Diocese of Novara

The Diocese of Novara () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy.Official Diocesan Website It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vercelli."Diocese of Novara" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016"Diocese of Novara" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016

History According to the hagiographical "Life of Gaudentius", written c. 700,The "Life" is full of anachronisms. Savio, p. 243-246. he was born in Ivrea, and came to Novara, where a priest named Laurentius was preaching and baptizing. When Laurentius was killed, he took up the task of catechizing, with the blessing of Bishop Eusebius of Vercelli, in whose territory Novara was situated. There he was noticed as a future episcopal candidate by Bishop Ambrose of Milan during a visit to Novara. Gaudentius was consecrated a bishop by Ambrose's successor, Bishop Simplicianus (397–401).Lanzoni, pp. 1034-1035. He served in Novara for twenty years.Savio, p. 240, quoting the diocesan diptychs.

In 972, the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I granted the dominium of the town of Novara and twenty-four miles surrounding the town to Bishop Aupaldo and his successors, the Bishops of Novara. The bishops therefore enjoyed the title of Count as well as the same rights as a Count of the Empire.Savio, p. 261. Weber, p. 96.

In 1059, Pope Nicholas II summoned the archbishop of Milan and his suffragans to attend his synod, which met in Rome in April. Among the suffragan bishops who attended was Bishop Oddo of Novara.Schwartz, p. 124. Kehr VI.1, p. 47 no. 94; VI. 2, p. 59 no. 2. Arnulf, "Gesta Archiepiscoporum Mediolanensium," , in: Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptorum Tomus VIII (Hannover: Hahn 1848), p. 21.

In 1352, Bishop Guilelmo Amidano (1342–1355) had all of the regulations concerning the ChapterC.D. Fonseca, "La cattedrale e il suo Capitolo. Analisi comparata in prospettiva storica, ecclesiologica e canonistica," , in: Annali di Studi Religiosi Vol. 4 (2003), pp. 215-235. of Novara collected and arranged in a single volume.Bascapè (1612), p. 482: "Infrascripta sunt statuta Ecclesię Nouariensis reducta in unum volumen iuxta ordinationem R.D. Guillelmi Epi Nouar. auctoritate Ap. de anno 1352."

In 1394 and 1395, Bishop Pietro Filargi successfully negotiated with King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, the King of Rome, the recognition of Gian Galeazzo Visconti as Imperial Vicar and the first Duke of Milan. King Wenceslaus also granted Bishop Pietro of Novara the title of Princeps Sacri Imperii.Bascapè (1612), pp. 495-497; (1878), pp. 391-392.

Novara lost part of its territory on 16 March 1530, when Pope Clement VII established the Diocese of Vigevano.The bull "Pro Excellenti", quoted by F. Ughelli, Italia sacra IV, pp. 816-819.

Giovanni Antonio Serbelloni, Cardinal of S. Giorgio in velabro, Bishop of Novara, did not attend the First Provincial Council of Milan on 14 October 1565, under the presidency of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan.Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis Tomus secundus , (Anissoniana et Joan. Posuel, 1683), pp. 1254-1255. Bishop Romolo Archinto (1574–1576) attended the Fourth Provincial Synod of Milan in 1576, and signed the decrees.Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis, , Volume 1 (Milan: P. Pagnonio, 1843), p. 206. Bishop Pomponio Cotta (1577–1579) attended and subscribed the decrees of the Fifth Provincial Synod of Milan in March 1579.Acta ecclesiae Mediolanensis (Pavia: Typis seminarii J. Manfre, 1754), p. 251. Bishop Francesco Bossi (1579–1583) was unable to attend the Sixth Provincial Synod of Milan in May 1582, but sent his Vicar General, Giovanni Paolo Albergono, as his procurator.Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis a S. Carolo Card: Archiep. Condita Volume 1 Pagnonius, 1843), p. 328. Bishop Carlo Bescapè (1593–1615) was present at the Seventh Provincial Synod of Milan in May 1609 and subscribed the decrees.Acta ecclesiae Mediolanensis (Pavia: Typis seminarii J. Manfre, 1754), p. 358.

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.

