Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon

The Diocese of Fréjus–Toulon (Latin: Dioecesis Foroiuliensis–Tolonensis; French: Diocèse de Fréjus–Toulon) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern France on the Mediterranean coast. The present diocese comprises the territory of the ancient Diocese of Fréjus as well as that of the ancient Diocese of Toulon. In 1957 it was renamed the Diocese of Fréjus–Toulon.

Under the Civil Constitution of the Clergy the département of Var constituted a diocese, absorbing the former ancient dioceses of Toulon, Fréjus, Grasse and Vence. It was suppressed by the Concordat of 1801, re-established ineffectually by that of 1817, and definitively established in 1823, when its assigned territory comprised once more the whole département of Var. A Papal Brief of 1852 authorized the bishop to assume the title of Bishop of Fréjus and Toulon. It was and has remained a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Aix-en-Provence and Arles,

The arrondissement of Grasse until 1860 belonged to the département of Var, when it was annexed to that of the Alpes-Maritimes. In 1886 it was separated from Fréjus and attached to the Diocese of Nice.

Since 7 January 2025, the Bishop of Fréjus–Toulon has been Bishop François Touvet.

History Christianity would seem to have been introduced into Fréjus in the fourth century. In 374 a certain Acceptus, who had just been elected to the See of Fréjus, falsely declared himself guilty of some crimes in order to rid himself of the episcopal dignity. At the Council of Valence, which met in July of 374, he begged the Church to name another in his place. The Council decided that his actions made it inappropriate for him to be consecrated a bishop.

Fréjus was completely destroyed by the Saracens in the early tenth century. It was Bishop Riculfus who began the reconstruction of the cathedral.Barr Ferree, "French Cathedrals: Fréjus,"

The following are named among the bishops of this see:

Raymond Berengarius (1235–1248), who arranged the marriage of Beatrice, daughter of the Count of Provence, with Charles of Anjou Jacques d'Euse (1300–1310), preceptor of St. Louis of Toulouse, and later pope under the name of John XXII Cardinal Nicolò Fieschi (1495–1524), who at the time of his death was dean of the Sacred College (in 1524, from 20 May to 14 June)C. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica II (Monasterii 1914), p. 25. Eubel, III, p. 56. André-Hercule de Fleury (1698–1715).

Bishops

To 1000

before 419 – 433:Duchesne, p. 285, no. 1. LeontiusLeontius of Fréjus (419-433), brother of Castor of Apt and friend of John Cassian, who dedicated to him his first ten "Collationes", and of St. Honoratus, founder of the monastery of Lérins 433–455: TheodorusHe participated in the Councils of Riez in 439, Orange in 441, Vaison in 442, Arles in 450, and Arles (probably) in 455. Duchesne, p. 285, no. 2. 463–465: AsteriusAsterius, episcopus Forojuliensis was present at a Roman council in November of 465 under Pope Hilarius, along with the Bishops of Embrun and Avignon. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima, pp. 320-321. Despite Albanès' vigorous argumentation, Duchesne (p. 285 note 7) is hesitant and does not include Asterius in his list. 475?: AuxiliusAuxilius of Ireland (c. 475), formerly a monk of Lérins, and later a martyr under Euric, Arian King of the Visigoths Albanès, p. 321-323. 484?–506: Victorinus ? 524: Joannes (Jean, John)At the Council of Arles in 524, a Bishop Joannes is mentioned, but without his diocese. It is conjectured that he was Bishop of Fréjus: Duchesne, p. 286, no. 4. 527–529: Lupercianus 541: Dionysius (Didier) 549–554: Expectatus 582: Epiphanius 636: Martin ... 909–911: Benedict 949–952: Gontar 973–1000?: RiculfusRiculfus (973-1000) restored the ruins made by the Saracens, and built the cathedral and the episcopal palace.

