The Archdiocese of Amalfi-Cava de' Tirreni () is an archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church, with its episcopal see at Amalfi, southwest of Naples. It was named Archdiocese of Amalfi until parts of the Diocese of Cava e Sarno were merged with it on 30 September 1986."Archdiocese of Amalfi-Cava de' Tirreni" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved October 7, 2016. "Archdiocese of Amalfi-Cava de' Tirreni" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved October 7, 2016.

It was exempt, i.e. directly dependent on the Holy See, but is now a suffragan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno.

The current bishop is Orazio Soricelli. In 2015, in the diocese of Amalfi there was one priest for every 1,199 Catholics.

History The early beginnings of the Diocese of Amalfi are obscure; it is not known when it was founded, or when Christianity reached it. That it was early is a reasonable conjecture, considering the facilities for communication with the East which the South of Italy possessed.

Bishopric The first indication that Amalfi was a Christian community is supplied by Pope Gregory the Great, who wrote in January 596 to the Subdeacon Antemius, his legate and administrator in Campania, ordering him to constrain Primenus, Bishop of Amalfi, because he did not remain in his diocese but roamed about, to return to his see or face enclosure within a monastery.Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Epistolarum Tomus I: Gregorii I Registri L. I–VII, VI. 23, pp. 400-401. Kreutz, p. 80. In 788, Pope Hadrian I informed Charlemagne of a plot concocted by the Lombard duke of Benevento, Arichis, to murder the legates of Charlemagne and join the Byzantine Empire. The plot also involved Bishop Stephen of Naples, the leaders of Salerno (which had recently been captured by Arichis), and people from Amalphi.Kreutz, p. 80. Rosamond McKitterick, Dorine van Espelo, Richard Pollard, and Richard Price, Codex epistolaris Carolinus: Letters from the popes to the Frankish rulers, 739–791 (Liverpool: LUP 2021), letter 88, pp. 382-385. Amalfi had earlier been attacked by Arichis, and had all the buildings outside the city walls destroyed.McKitterick et al., letter 66, p. 335.

The next bishop known by name is Petrus, who endured the sack of Amalfi by the Lombards in 829.Cappelletti, Le chiese d'Italia XX, p. 603. In 838, Sicard, the successor of Arachis of Benevento, attacked and captured Amalfi; he deported many of the Amalfitans to Salerno.Kreutz, p. 81. Francesco Forcellini, "L'impresa di Sicardo contra Amalfi e l'emancipazione di questo città del ducato di Napoli," , in: Archivio storico per le province Napolitane 24 (1945), pp. 1-48.

In September 879, Pope John VIII wrote to the bishops of Naples and Amalfi and others, ordering them to abrogate the pact that they had entered into with the Saracens.Kehr VIII, p. 388, nos. 2–4. Kreutz, pp. 81-82.

Archdiocese It was raised to Metropolitan Archbishopric of Amalfi by Pope John XV in 987, having lost territory to establish the dioceses of Capri, of Lettere, of Minori and of Scala.

Archbishop Mauro De Monte (1103–1128) attended the Lateran council of Pope Paschal II at Easter 1112.J.D. Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima , Vol. 21 (Venice: A Zatta 1776), p. 51. Loud, The Latin Church in Norman Italy, p. 205.

During the schism of 1130–1139, King Roger II of Sicily and the bishops of his kingdom supported Anacletus II, rather than the Emperor Lothar's Innocent II. Anacletus was pleased to grant Roger the title of King of Naples; Innocent refused to recognize it, and refused to confirm any bishops nominated by King Roger. Archbishop Giovanni della Porta was consecrated by Anacletus himself. After Anacletus died, Innocent summoned a general council, which met in the Lateran in 1139. Della Porta went, hoping no doubt for reconciliation, but Innocent instead provided retribution. King Roger and all the bishops who had been consecrated by Anacletus were excommunicated, and the bishops deposed.Loud, pp. 154-156. Kehr, p. 391, no. 14, quoting the Chronicon Archiepiscoporum Amalfitanorum: "Et mansit in sede archiepiscopatus per multos annos et, mortuo praefato papa Petro Leone [Anacleto], surrexit alius apostolicus [Innocentius] et omnes ordinationes illius sectae deposuit, et ipse (scil. lohannes archiep.) reversus est Salernum et ibi vixit per plurimos annos in ecclesia s. Matthaei."

