The Diocese of Elne was a suffragan of the Diocese of Narbonne until 1511. Pope Julius II made the Diocese of Elne directly subject to the Holy See in 1511, but on 22 January 1517 Pope Leo X reversed the policy, and the Diocese of Elne became again a suffragan of the Diocese of Narbonne.[5] In 1482, by virtue of a Decree of the Council of Trent, Pope Gregory XIII made it a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Tarragona.[6] After 1678 it was again a suffragan of the Diocese of Narbonne.
The Cathedral of Elne (eleventh century) and the adjoining cloister are rich examples of elaborate medieval ornamentation. In the later Middle Ages, and under the influence of Roman Law, Roussillon witnessed revivals of slavery; this is proved by numerous purchase deeds of Muslim and Christian slaves, dating back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
The diocese honours especially St. Vincent de Collioure, martyr (end of the third century); and St. Eulalia and St. Julia, virgins and martyrs (end of third century). In memory of former ties with the metropolis of Tarragona, the Church of Perpignan honours several Spanish saints: St. Fructuosus, Bishop of Tarragona, and his deacons Augurius and Eulogius, martyred at Tarragona in 259; some martyrs of the Diocletian persecution (end of third century); Justa and Rufina of Seville; Felix and Narcissus of Gerona; Aciselus and Victoria of Cordova; Leocadia, of Toledo; and St. Ildefonsus (607-667), Archbishop of Toledo.
After becoming Bishop of Elne in 1495, Caesar Borgia decided to raise the taxes on the clergy, resulting in an uprising in 1497. Those same taxes were cut in half the following year, after the clergy complained to the king.[7]
The Benedictine Dom Briard (1743–1828), who continued the series of Historiens de France, belonged to Perpignan. At Perpignan Pope Benedict XIII (Pedro de Luna) held a council on 1 November 1408, to rally his partisans; they gradually melted away and on 1 February 1409, the eighteen remaining bishops advised the antipope to send ambassadors to Pisa to negotiate with Pope Gregory XII.
Numerous councils were held at Elne: in 1027 (the Synod of Toulouges),[8] 1058, 1114,[9] 1335, 1337, 1338, 1339, 1340, and 1380. The council held in 1027 decreed that no one should attack his enemy from Saturday at nine o'clock to Monday at one; and that Holy Mass be said for the excommunicated for a space of three months, to obtain their conversion. The author of l'Art de verifier les Dates wrongly maintains that the Council of Elvira was held at Elne.
The chief places of pilgrimage of the diocese are: Notre-Dame du Château d'Ultréra, at Sorède; Notre-Dame de Consolation, at Collioure; Notre-Dame de Font Romeu, at Odeillo; Notre-Dame de Forca-Réal, near Millas; Notre-Dame de Juigues, near Rivesaltes; and the relics of Sts. Abdon and Sennen at Arles on the Tech.
Bishops
To 1000
Domnus (c. 571)[10]
Benenatus (c. 589)[11]
Acutulus (c. 633 to 638)
Witaricus (c. 656)
Clarus[12] (c. 683)
Wenedurius (783–788)
Ramnon (825–826)
Salomó (832–836)
Audesinus (860–885)
Riculf I (885–915)
Almeraldus (Elmerald, Elmerat) (916–920)
Wadaldus (Guadaldus de Empuries-Rosselló) (920–947)
Riculf II (947–966)
Suniarius I (967–977)
Hildesindus (979–991)
Berenguer de Cerdanya-Besalú[13] (993–994) (son of Oliba Cabreta)
Fredelo (994–999)
Berenguer de Cerdanya-Besalú (999–1003) (second time)
^Gallia christiana VI (1739), Instrumenta, pp. 492-497.
^Gallia christiana VI (1739), p. 1030.
^Cárdenas, Fabricio (2014). 66 petites histoires du Pays Catalan [66 Little Stories of Catalan Country] (in French). Perpignan: Ultima Necat. ISBN 978-2-36771-006-8. OCLC 893847466.