1000 to 1300

1010–1044: Gaucelme 1044–1091: BertrandBertrand (1044–91) founded the collegiate church of Barjols 1091–1131: Berenger 1131–1145: Bertrand II. 1154–1157: Pierre de Montlaur 1166–1198: Fredol d'AnduzePope Innocent III (1198-1216) authorized the Archbishop of Aix to accept the resignation of Bishop Fredol, in accordance with the bishop's wishes, on the grounds of insufficientiam et defectum. Brenda Bolton, J.-P. Migne (ed.) Patrologiae Latinae Tomus CCXIV 214, p. 374. 1198–1202: Guillaume du Pont 1203–1206: Raimond de Capella 1206–1212: Bermond Cornut 1212?–1215: Raimond de Puyricard 1220: Olivier 1224–1233?: Bertrand III. de Favas 1235–1248: Raimond BerenguerHe was forced to resign due to ill health: 1248–1264: Bertrand de Saint-Martin 1264–1266: Pierre de Camaret 1267–1280?: Guillaume de la Fonte 1280?–1299: Bertrand V. Comarque

1300 to 1500

1300–1310: Jacques Arnaud Duèze, later Pope John XXII 1318–1318: Bertrand VI. d'Aimini 1318–1340: Barthélémy Grassi 1340–1343: Jean d'Arpadelle 4 June 1343 – 14 March 1346: Guillaume d'AubussacEubel, I, p. 252. Albanès, p. 364-366. 7 April 1346 – 1348: Pierre Alamanni 1348: Pierre du Pin (electus: transferred to Viterbo 10 December 1348)Eubel, I, p. 532. Albanès, p. 367, is of the opinion that Pierre du Pin was never bishop of Fréjus. Bulls of appointment and consecration were never issued. 2 March 1349 – 9 June 1360: Guillaume Amici (administrator)Eubel, I, p. 252 and n. 8. Albanès, pp. 368-369. (also Bishop of Apt and Bishop of Chartres) 1360–1361: Pierre Artaudi 1361–1364: Guillaume de Ruffec 1364–1371: Raimond Daconis 1371–1385: Bertrand de Villemus 1385: Emanuel Emmanuel was an appointee of Urban VI, of the Roman Obedience. He never claimed his throne or his income. Only one document concerning him survives, dated 2 November 1385: the grant of an extension for the paying of the fees due to the Apostolic Camera for his appointment: Albanès, pp. 374-375. 3 August 1385 – 13 April 1405: Louis de BouillacLouis de Bouillac was appointed by Pope Clement VII of the Avignon Obedience. Albanès, pp. 375-376. 9 September 1409 – 1 February 1422: Gilles Le JeuneGilles (Aegidius Juvenalis) was appointed by Pope Alexander V, elected by the Cardinals of both the Roman and the Avignon Obedience, at the Council of Pisa. Albanès, pp. 376-378. 1422–1449?: Jean Bélard 1449–1452: Jacques Juvénal des Ursins 1452–1453: Jacques Séguin 1453–1455: Guillaume d'Estaing 1455–1462: Jean du Bellay 1462–1472: Léon Guérinet 1472: Réginald d'Angline 1472–1485: Urbano Fieschi (senior) 15 March 1485 – 1487:Eubel, II, p. 155. Niccolò Fieschi (transferred to Agde) 17 September 1487 – 26 November 1494: Rostan d'Ancesune (transferred to Embrun) 25 February 1495 – 1511:Eubel, III, p. 197. Niccolò Fieschi

1500 to 1800

Under Louis XIV, who enjoyed the right to nominate bishops to all French sees with the exception of Metz, Verdun and Toul, the See of Fréjus was often an early stepping-stone for careers of clerics whose ambitions lay elsewhere.