Bishop Oldrado (1356–ca. 1388) presided over a diocesan synod in the cathedral of Novara on 3 January 1365.Vincenzo de Vit, Il Lago Maggiore, Stresa e le isole Borromee, Volume 2, parte 2 (Prato: Alberghetti, 1878), Documento XIII, pp. 307-315.

On 9 May 1568, Cardinal Giovanni Antonio Serbelloni (1560–1574) held a diocesan synod.Synodus Novarien., per illustriss. et reverendiss. d. d. Io. Antonium Serbellonum, tit. S. Mariae et Omnium Angelorum ad Thermas Diocletiani s.R.e. presbiterum cardinalem, Sancti Georgij nuncupatum, episcopum Novariensem et comitem Ripariae Ortae et pertinentiarum, &c., celebrata die ix maij M.D.LXVIII. . Novariae: Apud Franciscum Sesallum, M.DLXXI. Bishop Cesare Speciano (1584–1591) presided over a diocesan synod in 1590.Synodus dioecesana sub R. D. D. Caesare Speciano episcopo novariensi et comite. . Novariae: Fr. Sexalli 1591.

A diocesan synod was held by Bishop Giulio Maria Odescalchi (1656–1666) in 1660.Decreta synodalia ecclesiae Novariensis, in exotru pacis, ab illustriss. & reverendiss. d.d. Iulio Maria edita, episcopatus sui anno IV, Novariae: apud impressorem episcopalem, M.DC.LX. A synod was held in 1674 by Bishop Giuseppe Maria Maraviglia (1667–1684), and another in 1675.Synodus dioecesis Novariensis, a D. Josepho Maria Maraviglia Episcopo habita an. 1674, cum Appendice & Apologia, Novariae: Cacciae 1674. Decreta ab I. et R. D. D. Josepho Maria Maraviglia, etc., edita in synodali conventu. Novariae, 1675.

Bishop Giovanni Battista Visconti (1688–1713) presided over a diocesan synod on 6–8 July 1707.Synodus dioecesana novariensis ab ill.mo et rev.mo DD . Joanne Baptista Vicecomite, Dei et apostolicae Sedis gratia episcopo novariensi et comite, SS.mi D.N. Papae praelaro domestico, et pontificii solii assistente, celebrata diebus VI.VII.VIII julii anni 1707. Novariae: typografia Francisci Siborni Cavalli 1708). Bishop Marco Aurelio Balbis Bertone (1757–1789) held a diocesan synod on 1–3 July 1778.Synodus dioecesana Novariensis ab excell.mo et rev.mo D. D. Marco Aurelio Balbis Bertone habita diebus I, II et III julii anno 1778. Novariae 1779.

Cardinal Giuseppe Morozzo Della Rocca (1817–1842) presided over a diocesan synod in Novara on 11–13 July 1826.Synodus dioecesana Novariensis, ab emmo et rev" d. d. Josepho divina miseratione tituli s. Mariæ Angelorum s. R. e. presb. cardinali Morozzo archiepº-episcopo Novariensi, principe S. Julii, Hortæ et Vespolati, habita diebus 11, 12 et 13 iulii anno 1826. . (Novariæ, ex typographia Josephi Rasarii ). In August 1856, Synodical Statutes of the diocese of Novara were issued under the auspices of Bishop Giacomo Filippo Gentile (1843–1875). Bishop Edoardo Pulciano (1892 –1901) held a diocesan synod on 4–6 September 1900.Synodus Dioecesana Novariensis ab Illmo et Reviño D. D. Eduardo Pulciano Episcopo Novariensi habita in Cathedrali Ecclesia diebus IV - V - VI septembris Anno Domini MDCCCC. . Novariae: ex typ. Episcopali, 1900. A diocesan synod was held by Bishop Giuseppe Castelli (1924–1943) on 9–11 September 1936.Synodus dioecesana novariensis habita in Ecclesia cathedrali, diebus nona, decima, undecima, mensis septembris anni P. Chr. n. 1936 ab Ios. Castelli, episcopo. Novariae 1936. On 20–22 October 1955, Bishop Gilla Vincenzo Gremigni (1951–1963) held a diocesan synod.Synodus dioecesana novariensis XIX a Gilla Vincentio Gremigni episcopo diebus XX, XXI, XXII mensis octobris anno Domini MCMLV celebrata. Novara 1956.