^Kathleen G. Cushing (2005). Reform and the Papacy in the Eleventh Century: Spirituality and Social Change. Manchester UK: Manchester University Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-7190-5834-9.
^The meeting, which was a judicial assembly, summoned by mandate of Pope Paschal II, and presided over by Bishop Petrus Bernardi of Elne, was held on 2 January 1114: J. D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio Tomus XXV, pp. 90-91.
^Jean Capeille, Dictionnaire de biographies roussillonnaises (1914)
^He was present at the Third Council of Toledo: Frank Riess (2013). Narbonne and Its Territory in Late Antiquity: From the Visigoths to the Arabs. New York: Routledge. p. 162. ISBN 978-1-317-09070-0.
^Bishop Clarus sent his Vicar Veremundus to the Council of Toledo in 683. Gallia christiana VI, p. 1032.
^Gallia christiana VI, p. 1038-1039.
^Puiggari, pp. 19-21.
^As Bishop-elect he was summoned to Rome by Pope Honorius, who planned to sort out the chaos in the Duchy of Narbonne: Rebecca Rist (2009). The Papacy and Crusading in Europe, 1198-1245. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 84. ISBN 978-1-4411-7952-4. Bishop Gualterus was consecrated in Rome by Pope Honorius: Puiggari, p. 41.
^Bishop Raymond, under orders from the Archbishop of Narbonne, and with materials and instructions provided by Pope Clement V, conducted trials of the Templars of Mas Deu. The bishop's court exonerated them. Malcolm Barber (2012). The Trial of the Templars. Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 237–239. ISBN 978-1-107-39466-7.
^Eubel, Hierarchia catholica I, p. 238.
^Eubel, I, p. 262.
^The transfer of Raimundus de Castella from Elne to Gerona was approved in Consistory by Pope Benedict XIII of the Avignon Obedience on 19 December 1408. He died on 5 May 1415: Eubel, I, p. 262. He had been bishop of Elne for less than three months.
^Francesc was confessor to King Peter III of Aragon. He was invited by Benedict XIII to the Council of Perpignan in 1408. He was made Patriarch of Jerusalem and Bishop of Elne (19 December 1408). He died on 23 January 1409, after a reign of five weeks. Mary Carruthers; Jan M. Ziolkowski (2003). The Medieval Craft of Memory: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 189. ISBN 0-8122-1881-7.
^Alfonso was Canon of Barcelona when his appointment to Elne was approved in Consistory by Benedict XIII on 15 May 1409. He was transferred to the diocese of Vich on 23 May 1410: Eubel, I, p. 526. He had been Bishop of Elne for 53 weeks.
^Casanova was named a cardinal on 8 November 1430 by Pope Martin V: Eubel I, p. 34. He received the red hat and the titulus of S. Sisto from Eugenius IV on 11 July 1431. He died in Florence on 1 March 1436.
^Francisco José Morales Roca (1999). Prelados, abades mitrados, dignidades capitulares y caballeros de las órdenes militares habilitados por el brazo eclesiástico en las cortes del principado de Cataluña: dinastias de Trastamara y de Austria : siglos XV y XVI (1410-1599) (in Spanish). Vol. Tomo I. Madrid: Ediciones Hidalguia. p. 77. ISBN 978-84-89851-15-3.
^Puiggari, pp. 77-78. In March 1458 he was sent by King John II of Aragon to congratulate Pope Pius II on his election. He was named Bishop of Gerona on 23 September 1461: Eubel, II, p. 159.
^Puiggari, p. 79. On 15 November 1462 Cardona was named Councillor to the King of France, with an annual pension of 1,500 livres Tournois.
^Puiggari, p. 80. Pintor took possession of his diocese in June 1479. He died on 28 February 1470 in the Episcopal Palace in Perpignan.
