Diocese of Arras

The Diocese of Arras (–Boulogne–Saint-Omer) (Latin: Dioecesis Atrebatensis (–Bononiena–Audomarensis); French: Diocèse d'Arras (–Boulogne–Saint-Omer)) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The episcopal see is the Arras Cathedral, in the city of Arras. The diocese encompasses all of the Department of Pas-de-Calais, in the Region of Hauts-de-France.

The most significant jurisdictional changes all occurred during the Napoleonic wars. From 1802 to 1841, the diocese was suffragan of the Archdiocese of Paris, shifting away from the Archdiocese of Cambrai, after Napoleon dissolved the massive Archdiocese. After the defeat of Napoleon, the Napoleonic Concordat united the diocese of Arras, diocese of Saint-Omer and diocese of Boulogne together in one much larger diocese. Unlike most of the other dioceses immediately restored, it was not until 1841 that the diocese returned as a suffragan to the Archdiocese of Cambrai.

History Early history A person named Martin is said to have evangelized Artois and Arras, capital of the Celtic Atrebates by 350AD; however, these early Christian communities did not survive the barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire in the fifth century.Diocèse d'Arras, Histoire du diocèse d'Arras. Retrieved: 2016-09-02.

At the beginning of the sixth century Remigius, Archbishop of Reims, placed in the See of Arras St. Vedastus (St. Vaast) (d. c. 540),For a recent revision of the legend of St. Remy and St. Vaast, see: Kéry, pp. 211-225. who had been the teacher of the Merovingian king Clovis I after the victory of Tolbiac. His successors, Dominicus and Vedulphus, are also both venerated as saints. After the death of Vedulphus, the See of Arras was transferred to Cambrai, and it was not until 1093 that Arras again became a diocese.

Restoration in the 11th century Around 1093/94, the diocese of Arras was restored by splitting it from the diocese of Cambrai and Lambert of Guines was elected as its first bishop. This split was initiated by the counts of Flanders, Robert I and his son Robert II, who intended to become less dependent on the Holy Roman Empire, and received the approval from pope Urban II. The greatest intellectual of Arras in the 12th century, Clarembald of Arras, was first provost and then archdeacon of the diocese. At the time of the reform of the bishoprics of the Netherlands in 1559, the diocese had 422 parishes. Its metropolitan was changed from Reims to Cambrai by Pope Paul IV.12 May 1559: Gallia christiana III, pp. 318-321.

Before the French Revolution the Cathedral Chapter consisted of the Provost,The Provost was always appointed by the King, but 'elected' by the Chapter. Deramecourt, I, p. 15. the Dean, the Archdeacon of Arras (Artois),Deramecourt, I, pp. 50-70. the Archdeacon of Ostrevant,Deramecourt, I, pp. 71-75. the Treasurer, the Penitentiary, 40 canons and 52 chaplains. There were some 400 parishes and 12 rural deans.

King Philip II of Spain and Pope Pius IV founded the University of Douai in 1562 as a weapon in the Counterreformation and the French Wars of Religion. The Jesuits had a college at Douai, founded in 1599, and suppressed in 1762.Gallia christiana III, pp. 318-319. Jean, p. 176.

Abolition and restoration during the French Revolution During the French Revolution the diocese of Arras was abolished and subsumed into a new diocese, the 'Pas de Calais', coterminous with the new 'Departement of the Pas-de-Calais', and a suffragan of the 'Metropole des Côtes de la Manche'. The clergy were required to swear and oath to the Constitution, and under the terms of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy a new bishop was to be elected by all the voters of the department. This placed them in schism with the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. On 27 March 1791 the electors chose, on the fourth ballot, the curé of Saint-Nicolas-sur-les-Fossés at Arras, Pierre-Joseph Porion.Pisani, pp. 189-190. In September 1801 First Consul Bonaparte abolished the Constitutional Church and signed a Concordat with Pope Pius VII which restored the Roman Catholic Church in France.Deramecourt, IV, pp. 282-301. The diocese of Arras was restored.Deramecourt, IV. pp. 302-309.

