Diocese of San Benedetto del Tronto-Ripatransone-Montalto

The Diocese of San Benedetto del Tronto-Ripatransone-Montalto () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in the Marche. It has existed in its current form since 1986. In that year the Diocese of Montalto was united into the Diocese of Ripatransone-San Benedetto del Tronto, which was the renamed historical Diocese of Ripatransone (as of 1983). The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Benedetto del Tronto-Ripatransone-Montalto has been a suffragan see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Fermo since 1680."Diocese of San Benedetto del Tronto-Ripatransone-Montalto" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016."Diocese of San Benedetto del Tronto–Ripatransone–Montalto" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016.

History Ripatransone is on a hill called Cuprae Mons ("Mountain of Cupra", an ancient deity of the pre-Roman inhabitants), and was a Picene settlement. The origin of the modern name has been disputed; it comes probably from Ripa Trasonis, "Hill of Traso", from the name of the first feudal lord. The castle was erected there in the early Middle Ages, and enlarged later by the bishops of Fermo, who had several conflicts with the people.

Creation of the diocese On 1 August 1571, in the bull "Illius Fulciti", Pope Pius V raised the castle town of Ripatransone to the status of a city (civitas) and made it an episcopal see, including in its jurisdiction small portions of the surrounding diocese of Fermo, diocese of Ascoli Piceno, diocese of Teramo, and the independent Benedictine monastery of Campo Fellonis. The parish church of S. Benigno was raised to the status of a cathedral. The Pope decreed that it should have a cathedral Chapter, composed of two dignities (the Archpriest and the Archdeacon) and twelve Canons. The archpriest was to act as pastor of the cathedral parish.Cappelletti, Le chiese d'Italia III, pp. 708–715.

In the same document, the Pope ordered that the new city of Ripatransone should have four parishes: one at the cathedral for the district of Agello, the church of S. Angelo de Rofflano for the district of S. Domenico; Ss. Nicholas, Rusticus and Eleutherius for the monte antiquo; and Ss. Gregory and Margarita for the caput montis. The three parish churches were to be prebends of three Canons, who would administer them through vicars.

On 3 October 1571, Pope Pius named as its first bishop Lucio Sassi,Cappelletti III, p. 715. who became a cardinal more than twenty years later.

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.

A diocesan synod was held in Ripatransone by Bishop Filippo Sega (1575–1578) in 1576; the acts of the synod were published at Macerata in 1577.J.D. Mansi, L. Petit, J.B. Martin, editors), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XXXVIbis (Paris: Hubert Welter 1913), p. 621. There is reference to a synod held in Ripatransone on 30 July 1616, which would have been summoned by Bishop Sebastiano Poggi (1607–1620). Bishop Niccolò Orsini presided over a diocesan synod on 26–27 October 1642, and held his second diocesan synod in 1648.Synodus dioecesana secunda eccl. ripanae celebrata per illustriss. et reverendiss. D. Nicolaum Ursinum, episcopum ripanum, anno M.DC.XXXXVIII. Maceratae: apud Augustinum Griseum, 1649. J.D. Mansi, L. Petit, J.B. Martin, editors), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XXXVIter (Paris: Hubert Welter 1914), pp. 253, 303. On 1 May 1689, Bishop Giovan Giorgio Mainardi (1680–1693) held a diocesan synod.Constitutiones et decreta in dioecesana synodo ab illustriss. et reverendiss. D. Jo. Georgio Magnardo Dei, et apostolicae Sedis gratia episcopo ripano promulgata kalendis maii anno Domini M.DC.LXXXVIIII, Firmi, apud J. F. Bolis 1693. Bishop Pietro Alessandro Procaccini (1695–1704) held a diocesan synod in 1699.Mansi, Petit, Martin, editors), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, Tomus XXXVIter, p. 853. Bishop Correa in 1729 remarks that it had been twenty-nine years since the last synod.

Bishop Francesco Andrea Correa presided over a diocesan synod at Ripatransone on 18 September 1729. In c. 1741, Bishop Giacomo Costa, C.R. (1739–1747) held a diocesan synod.

On 19–21 October 1885, Giuseppe Ceppetelli (1882–1890) presided over a diocesan synod in Ripatransone.Synodus dioecesana ab illustrissimo ac reverendissimo Domino Josepho Ceppettelli Dei et apostolicae Sedis gratia episcopo ripano celebrata diebus XIX, XX, XXI octobris MDCCCLXXXV in cathedrali ecclesia (Ripatransone: Jaffei e Nisi 1885). Sinodi diocesani italiani (Milano 1957) Centro studi cappuccini lombardi, Opere, 8, p. 21.

Bishop Lorenzo Azzolini (1620–1632) established the diocesan seminary in 1623.Diocesi di San Benedetto del -Ripatransone-Montalto, "Storia della diocesi" ; retrieved: 1 April 2020.

