Archdiocese of Capua

The Archdiocese of Capua () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Capua, in Campania, Italy, but its archbishop no longer holds metropolitan rank and has no ecclesiastical province."Archdiocese of Capua" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016"Archdiocese of Capua" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016 Since 1979, it is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Napoli, i.e. no longer has its own ecclesiastical province nor metropolitan status.

History According to the tradition, Christianity was first preached at Capua by St. Priscus, a disciple of St. Peter. In the martyrology mention is made of many Capuan martyrs, and it is probable that, owing to its position and importance, Capua received the Christian doctrine at a very early period.

The first bishop of whom there is positive record is Proterius (Protus), present at the Roman Council under Pope Melchiades in 313.Lanzoni, p. 201, no.1, points out that Ughelli made two bishops out of one, without warrant: "L' Ughelli (VI, 298) senza ragione ha fatto di Proterius e di Protus due personaggi."

Bishop Memorius, who held a council to deal with the Schism of Antioch and the heresy of Bonosus, is often mentioned in the letters of St. Augustine and St. Paulinus, and was the father of the ardent Pelagian Julian of Eclanum.Cappelletti, pp. 19-20.

In 841, during the bishopric of Paulinus, a band of Saracens destroyed Capua, and much of the population emigrated in a new town founded in another location. The episcopal see was moved there; later the old city, growing around the ancient basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, was repopulated and called Santa Maria di Capua (current Santa Maria Capua Vetere). It is part of the current archdiocese of Capua. The first bishop of the diocese of Capua Nova ("New Capua") was Landulf (843–879).Cappelletti, p. 55/

In 968 pope John XIII took refuge in Capua, and in gratitude raised the see to archiepiscopal rank on 14 August 966. First archbishop was John (966–973).

On 24 December 1108, Pope Paschal II, who had been staying at Benevento for some months, visited Capua at the request of Abbot Bruno of Montecassino, and dedicated the renovated church of S. Benedict in Capua.Kehr, p. 230, no. 5.

Cathedral and chapter In the 13th century, the cathedral had more than fifty-two clerics called canonici. Archbishop Marino Filomarino (1252–1285) reduced the number to forty, ten priests, ten deacons, and twenty subdeacons. They were originally presided over by a dignity called the archpriest, though the name was later changed to fean. There was also an archdeacon.D'Avino, p. 136 column 2. In 1698 there were four dignities (the dean, the archdeacon, and two primicerii)Ritzler-Sefrin V, p. 141 note 1. The arrangement continued into the mid-19th century: Cappelletti, p. 115.

Councils at Capua In Lent 1087, an important conference of cardinals and bishops took place at Capua with Cardinal Desiderius, the abbot of Montecassino. A prominent part in the proceedings was taken by Cincius, the consul of Rome, Jordan Prince of Capua, and Duke Roger of Apulia and Calabria. On 24 May 1086, Desiderius had been the leading candidate in the papal election to succeed Pope Gregory VII, but he steadfastly refused the election. Finally he was prevailed upon to assume the papal mantle, but he had second thoughts and removed himself to Terracina. The conference at Capua put strong pressure on him to reassume the papal throne, and, on 21 March 1087, he relented. Finally he was crowned in Rome on 9 May 1087 as Pope Victor III. A. Fliche, "Le Pontificat de Victor III," Revue d' histoire ecclésiastique 20 (1924) 387-412.

On 7 April 1118, Pope Gelasius II, who had been forced to flee from Rome on 1 March, held a council in Capua; the Emperor Henry V, who had seized Rome, and the antipope Gregory VIII (Martin Burdinus, Bishop of Braga), who crowned him emperor, were excommunicated.P. Jaffé and S. Lowenfeld, Regesta Pontificum Romanorum Tomus I, editio altera (Leipzig: Veit 1885), p. 776.

In 1569, Cardinal Niccolò Caetani di Sermoneta (1546–1585) presided over a provincial council in Capua.J.-D. Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XXXV (Paris 1902), pp. 707-722. Archbishop Cesare Costa (1572–1602) held a provincial council on 2 November 1577.Mansi, Tomus XXXV, pp. 899-904. On 6–9 April 1603, Archbishop Robert Bellarmine (1602–1605) presided at a provincial council in Capua.Mansi, Tomus XXXV, pp. 869-872. The next provincial council took place in 1859, two hundred and fifty-six years after Bellarmine's council.

Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1602–1605) held a diocesan synod in 1603.Granata, p. 86. Cardinal Niccolò Caracciolo (1703–1728) held a diocesan synod in Capua on Pentecost Sunday, 1726.

Loss of metropolitan status 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 Chieti, Caserta, and Sessa Arunca) became suffragans of Naples. The archbishop of Capua himself retained the title of archbishop, but the diocese became a suffragan of Naples.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 71 (Città del Vaticano 1979), pp. 562-563.