In 1206, it gained territory from the suppressed diocese of Nocera de' Pagani. And after the completion, also in 1206, of the Cathedral of St. Andrew (Duomo), the relics of the Apostle of that name, who was the patron saint of Amalfi, were taken from Constantinople and brought there by Cardinal Pietro of Capua, an Amalfitan who took part in the sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade.Cappelletti XX, p. 601.

On 10 October 1386, Amalfi lost territory when the diocese of Nocera was re-established by Urban VI.Kehr VIII, p. 306.

Reorganization of 1818 Following the extinction of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, the Congress of Vienna authorized the restoration of the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. Since the French occupation had seen the abolition of many Church institutions in the kingdom, as well as the confiscation of most Church property and resources, it was imperative that Pope Pius VII and King Ferdinand IV reach agreement on restoration and restitution. Ferdinand, however, was not prepared to accept the pre-Napoleonic situation, in which Naples was a feudal subject of the papacy. Lengthy, detailed, and acrimonious negotiations ensued.

In 1818, a new concordat with the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies committed the pope to the suppression of more than fifty small dioceses in the kingdom. These were carried out in the papal bull "De Utiliore" of 27 June 1818. Amalfi lost its status as a metropolitan archdiocese and became merely the Archdiocese of Amalfi, even though it gained territories from the suppressed dioceses of Minori and of Ravello and Scala.: "Archiepiscopali ecclesiae Amalphitanae quae nullum imposterum habebit suffraganeum, praevia suppressione et extinctione Scalensis, Ravellensis, et Minoriensis episcopalium ecclesiarum, illarum tres civitates cum integro respective dioecesano territorio perpetuo unimus, adjungimus, atque incorporamus."

In the early 20th century, the archdiocese had about 36,000 inhabitants, 54 parishes and 279 diocesan priests.Buonaiuti, p. 379.

Diocesan reorganization of 1986 The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), in order to ensure that all Catholics received proper spiritual attention, decreed the reorganization of the diocesan structure of Italy and the consolidation of small and struggling dioceses. It also recommended the abolition of anomalous units such as exempt territorial prelatures.In its decree Christus Dominus, section 22, it stated: "Concerning diocesan boundaries, therefore, this sacred synod decrees that, to the extent required by the good of souls, a fitting revision of diocesan boundaries be undertaken prudently and as soon as possible. This can be done by dividing dismembering or uniting them, or by changing their boundaries, or by determining a better place for the episcopal see or, finally, especially in the case of dioceses having larger cities, by providing them with a new internal organization.... At the same time the natural population units of people, together with the civil jurisdictions and social institutions that compose their organic structure, should be preserved as far as possible as units. For this reason, obviously, the territory of each diocese should be continuous."

On 18 February 1984, the Vatican and the Italian State signed a new and revised concordat. Based on the revisions, a set of Normae was issued on 15 November 1984, which was accompanied in the next year, on 3 June 1985, by enabling legislation. According to the agreement, the practice of having one bishop govern two separate dioceses at the same time, aeque personaliter, was abolished. Instead, the Vatican continued consultations which had begun under Pope John XXIII for the merging of small dioceses, especially those with personnel and financial problems, into one combined diocese.

On 30 September 1986 the archdiocese of Amalfi was renamed the "Archdiocese of Amalfi–Cava de' Tirreni", having gained territory from and absorbing the title of the suppressed Roman Catholic Diocese of Cava de' Tirreni.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 79 (1987), pp. 634-636.

