were exasperated by the numerous discords in the patriarchate of Aquileia,
Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV (; ; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758. Pope Benedict X (1058–1059) is now con ...
was compelled to intervene in the ecclesiastical and political disturbances. In the bull "Injuncta Nobis" of 6 July 1751, the patriarchate of Aquileia was completely suppressed, and in its place the Pope created two separate archdioceses, Udine and Goritza. The dioceses which had been suffragans of Aquileia and were under Venetian political control, Padua among them, were assigned to the new archdiocese of Udine.
Post-Napoleonic reorganization
The
violent expansionist military policies of the
French First Republic
In the history of France, the First Republic (), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (), was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted un ...
had brought confusion and dislocation to the Po Valley. Following the redistribution of European territories at the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
, the Papacy faced the difficult task of restoring and restructuring the Church in various territories, according to the wishes of their rulers. Padua and Venice were under the control of the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...
, and therefore a Concordat had to be negotiated with the government of
Francis I of Austria
Francis II and I (; 12 February 1768 – 2 March 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor as Francis II from 1792 to 1806, and the first Emperor of Austria as Francis I from 1804 to 1835. He was also King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, and served ...
. One of the requirements of the Austrian government was the elimination of several metropolitanates and the suppression of a number of bishoprics which were no longer viable due to the bad climate (malaria and cholera) and the impoverishment of the dioceses due to migration and industrialization; it was expected that this would be done to the benefit of the Patriarchate of Venice.
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 ...
, therefore, issued the bull "De Salute Dominici Gregis" on 1 May 1818, embodying the conclusions of arduous negotiations. The metropolitan archbishopric of Udine was abolished and its bishop made suffragan to Venice. The dioceses of Caprularum (Caorle) and Torcella were suppressed and their territories assigned to the Patriarchate of Venice; Belluno and Feltre were united under a single bishop, ''aeque personaliter'', and assigned to Venice; Padua and Verona became suffragans of Venice.
Diocesan synods
A diocesan synod was an irregularly held, but important, meeting of the bishop of a diocese and his clergy. Its purpose was (1) to proclaim generally the various decrees already issued by the bishop; (2) to discuss and ratify measures on which the bishop chose to consult with his clergy; (3) to publish statutes and decrees of the diocesan synod, of the provincial synod, and of the Holy See.
[ John Paul II, Constitutio Apostolica ''de Synodis Dioecesanis Agendis'' (March 19, 1997)]
''Acta Apostolicae Sedis'' 89
(1997), pp. 706-727.
Bishop Giovanni Savelli (1295–1299) held a diocesan synod in 1296, fragments of whose constitutions were published by Francesco Scipione Dondi dall' Orologio. Bishop Ildebrandino Conti (1319–1352) held a diocesan synod in 1339. Bishop Pietro Pileo di Prata (1359–1370) presided over a synod in 1360.
On 3 June 1433, Bishop Pietro Donato (1428–1447) held a diocesan synod, the constitutions of which were published by Bishop Dondi. Bishop Fantino Dandolo (1448–1459) presided over a diocesan synod in 1457. Another synod was held by
Bishop Pietro Barozzi (1487–1507) in 1488.
A diocesan synod was held in 1579 by Bishop Federico Cornaro (1577–1590). Bishop Marco Antonio Cornaro (1632–1639) presided over his seventh diocesan synod in Pavia on 17 and 18 April 1624, and had the decrees published. A diocesan synod was held by Bishop Giorgio Cornaro (bishop of Padua) (1643–1663) on 20–22 August 1647. Bishop Gregory Barbarigo (1664–1697) held a synod in 1683.
Bishops of Padua
to 1200
:...
*Crispinus (attested 342–346)
:...
*Bergullus (attested 571–577)
:...
*Dominicus (attested 827)
:...
*Rorigus (attested 855)
[On 8 February 855, the Emperor Louis confirmed the privileges of the Church of Padua for Bishop Rorigus. ]
:...
*Petrus (attested 897)
:...
*Sibico (attested 927)
:...
*Adalbertus (attested 942)
:...
*Gauslinus (Causilinus) (attested 964–977)
:...
*Urso (Ursus) (attested 998–1027)
*Aistulfus (attested 1031)
*Burchardus (Burhardus) (attested 1034–1040)
*Arnaldus (attested 1046–1047)
*
Bernardus Maltraversus (attested 1048–1058)
*Waltolf (1060–1064)
*Oldericus (1064–1080)
*Milo (1084–1095)
*Petrus (1096–1106)
*Sinibaldus (1106–1125)
*
Bellinus (1128–1147)
*Giovanni (Kazo) (1148–1164)
*
Gerardo Offreducci da Marostica (1165–1213)
1200 to 1500
*Giordano (1214–1228)
*
Giacomo Corrado (1229–1239)
[.]