French occupation On 17 March 1805, the Emperor Napoleon established the Kingdom of Italy, and had himself crowned its king, on 23 May, in the cathedral of Milan by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Caprara, the papal legate. Novara became part of the kingdom, and was made the capital of a "department" called Agogna. When Napoleon abdicated in 1814, the kingdom came to an end, and Milanese territory was occupied by the Austrians. The Kingdom of Sardinia was restored by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. It included Novara.

Back in power, King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia requested Pope Pius VII, who had also returned to the restored Papal States, to restore the dioceses in the Piedmont. On 17 July 1817, the pope issued the bull "Beati Petri", which reconstituted de novo the ten dioceses which had been suppressed under the French.Bullarii Romani Continuatio XIV, pp. 345-351 § 4-22. In addition, the pope created a new ecclesiastical province and elevated the diocese of Vercelli to the rank of metropolitan archdiocese, with the dioceses of Alessandria, Biella, and Casale as suffragans.Bullarii Romani Continuatio XIV, pp. 351-352 § 16 and 18.

Upon further consideration and consultation with ecclesiastical authorities in Milan, Pius VII chose to make additional adjustments. In an apostolic letter to Cardinal Paolo Giuseppe Solaro, "Cum Per Nostras" (26 September 1817), he authorized the cardinal to remove two dioceses from the jurisdiction of the metropolitan archbishop of Milan, and transfer the diocese of Novara to the ecclesiastical province of Vercelli, in the Kingdom of Sardinia.The same action was authorized with respect to the diocese of Vigevano.

Bishops

to 800

Gaudentius of Novara (398 – 417)Savio, pp. 244-248. Lanzoni, pp. 1034-1035. Agapitus (Agabio) (ca. 417–ca. 447)Savio, pp. 248-249. Lanzoni, p. 1035. Acta Sanctorum Septembris Tomus tertius (Antwerp 1750), pp. 501-502. Diogenes LaurentiusHe was a priest, commemorated in the diocesan Diptych as a martyr. Lanzoni, p. 1035. Pascentius Simplici(an)us (subscribed in 451) VictorHis funeral inscription was composed by Ennodius between 490 and 500. Victor is credited with having begun the construction of a church out of a pagan temple. Lanzoni, p. 1035. Pagatianus HonoratusBishop Honoratus dedicated Bishop Victor's church in honour of Ss. Peter and Paul. Lanzoni, p. 1035. Opilius Ambrosius Filacrius (537–553)Savio, p. 251-252, uses his funeral inscription to calculate the dates of 538 and 554. Lanzoni, p. 1036, states that Filacrius was consecrated in 538 and died on 15 December 1554, citing Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum Vol. V, part 2, no. 6633. Agnellus Spectabilis Marcellus Severus Lupicinus Probinus Vigilius Flavinus (Flavianus) Panfronio Gratianus (subscribed in 680)Graziano was present and signed the decrees of the Roman council of 680 held by Pope Agatho: Savio, p. 252; J. D. Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio Tomus XI, p. 306. Probus Aureolus Leo Ambrosius Gratiosus (died 729)Savio, pp. 253-254. Benedictus Petrus Sicardus Tito Levita

800 to 1030

Attone (attested in 829)Savio, p. 254, indicates that Attone ruled for 29 years and 3 months. Adalgisius (attested in 835, 842 and 848)Savio, p. 255, quotes the Cathedral diptych as giving Adalgisius 19 years of rule. Dodo (Dodone) (ca. 849–859)Savio, p. 255, quotes the Cathedral diptych as giving Dodo 10 years and 6 months of rule. Druttemiro (attested in 864 and 867)Savio, p. 256, quotes the diptych of S. Gaudenzio as giving him 10 years and 9 months of rule. Notingus (attested 878–879)On 19 October 879, Pope John VIII ordered Bishop Noting to release property which he was holding that belonged to the Empress Angilberg; if he did not do so immediately, he was ordered to appear at the papal court within two months to explain himself. He is said, in the diptychs, to have reigned for ten years (and four months). Savio, p. 256. Kehr VI, 2, p. 59 no. 1. Lambertus (c. 880–881)Lambertus ruled for one year and six months. Savio, pp. 241, 256.