The Diocese of Sessa Aurunca () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in southern Italy. Since 1979 it has been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Naples."Diocese of Sessa Aurunca" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016."Diocese of Sessa Aurunca" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016.

History The inhabitants of Sessa Aurunca venerate as patron saint their Bishop, St. Castus, a martyr at the end of the third century. Scholars, however, reject the notion that he was a bishop of Sessa.Lanzoni, pp. 178-179 rejects Castus as a bishop of Sessa: "I ss. Cassio, Casto e Secondino vescovi e martiri africani sono, come si e detto, venerati in Sessa e in altri luoghi della Campania e dell'Apulia. Erroneamente (presso il Gams. 921) Casfus fu accolto col nome di Cestus (errore di stampa?) nel catalogo sessano. Il Cappelletti stesso (XX, 218) s'accorse dell'infondata illazione." There still remain ruins of the ancient basilica dedicated to him, with which catacombs are still connected.Cf. a brief report by Prof. D. Cosimo Sternaioli, announcing the discovery of their tombs: . Diamare, pp. 59-64. The first bishop of certain date was Fortunatus (499); but until the end of the tenth century the names of the bishops are unknown.

It is likely that Sessa Aurunca became the suffragan (subordinate) of Capua, when that diocese was raised to metropolitan status in 966 by Pope John XIII.Ughelli, p. 534. There is, however, no positive documentary statement. Kehr VIII, p. 268. It was certainly the case in March 1032, however, when Archbishop Atenulf of Capua consecrated Bishop Benedict of Sessa Aurunca, and confirmed him in the possession of the diocese, just as his predecessors had done.Ughelli VI, pp. 535-536. In the twelfth century, under the Normans, Suessa was part of the ecclesiastical province of Capua. The new cathedral was consecrated in 1113.Loud, p. 129.

Cathedral The ancient cathedral of Sessa, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was outside the city, next to the walls. In 1113 the seat of the bishop was transferred to a new cathedral in the center of the city, which was dedicated on 14 July to the Virgin Mary and Saint Peter.Ughelli, p. 534.

The cathedral is staffed and administered by a corporation, the Chapter, which is composed of four dignities (the Archdeacon, the Dean, and two Primicerii) and sixteen Canons.Ughelli, p. 534. In 1757, there were twenty-five Canons.Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 388, note 1.

Concordat 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. The ecclesiastical province of Naples was spared from any suppressions, but the province of Capua was affected. Pope Pius VII, in the bull "De Utiliori" of 27 June 1818, chose to suppress the diocese of Carinola (which is only five miles from Sessa) completely, and assign its people and territory to the diocese of Sessa. D'Avino, p. 633. In the same concordat, the King was confirmed in the right to nominate candidates for vacant bishoprics, subject to the approval of the pope. That situation persisted down until the final overthrow of the Bourbon monarchy in 1860.Bullarii Romani continuatio Tomus 15, p. 7 column 1, "Articulus XXVIII".

New ecclesiastical province Following the Second Vatican Council, and in accordance with the norms laid out in the Council's decree, Christus Dominus chapter 40,Christus Dominus 40. Therefore, in order to accomplish these aims this sacred synod decrees as follows: 1) The boundaries of ecclesiastical provinces are to be submitted to an early review and the rights and privileges of metropolitans are to be defined by new and suitable norms. 2) As a general rule all dioceses and other territorial divisions that are by law equivalent to dioceses should be attached to an ecclesiastical province. Therefore dioceses which are now directly subject to the Apostolic See and which are not united to any other are either to be brought together to form a new ecclesiastical province, if that be possible, or else attached to that province which is nearer or more convenient. They are to be made subject to the metropolitan jurisdiction of the bishop, in keeping with the norms of the common law. 3) Wherever advantageous, ecclesiastical provinces should be grouped into ecclesiastical regions for the structure of which juridical provision is to be made. major changes were made in the ecclesiastical administrative structure of southern Italy. Wide consultations had taken place with the bishops and other prelates who would be affected. Action, however, was deferred, first by the death of Pope Paul VI on 6 August 1978, then the death of Pope John Paul I on 28 September 1978, and the election of Pope John Paul II on 16 October 1978. Pope John Paul II issued a decree, "Quamquam Ecclesia," on 30 April 1979, ordering the changes. Three ecclesiastical provinces were abolished entirely: those of Conza, Capua, and Sorrento. A new ecclesiastical province was created, to be called the Regio Campana, whose Metropolitan was the Archbishop of Naples. The dioceses formerly members of the suppressed Province of Capua (Gaeta, Calvi and Teano, Caserta, and Sessa Arunca) became suffragans of Naples.Acta Apostolicae Sedis Vol. 71 (Città del Vaticano 1979), pp. 562-563.