Bishops and archbishops Bishops, to 966

Proterius (attested 313, 314)Bishop Proterius was present at the Roman synod of Pope Miltiades. J.D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus II (Florence: A. Zatta 1759), p. 437. Ughelli, p. 298. Lanzoni, p. 201. ... Vincentius (attested 342, 353, 372)Vincentius had been a Roman deacon and legate of Pope Sylvester I at the First Council of Nicaea (323). He took a prominent part in the Arian controversies, and was present at the Council of Sardica (343-344). At the conciliabulum of Arles (353), he was led astray by Constantius and consented to the deposition of St. Athanasius, an error for which he made amends at Rimini. At the Roman synod of 372, Pope Damasus declared that he had not consented to the anti-Nicene formula of the synod of Ravenna. Cappelletti, pp. 18-19. Lanzoni, p. 201-202. ... [Vitalianus]Lanzoni, p. 202: The Beneventan documents of the 7th and 13th century consider Vitalianus a bishop of Benevento, not of Capua. [Pamphilus]Pamphilus was a bishop of Sulmona, not of Capua. Lanzoni, p. 202. [Julianus]Julianus was a bishop of Aeclanum, not of Capua. Lanzoni, p. 202. [Symmachus]A bishop Symmachus was said to have been at the deathbed of S. Paulinus of Nola in 431; the report, in a letter of Uranius, does not name his diocese. It is reported that there was once an inscription in the church of S. Maria Suricorum (Capua), reading "Sanctae Mariae Symmachus episcopus". Lanzoni, p. 202: "Ma apparteneva veramente al nostro Simmaco ?" Cappelletti, p. 20. [Rufinus]No evidence. There were saints named Rufus and Rufinus. Lanzoni, p. 202. ... Priscus (443 Died) Priscus was an African bishop, who fled the Vandal invasion and landed in Campania. Ughelli, pp. 302-305. Cappelletti, p. 20. ... Tiburtius (465)Bishop Tiburtius was present at the Roman synod of Pope Hilarius on 18 November 465. J.-D. Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus VII (Florence: A. Zatta 1762), p. 959. ... Constantinus (attested 487–499)Bishop Constantine attended the third Roman synod of Pope Felix III in 487. He was also present at first Roman synod of Pope Symmachus in 499. Mansi, Tomus VII, p. 1171; Tomus VIII, p. 234. Lanzoni, p. 234. Kehr, p. 216, nos. 2 and 3. ... [Alexander]His name appears in the "Life of St. Germanus", but only in the codex in Capua; the other manuscripts of the same text ignore him. Lanzoni, p, 203. ... Germanus (c.516–541)Germanus was papal Legate in Constantinople, sent by Pope Hormisdas in 518. Ughelli, pp. 305-306. Cappelletti, p. 21. Lanzoni, p. 203, no. 5. Victor (541–554)Victor: Lanzoni, p. 203, no. 6. Priscus (555–560)Priscus received letters from Pope Pelagius I: Lanzoni, p. 203, no. 7. Kehr, p. 216, no. 3. ... Probinus (570–572)Probinus: Lanzoni, p. 203, no. 8. ... Festus (591–594)Pope Gregory I ordered that the clergy and people of Capua should stop harassing Bishop Festus and make peace with him. Gregory had to announce, however, that Festus died in Rome in November 1594. Lanzoni, p. 203, no. 9. Kehr, p. 216, no. 4 and no. 5. ... Basilius (attested 598–602)At the end of 598, Pope Gregory I refers to Bishop Basilius of Capua. In September 602 he settled a lawsuit in which Bishop Basilius was involved. Lanzoni, p. 203, no. 10. Kehr, p. 217 no. 9, no. 11. ... Gaudiosus (attested 649)Bishop Gaudiosus attended the Council of the Lateran of Pope Martin I in 649. Mansi, Tomus X, p. 866. ... Decorosus (attested 680)Bishop Decorosus signed the synodal letter of the Roman synod of 680, sent by Pope Agatho to the Third Council of Constantinople, which was read in the third plenary session. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XI (Florence: A. Zatta 1764), p. 773. There is mythological material concerning his prelacy in the Breviarium Capuanum: Ughelli, pp. 309-310. ... Vitalianus (date unknown)Vitalian is known only from the hagiographic martyrology in the Breviarium Capuanum, replete with mythological decorations. Ughelli, p. 310.

[Autchar] (date unknown)Autchar is known only from a poem by an anonymous monk, and reports of an inscription in Lombard characters. Ughelli, pp. 310-311. Cappelletti, pp. 40-42 (repeating Ughelli, but assigning a date of 726). ... Theodorus (attested 743)Bishop Theodorus was present at the Roman synod of Pope Zacharias in 743. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XII (Florence: A. Zatta 1766), p. 383, 384. One manuscript gives his name as Ambrosius. Ughelli, pp. 311-312. ... [Radipertus] (c. 830]A Radipertus (or Radelpertus, or Rodelpertus) is attested as Bishop of Sessa Aurunca. He is buried in the cathedral of Caleno (Carinola), to which diocese he might be attributed. Ughelli, pp. 312-313. Cappelletti, p. 43. Granata, p. 116. Gams, p. 867. ...