The diocese, at first directly subject to the Holy See, has been a suffragan see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Fermo since 1680.Umberto Benigni (1912). "Ripatransone." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. Retrieved: 28 March 2020.

Restructuring In a bull of 18 December 1924, Pope Pius XI united the Diocese of Ripatransone with the diocese of Montalto ad personam episcopi. He appointed Luigi Ferri as Bishop of Ripatransone with Montalto, and ordered a change in the title of the bishop to Episcopus Montis alti et Ripanus."Cathedrali Ecclesiae Ripanae, cum Ecclesia Montis alti in personam unitae, R. P. D. Aloisium Ferri, Episcopum Montis alti, qui posthac Episcopus Montis alti et Ripanus appellabitur." Acta Apostolicae Sedis 16 (1924), p. 498. Diocesi di San Benedetto del Tronto-Ripatransone-Montalto, "Storia della diocesi"; retrieved: 1 April 2020. In 1980, the diocese of Montalto had a population of only 31,500 persons.Annuario pontificio 1981.

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." These considerations applied to Montalto and to Ripatransone as the population migrated in the post-war period to jobs on the coast at San Benedetto.

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, Pope John Paul II ordered that the dioceses of Ripatransone and Montalto be merged into one diocese with one bishop, with the Latin title Dioecesis Sancti Benedicti ad Truentum-Ripana-Montis Alti. The seat of the diocese was to be in San Benedetto del Tronto, and the church of S. Maria della Marina was to serve as the cathedral of the merged dioceses. The cathedrals in Ripatransone and Montalto were to become co-cathedrals, and the cathedral Chapters were each to be a Capitulum Concathedralis. There was to be only one diocesan Tribunal, in San Benedetto del Tronto, and likewise one seminary, one College of Consultors, and one Priests' Council. The territory of the new diocese was to include the territory of the former dioceses of Montalto and Ripatransone.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 79 (Città del Vaticano 1987), pp. 747–749.

As of July 2015, the number of Canons of the cathedral chapter was fixed at eight, including the Vicar General of the diocese, the Canon Penitentiary, the Canon Theologus, and the Exorcist. Three of these are considered dignities: the Archpriest of the cathedral, the Penitentiary, and the Theologus.Diocesi di S. Benedetto del Tronto–Ripatransone–Montalto, "Capitolo dei Canonici"; retrieved: 2 April 2020.

Bishops Diocese of Ripatransone

Lucio Sassi (1571–1575 Resigned)Sassi: Ughelli II, pp. 760–761. Filippo Sega (1575–1578)Born in Bologna in 1537, Sega held the degree of Doctor in utroque iure (Bologna 1560). He became a protonotary apostolic, and served in the government of the Papal States as Governor of Cesena (1566), then of Forli (1569), then of Imola (1571), then of the Romagna (1572), and Governor of the Marche (1575). He was appointed Bishop of Ripatransone on 1 May 1575, by Pope Gregory XIII. In 1577 he was sent as papal diplomat to Flanders (1577) and then to Spain (1577–1581). While still in Spain, on 3 October 1578, he was transferred to the diocese of Piacenza. He became a cardinal in 1591. Ughelli III, p. 761. Lorenzo Cardella (1793), Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa Vol. V (Rome: Pagliarini), pp. 314–315. Eubel III, pp. 55 no. 1; 275 with note 11; 285 with note 4. Niccolò Aragonio (Aragona) (1578–1579)Like his predecessor, Aragonio had been Governor of the Marche. He was transferred to the diocese of Ascoli Piceno. Ughelli III, pp. 761–762. Eubel III, p. 285 with note 5. Troilo Boncompagni (1579–1582)Boncompagniwas appointed Bishop of Ripatransone on 3 August 1579. He was transferred to the diocese of Foligno by Pope Gregory XIII on 31 January 1582. He died in 1584. Ughelli III, pp. 761–762. Eubel III, pp. 199, 285 with note 6. Gaspare Silingardi (1582–1591 Resigned)A native of Modena, Silingardi was appointed Bishop of Ripatransone by Pope Gregory XIII on 18 June 1582. He was transferred to the diocese of Modena on 19 February 1593, by Pope Clement VIII, where he was employed by Alfonso II of Ferrara on missions to Rome and to Spain. He died on 13 July 1507. Ughelli III, p. 762. Eubel III, pp. 252, 285. Pompeo de Nobili (1591–1607)Nobili: Ughelli III, p. 762. Eubel III, pp. 285 with notes 8 and 9. Sebastiano Poggi (1607–1620 Resigned)Poggi was a native of Lucca. He was appointed Bishop of Ripatransone by Pope Paul V on 7 May 1607. He often expressed to the pope his desire to become a Jesuit, which Paul V denied. He resigned the diocese by 17 February 1620. He died in Rome on 8 May 1628, and was buried in the Gesù. Ughelli III, p. 762. Gauchat, Hierarchia catholica IV, p. 296 with note 2.