Bishops of Sessa (Suessa)

to 1100 Fortunatus (ca. 499–501)Bishop Fortunatus attended the Roman Synods of 499, 501, and 502, under Pope Symmachus: Ughelli, VI, p. 535. Paul Fridolin Kehr, Italia Pontificia Vol. VIII (Berlin: Weidmann 1935), p. 268. [Risus]Lanzoni, p. 184, points out that there was a legendary saint of Campania, Rosius or Rossius or Roscius, who was said to have been an African bishop fleeing from the Vandals. There is no reference to S. Rosius until 1132, and then only as the titulary of a church. Ughelli, VI, pp. 535 and 537, posits two Risuses, before 1000 A.D., without proof; his editor Coleti rejects him. [Jacobus]Ughelli, p. 537, registers Jacobus immediately after Risus, both times, of uncertain date and conjecturally a monk of Montecassino. Joannes (ca. 998)Bishop Joannes was present at the Roman Council of 998: Ughelli, p. 535. J.-D. Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XIX (Venice: A. Zatta 1774). p. 227. ... Benedictus (attested 1032–1059)Benedictus was consecrated in 1032 by Archbishop Adenulf of Capua. He was present at the Roman synod of Pope Nicholas II in 1059. Ughelli, pp. 535-537. Mansi, Tomus XIX, p. 919. Gams, p. 921. Diamare, pp. 17-19. Milo, O.S.B. (c.1071)Milo had been Provost of the monastery of monks of Montecassino at Capua. He is mentioned only in the "Chronicon Casiniense", just after the consecration of Archbishop Geraldus of Siponto in 1065, and just before Cardinal Petrus, who was already a cardinal in January 1070. The date of 1071 is just a statement by Ughelli, p. 535. Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptorum Tomus VII (Hannover: Hahn 1846), p. 715 (no bishop of Sessa appeared in the list of participants at the consecration of the Basilica at Montecassino by Pope Alexander II on 1 October 1071: pp. 719-720). Laud, p. 368. Benedictus (1092) ...