*
Sigebaldo Caballazio (1243–1249)
*
Giovanni Forzatè (1251–1283)
*
rencevalle (1284–1287)''Intrusus''
*
Bernardo Platon (1287–1295)
*
Giovanni Savelli, O.P. (1295–1299)
*
Ottobono di Razzi (1299–1302)
*
Pagano della Torre (1302–1319)
*
Ildebrandino Conti (1319–1352)
*
Giovanni Orsini (1353–1359)
*
Pietro Pileo di Prata (1359–1370)
*
Giovanni Piacentini (1370–1371)
*
Elia Beaufort (1371–1373)
*Raimondo (1374–1386)
:''Sede vacante'' (1386–1388)
*
Giovanni Anselmini (1388–1392)
*
Ugo Roberti (1392–1396)
*
Stefano da Carrara (1396–1405) ''Administrator''
*
Alberto Micheli (1406–1409)
*
Pietro Marcello
Pietro Marcello (born 2 July 1976) is an Italian film director. He has directed more than ten documentary and feature films since 2004. Several of his films have been presented at international film festivals and have received various awards and n ...
(1409–1428)
*
Pietro Donato (1428–1447)
*
Fantino Dandolo (1448–1459)
*
Pietro Barbo (1459–1460)
*
Jacopo Zeno (1460–1481)
*
Pietro Foscari (1481–1485) ''Administrator''
*
Hieronymus Lando (1485–1487)
*
Pietro Barozzi (1487–1507)
1500 to 1800
*Cardinal
Sisto Gara della Rovere (1509–1517)
*
Cardinal Marco Cornaro (1517–1524)
*Cardinal
Francesco Pisani (1524–1555)
*Cardinal
Luigi Pisani (1555–1570)
*
Nicolò Ormanetto (1570–1577)
*Cardinal
Federico Cornaro (1577–1590)
*
Alvise Corner (1590–1594)
*
Marco Cornaro (1594–1625).
[Gauchat, page 275.]
*Cardinal
Pietro Valier (1625–1629)
*
Federico Baldissera Bartolomeo Cornaro
Federico Baldissera Bartolomeo Cornaro (16 November 1579 – 5 June 1653) was a Venetian Catholic Cardinal and Patriarch of Venice.
Early life
Cornaro was born in Venice on 16 November 1579, the son of Doge Giovanni Cornaro and Chiara Delfino ...
(1629–1631)
*
Marco Antonio Cornaro (Marcantonio Corner) (1632–1639)
*
Luca Stella (1639–1641)
*
Giorgio Cornaro (1643–1663)
*
Gregory Barbarigo (1664–1697)
*
Cardinal Giorgio Cornaro (1697–1722)
*
Giovanni Francesco Barbarigo (1723–1730)
*
Giovanni Minotto Ottoboni (1730–1742)
*Cardinal
Carlo Rezzonico (1743–1758)
*Cardinal
Sante Veronese (1758–1767)
*Cardinal
Antonio Maria Priuli (1767–1772)
*
Nicolò Antonio Giustinian, O.S.B. Casin. (1772–1796)
since 1800
:''Sede vacante'' (1796–1807)
*
Francesco Dondi dall'Orologio (1807–1819)
*
Modesto Farina (1821–1856)
*
Federico Manfredini (1857–1882)
*
Giuseppe Callegari (1882–1906)
*
Luigi Pellizzo (1906–1923)
*
Elia Dalla Costa
Elia Dalla Costa (14 May 1872 – 22 December 1961) was an Italian people, Italian Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic prelate and Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal who served as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence, Archbishop of ...
(1923–1931)
*
Carlo Agostini (1932–1949)
*
Girolamo Bortignon,
OFM Cap (1949–1982)
*
Filippo Franceschi (1982–1988)
*
Antonio Mattiazzo (1989–2015)
*
Claudio Cipolla (2015–present)
[CV of Bishop Cipolla: Chiesa di Padova]
"S. E. Mons. Claudio Cipolla vescovo di Padova;"
retrieved: 24 August 2020.
References
Books
General references for bishops
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Studies
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*Kehr, Paul Fridolin (1923). ''Italia Pontificia'
Vol. VII:l Venetiae et Histria, Pars I: Provincia Aquileiensis Berlin: Weidmann, pp. 153–189. (in Latin).
*Lanzoni, Francesco (1927).
Le diocesi d'Italia dalle origini al principio del secolo VII (an. 604)'. Faenza: F. Lega, pp. 911–917.
*Schwartz, Gerhard (1907)
''Die Besetzung der Bistümer Reichsitaliens unter den sächsischen und salischen Kaisern: mit den Listen der Bischöfe, 951-1122'' Leipzig: B.G. Teubner. (in German)
*
*
External links
*Cheney, David M. ''Catholic-Hierarchy.org''
Retrieved: 29 August 2020.
*Benigni, Umberto
"Padua."The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. Retrieved: 29 August 2020.
*Chow, Gregory
"Diocese of Padua"
, unreferenced. Retrieved: 27 August 2020.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Padova
Roman Catholic dioceses in Veneto
Dioceses established in the 3rd century
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 ...
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 ...