Among the bishops of Arras were Cardinal Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle, Councillor of the emperor Charles V, Bishop of Arras from 1545 to 1562, later Archbishop of Mechelen and Viceroy of Naples; François Richardot, a celebrated preacher, Bishop of Arras from 1562 to 1575; and Monseigneur Parisis (d. 1866), who figured prominently in the political assemblies of 1848.

The current ratio of Catholics to priests is 4,168.5 to 1.

Bishops Vedastus 499–540 Dominicus 540–545 Vedulphus 545–580

1095–1300

Lambert 1094–1115 Robert I 1115–1131 Alvise 1131–1148 Godescalc 1150–1161 André de Paris 1161–1173 Robert II 1173–1174 Fremold 1174–1183 Pierre I 1184–1203 Raoul de Neuville 1203–1221 Pontius (Ponce)Pontius had been Archdeacon of Arras: Gallia christiana III, pp. 330–331. 1221 – 2 September 1231 Asso (Asson) 1231 – 27 March 1245Gallia christiana III, p. 331. Fursaeus (Fursy) 1245 – 1 April 1247 Jacques de Dinant 1248–1259 Pierre de Noyon 1259–1280 Guillaume d'Isy 1282–1293 Jean Lemoine 1293–1294 Gérard Pigalotti 1296–1316

1300 to 1500

Bernard 1317–1320 Pierre de Chappes 1320–1326 Jean du Plessis-Pasté 1326–1328 Thierry Larchier d'Hirson 1328 Pierre Roger, 1328–1329, later Pope Clement VI André Ghini de Malpighi 18 December 1329 – 12 September 1334 (translated to Tournai)Eubel, I, pp. 115–116; 489. Ghini was named a cardinal by Pope Clement VI on 20 September 1342. He died on 2 June 1343: Eubel, I, p. 18. Jean MandevilainJean Mandevilain had been a Chaplain of King Charles IV, Canon of Saint-Quentin, Dean of Nevers, and Bishop of Nevers. Du Tems, IV, pp. 134–135. 12 September 1334 – 15 February 1339 (translated to Châlons-sur-Marne)Eubel, I, p. 175. Pierre Bertrand 1339–1344 Aimery de Beaufort 1344–1361 Gérard de Dainville 1362–1369 Adhémar Robert 1369 – 6 June 1371 (translated to TherouanneEubel, I, p. 351. There was another Adhémar Robert, a nephew of Pope Clement VI, whom he made a cardinal in 1342 and who died in 1352.) Hugues Faidit 6 June 1371 – 1372 Pierre Masuyer 11 July 1374 – 1391Eubel, I, p. 116. Masuyer was Doctor legum, and had been Archdeacon of Anvers and Canon Theological of Cambrai: Debray p. 42. Jean CanardJean Canard was Chancellor of the Duchy of Burgundy from 1385–1404. 6 September 1392 – 7 October 1407 (Avignon Obedience)Eubel, I, p. 116. Debray, pp. 42–43. Martin Poré, O.P. 24 November 1407 – 1426 (Avignon Obedience)Eubel, I, p. 116. Debray, p. 43. Hugues de Cayeu 16 December 1426 – 13 January 1438Provost of St.Omer, Royal Councilor: Debray, p. 33. Fortigaire de Plaisance 1438–1452 Jacques de Portugal 1453 Denis de Montmorency 1453 Jean Jouffroy 1453–1462 Pierre de Ranchicourt 1463–1499 Jean Gavet 1499–1501