5 November 1511 – 23 January 1523:Eubel, III, p. 197. Urbano Fieschi (junior) nephew of Cardinal Niccolò Fieschi 1524 – 15 June 1424: Cardinal Niccolò FieschiEubel, III, p. 197. 1524–1534: Franciot des Ursins 1525–1564: Léon des Ursins 1565–1579: Bertrand de Romans 1579–1591: François de Bouliers 1591–1599?: Gérard Bellenger 1599–1637: Barthélémy Camelin 1637–1654: Pierre Camelin 1658–1674: Zongo Ondedei 1676–1678: Antoine de Clermont 1679–1680: Louis d'Anglure de Bourlemont 1681–1697: Luc d'Aquin 1697–1699: Louis d'Aquin 1699–1715: André-Hercule de Fleury (1. November 1698 bis 3. Mai 1715) 1715–1739: Pierre de Castellane 1739–1765: Martin du Bellay 1766–1801: Emmanuel de Bausset 1791–1799: Jean-Joseph Rigouard (Constitutional Bishop of Var)Rigouard was elected on 12 April 1791, and consecrated in Paris on 22 May by Constitutional Bishop Gobel. He was one of the "Reunis" of 1795, who wanted to make their peace with the Pope. He died on 5 May 1800.

From 1800

Suppressed 1801–1822 Charles-Alexandre de Richery (8 August 1817 – 8 February 1829) (also Archbishop of Aix) Louis-Charles-Jean-Baptiste Michel (16 April 1829 – 22 February 1845) Casimir-Alexis-Joseph WicartEspitalier (1904), pp. 75-92. (29 March 1845 – 3 July 1855) (also Bishop of Laval) Joseph-Antoine-Henri JordanyEspitalier (1904), pp. 94-96. (6 November 1855 – March 1876) Joseph-Sébastien-Ferdinand Terris (17 March 1876 – 8 April 1885) Fédéric-Henri Oury (2 March 1886 – 3 June 1890) (also Bishop of Dijon) Eudoxe-Irénée-Edouard Mignot (3 June 1890 – 7 December 1899) (auch Archbishop of Albi) Aloys-Joseph-Eugène Arnaud (7 December 1899 – 17 June 1905) Félix-Adolphe-Camille-Jean-Baptiste Guillibert (21 February 1906 – 31 May 1926) Auguste-Joseph-Marie Simeone (30 July 1926 – 22 October 1940) Auguste Joseph Gaudel (24 September 1941 – 30 June 1960) Henri-Louis-Marie Mazerat (30 July 1960 – 11 December 1961) (also Bishop of Angers) Gilles-Henri-Alexis Barthe (4 May 1962 – 8 February 1983) Joseph Théophile Louis Marie Madec (8 February 1983 – 16 May 2000) Dominique Rey (16 May 2000 – 7 January 2025) François Touvet (10 December 2023 (as coadjutor), 7 January 2025 – present)

Saints The Island of Lérins, well known as the site of the celebrated monastery founded there in 410, was sold in 1859 by the bishop of Fréjus to an English purchaser. A number of the saints of Lérins are especially honoured in the diocese. Among them are Sts. Honoratus, Caesarius, Hilary, and Virgilius, all of whom became archbishop of Arles; Quinidius, Bishop of Vaison; Valerius, Bishop of Nice; Maximus, Bishop of Riez; Veranus and Lambertus, both Bishop of Vence; Vincent of Lérins, author of the Commonitorium, and his brother Lupus, Bishop of Troyes; Agricola, Bishop of Avignon; Aigulphus and Porcarius, martyrs; St. Tropesius, martyr during the persecution of Emperor Nero; St. Louis of Toulouse (1274–1297), a native of Brignoles, in the Diocese of Toulon, and later Archbishop of Toulouse; and the virgin St. Roseline, prioress of the monastery of La Celle-Roubaud, who died in 1329, and whose shrine, situated at Les Arcs near Draguignan, has been for six centuries a place of pilgrimage, are likewise especially honoured in the diocese.

The sojourn in 1482 of St. Francis of Paola at Bormes and at Fréjus, where he caused the cessation of the plague, made a lasting impression.

Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon

Bron en licentie