1100 to 1400

Jacobus, O.S.B. (first decade of 12th cent.)Jacobus (Giacomo) had been a monk of Montecassino. Cappelletti XX, p. 219. Joannes, O.S.B. (attested 1113)Joannes: Ughelli, p. 537. Cappelletti, p. 219. Gregorius, O.S.B. (attested 1120)Gregorius: Cappelletti, p. 219. Godofredus (attested 1126)Godofredus: Ughelli, p. 537. Cappelletti, p. 219. Robertus ? RisusThis is the same Risus II as is placed elsewhere by various authors. There is no documentary proof of his existence. Hervaeus (Erveo) (attested 1171–1197)Bishop Herveus was present at the Third Lateran Council of Pope Alexander III. Ughelli, p. 537. Kehr, pp. 269-270. ... Pandulfus (1224)Pandulfus donated the pulpit, adorned with mosaics, in the cathedral; it was left unfinished at his death, and only completed under Bishop Joannes. Cappelletti, p. 220. Eubel, I, p. 467. Joannes (1259–1283) Robertus d'Asprello (1284–1297)Robertus: Ughelli, p. 537-538. Guido (1297–1301)Cappelletti, p. 220 says that he was elected on 27 February 1297. [Deodatus Peccini, O.P.]According to Cappelletti, Deodatus was actually Bishop of Budua. He does not appear in Eubel's list of the Bishops of Budua, p. 150. Nor does he appear in the Vatican registers, according to Ughelli, p. 538, who calls him Deodatus de Castelluccio, O.P., a Tuscan. Robertus (1301–1309)Cappelletti Bertrand (1309–1326)Bertrand had been the rector of a parish in the diocese of Toulouse and Canon of Aix. Eubel, I, p. 467, note 1. Jacques Matrizio (1326–ca. 1330)Jacques had been Canon of Aix. Joannes de Paulo (1330– ) Hugo de S. Francisco, O. Min. (1340–ca. 1344) Alexander de Miro (1344–1350) Giacomo Petrucci, O.F.M. (24 May 1350 – 1356 Died) Enrico de Grandonibus de Florentia, O.P. (1356–1363) Matteo Bruni, O.P. (1363–ca. 1383Bishop Matteo was removed from office, Eubel, I, p. 467, presumably because of his support of the Avignon Obedience.) Filippo Toraldi (1383–1392) Antonio, O.Cist. (1392–1402)Bishop Antonio was appointed by Boniface IX of the Roman Obedience: Eubel, I, p. 468. ...

1400 to 1700

Angelo Gherardini (15 Apr 1463 – 1486)Gherardini: Eubel, Hierarchia catholica I, p. 243, with notes 2 and 3. Pietro Ajosa (4 Aug 1486 – 1492)"Bishop Pietro Ajosa" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved March 21, 2016 Martino Zapata (27 Nov 1499 – 1505)Zapata: Eubel, Hierarchia catholica I, p. 243. Francesco Guastaferro (22 Nov 1505 – 11 May 1543)Eubel, Hierarchia catholica III, p. 305. Tiberio Crispo (6 Jul 1543 – 7 Jun 1546 Resigned)Crispo: Eubel III, p. 305. Bartolomeo Albani (7 Jun 1546 –1552)On 22 Oct 1552 Albani was transferred to the diocese of Sorrento. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica III, p. 305. Galeazzo Florimonte (22 Oct 1552 – 1565 Resigned)Florimonte: Eubel, Hierarchia catholica III, p. 305. Tiberio Crispo (1565 – 27 Jun 1566 Resigned)Crispo: Eubel III, p. 305. Giovanni Placido (27 Jun 1566 – 20 Jan 1591)Placido: Eubel III, p. 305. Alessandro Riccardi (6 Mar 1591 – 16 May 1604 Died)Riccardi: Eubel III, p. 305. Faustus Rebaglio (30 Aug 1604 – Feb 1624 Died)Rebaglio (Reballus): Gauchat, Hierarchia catholica IV, p. 324 with note 2. Ulysses Gherardini della Rosa (1 Jul 1624 – 9 Jan 1670 Died)Della Rosa: Gauchat, Hierarchia catholica IV, p. 324 with note 3. Tommaso d'Aquino, C.R. (1670–1705)Tommaso was born in Summa (diocese of Naples), and lectured in theology in houses of the Theatine Order. He was consecrated a bishop in Rome on 20 July 1670 by Cardinal Francesco Barberini. He died on 26 September 1705. Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 365 with note 2.

1700 to 1900

Raffaele Maria Filamondo, O.P. (14 Dec 1705 – 15 Aug 1706)Filamondo was born in Naples in 1649. He was a master of theology, and at the time of his appointment as Bishop of Sessa, he was First Librarian at the Bibliotheca Casanatense in Rome and a Consultor of the Inquisition. He was named Bishop on 14 December 1705 by Pope Clement XI. He died on 15 August 1576. Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 365 with note 3. Francesco Gori (4 Oct 1706 – 1708)Gori: Ritzler-Sefrin V, p. 365 with note 4.