On 20 August 2012, the archdiocese gained territory consisting of three parishes, along with their oratories, houses, and other pious foundations, from the Territorial Abbey of Santissima Trinità di Cava de Tirreni.Acta Apostolicae Sedis vol. 105 (2013), pp. 226-227: archidioecesi Amalphitanae-Cavensi tres uniuntur Paroeciae vulgo nuncupatae: « San Cesareo » in municipio « Cava de’ Tirreni, Frazione di San Cesareo, (SA) »; « Santa Maria Maggiore » in municipio « Cava de’ Tirreni, Frazione di Corpo di Cava, (SA) »; « SS. Pietro e Paolo » in municipio « Vietri Sul Mare, Frazione di Dragonea, (SA) »..

Notable churches Amalfi Cathedral, dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle. Co-Cathedral in Cava de' Tirreni, dedicated to the Visitation. Former Cathedral, in Ravello, a Minor Basilica dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and to Saint Pantaleon (1918).Acta Apostolicae Sedis 10 (1918), pp. 408-409. Former Cathedral, in Minori, a Minor Basilica, dedicated to St. Trofimena (1910).Acta Apostolicae Sedis vol. 3 (1911), pp. 10-11. Former Cathedral, in Scala, Campania, dedicated to St. Lawrence. Minor Basilica of Santa Maria dell'Olmo, in Cava de' Tirreni (1931).Acta Apostolicae Sedis 24 (1932), p. 223.

Bishops and archbishops

Diocese of Amalfi Erected: 6th Century

... Pimenius (596)Pimenius is mentioned in a letter of Pope Gregory I: Kehr, p. 388, no. 1. Ughelli, pp. 189-190. J.P, Migne (ed.) Patrologiae Latinae cursus completus Tomus 77 (Paris 1862), p. 813 (Epistolarum Liber VI, 23). ... Petrus ( 829)Petrus: Cappelletti XX, p. 603. Leo ( 840)Leo: Ughelli VII, p. 191. Cappelletti, p. 603. Gams, p. 847. ... Petrus (879)Petrus and others were recipients of an order of Pope John VIII: Kehr, p. 388, no. 2. Ughelli, p. 190. BonusBonus: Gams, p. 847. SergiusSergius: Gams, p. 847. Orso (897–920)Ursus: Ughelli, p. 192. Gams, p. 847. Giacinto (925 – 936?) Costantino (947–960) Mastalo (960 – 987?)Mastolo: Cappelletti XX, p. 603.

Archdiocese of Amalfi Elevated: 987

to 1200

Leo (Leone Orso Comite) (987–1029)Kehr, p. 388, no. 6. Leone (1029–1050)Kehr, p. 388, no. 7. Pietro Alferio (1050 – 1070?)Bishop Petrus was one of the legates sent by Pope Leo IX to the Emperor Constantine Monomachos: Kehr, pp. 389-390, no. 8. Giovanni (1070–1082) Sergio Donnamira (1082–1102) Mauro De Monte (1103–1128)Bishop Mauro had previously been Bishop of Minori (1092? – 1103). In 1112 he was sent as a legate to the Emperor Alexius: Kehr, p. 390-391, no. 10. Giovanni della Porta (ca. 1130–1142)Giovanni della Porta was a native of Salerno. Giovanni's election was recognized by Pope Anacletus II: Kehr, p. 391, no. 14. Ughelli, p. 202. Giovanni (1142–1166)A priest of Benevento, Giovanni was elected with the consent of King Roger of Sicily, and was consecrated in Rome by Pope Innocent II. He consecrated the church of S. Nicholas in 1161. Ughelli, pp. 202-204. Giovanni di San Paolo (1166–1168) Roboaldo (1168–1174)A native of Lombady, Roboald had been a chaplain of King Roger of Sicily and a Canon of Palermo. He was consecrated by Pope Alexander III. Kehr, p. 392, no. 16. Dionisio (1174–1202)Dionisio had previously been Bishop of Teramo (Italy) (1170 – 1174). He was consecrated and given the pallium by Pope Alexander III. He was present at the Lateran Council of 1179. J.D. Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XXII (Venice 1778), p. 214. Kehr, p. 392, no. 19. Ughelli, p. 205.

1200 to 1400