1500 to 1800

Nicolas Le Ruistre 1501–1509 François de Melun 15 July 1510 – 26 November 1516 (translated to Therouanne)Eubel, III, pp. 122 and 250. Philippe de Luxembourg 1516–1518 Cardinal Pietro Accolti, AdministratorEubel, III, pp. 12, 55, 63, 57, 58, 107, 122, 200, 234. Accolti had also been Treasurer of Cambrai. He participated in the Conclave of 27 December 1521–9 January 1522; and in the Conclave of 1 October–18 November 1523. He resigned the See of Arras when appointed Cardinal Bishop of Albano on 8 December 1523. He died in Rome on 12 December 1532. Lorenzo Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa (Rome: Pagliarini 1793) III, pp. 350–352 10 March 1518 – 8 December 1523 Eustache de Croy 1524–1538 Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle 1538 – 10 March 1561The new archdiocese of Mechlin was created on 12 May 1559. Granvelle's appointment was confirmed in Consistory by Pope Pius IV on 10 May 1561. Eubel, III, p. 239. François Richardot 1561–1574 Mathieu Moulart 1575 – 11 July 1601Eubel, III, p. 122, note 8. Jean du PloichJean du Ploich had been Archdeacon and Vicar-General of St. Omer, when he was appointed Bishop of Arras by Archduke Albert, who was in Bruxelles for the Estates-General. His bulls were issued by the Pope on 10 September 1601: Gauchat, p. 99. He was consecrated at St. Omer by Bishop Jacques Blaise on 6 January 1602, and died on 1 July, at the age of 47. 1601–1602 Jean Richardot 1602–1610 Hermann van Ortemberg 1611–1626 Paul Boudot 1626–1635 Nicolas Duffif 1635–1651 Jean Le Camus 1651–1652 Ladislas Jonart nominated 1652 but never installed Étienne Moreau 1656–1670 Guy de Sève de Rochechouart 1670–1724 François Baglion de La Salle 1725–1752 Jean de Bonneguise 1752–1769 Louis François Marc Hilaire de ConziéConzié had previously been Bishop of Saint-Brieuc. With the Revolution, Conzié became an exile in England. He was an intimate of the Comte d'Artois. He became Almoner to the Prince de Condé and accompanied him in his travels. With the Concordat of 1802, Pius VII demanded the resignation of all French bishops. Conzié refused, and died in exile, in London, on 16 December 1804. Deramecourt, IV, pp. 216–230. 1769–1790 Pierre-Joseph Porion.Porion was consecrated in Paris by Constitutional Bishop Jean-Baptiste Massieu on 10 April 1791, assisted by Constitutional Bishops Delcher and Sibille. In 1793 he blessed the marriage of a curate, and travelled to Calais to perform the marriage of another. During the Terror, he abdicated and married. He died on 20 March 1830. Pisani, pp. 189–190, and 456. Deramecourt, IV, pp. 165–177. Mathieu AsselinAsselin was Constitutional curé of Saint-Sépulcre at Arras. He was consecrated at Notre-Dame de Paris on 1 October 1797, by Constitutional Bishops Jean-Baptiste Gratien (of Seine-Inférieure, his Metropolitan), Desbois and Bécherel. He resigned in 1801, and was reinstated as curé of Saint-Sépulcre. He died on 8 January 1825 at the age of 89. Pisani, 190–193, and 457. Deramecourt, IV, pp. 183–214.

From 1800

Hugues-Robert-Jean-Charles de la Tour d'Auvergne-Lauragais 1802–1851 Pierre Louis Parisis 1851–1866 Jean-Baptiste Joseph Lequette 1866–1882 Guillaume René Meignan 1882–1884, also Archbishop of Tours Desiré-Joseph Dennel 1884–1891 Alfred-Casimir-Alexis Williez 1892–1911 Émile-Louis Cornil Lobbedey 1911–1916 Eugène Julien 1917–1930 Henri-Edouard Dutoit 1930–1945 Victor-Jean Perrin 1945–1961 Gérard-Maurice Eugène Huyghe 1961–1984 Henri-Fr.-M.-P. Derouet 1985–1998 Jean-Paul Jaeger 1998–2020 Olivier Leborgne 2020–present

Diocese of Arras

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