^Puiggari, pp. 80-81. He resigned in 1475, and was named titular bishop of Maragha in Persia: Eubel, II, p. 185
^Puiggari, pp. 81-84. Martigny was Louis XI's resident ambassador in England from 1477 to 1480, when he was brought to trial for treason, for having exceeded his powers and signed an unfavorable treaty. It was actually a diplomatic maneuver on the part of Louis XI to avoid acceptance of the treaty: S. H. Cuttler (2003). The Law of Treason and Treason Trials in Later Medieval France. Cambridge University Press. pp. 232–. ISBN 978-0-521-52643-2. He continued his diplomatic work for Louis XI and for Charles VIII.
^Salvador Miranda, Librarian Emeritus, Florida International University, The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church - Biographical Dictionary - Consistory of May 31, 1503 Lloris, a nephew of Pope Alexander VI, acted as Commissary General of the papal armies of Alexander VI for Cesare Borgia.
^Eubel, III, p. 192.
^Matute y Gaviria, Justino (1886). Memorias de los obispos de Marruecos y demás auxiliares de Sevilla ó que en ella han ejercido funciones episcopales (in Spanish). Sevilla: En la oficina de El Órden. pp. 32–34. He had previously been Auxiliary Bishop of Seville and titular Bishop of Medaura. Gauchat, Hierarchia catholica IV, p. 227.
^Gauchat, Hierarchia catholica IV, p. 198: 3 August 1643.
^Tolra de Bordas, p. 223. It is said that he was designated by Louis XIII to succeed Perez Roy, but Louis XIII died on 14 May 1643, before the actual vacancy.
^Nominated by Louis XIV on 4 May 1668, approved by Clement X on 12 November 1668: Ritzler, V, p. 193.
^De Bruelh was appointed by Louis XIV, but he died before ever receiving his bulls of appointment from Rome: Puiggari, p. 114.
^He was nominated by Louis XIV, but was transferred to Marseille before he ever visited Perpignan-Elne: Puiggari, p. 115. He is not listed by Ritzler, V, p. 193. In the struggle between Innocent XI and Louis XIV, the Pope was refusing to confirm royal appointments. In addition, the Pope wanted to transfer Elne-Perpignan from being a suffragan to direct control from Rome (Michaud, II, pp. 319-320; III, p. 139). Étampes did not receive his bulls for Marseille until 1682: Ritzler, p. 260, where there is no mention of Elne-Perpignan.
^Habert was appointed by Louis XIV on 2 November 1680; he was not consecrated, however, until 12 August 1682, since his bulls were not signed until 12 January 1682: Puiggari, p. 116. Ritzler, V, p. 193.
^Bishop Basan was nominated by Louis XIV on 8 September 1695, and approved by Pope Innocent XII in Consistory on 12 December 1695. He died on 5 January 1721. Ritzler, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 194, and n. 4.
^Paul Pisani (1907). Répertoire biographique de l'épiscopat constitutionnel (1791-1802) (in French). Paris: A. Picard et fils. pp. 396–400. He publicly renounced the Catholic faith on 29 November 1793, and died on 17 May 1796.
^Pisani, pp. 400-403. He died in 1814.
^His death notice: L'Ami de la religion (in French). Vol. 162. Paris: Librairie Ecclésiastique d'Adrien le Clerc et cie. 1853. p. 682.
^Gérard Colvy, "Gallicans et Ultramontains. Mgr. Ramadié successeur de Mgr. Gerber à Perpignan (1864)," Jean-Dominique Durand; Régis Ladous (1992). Histoire religieuse: histoire globale, histoire ouverte : mélanges offerts à Jacques Gadille (in French). Paris: Editions Beauchesne. pp. 301–316, at p. 305. ISBN 978-2-7010-1245-2.
^Eugène Cortade (1994). Juli de Carsalade du Pont: bisbe de Perpinyà i defensor de Catalunya (in Catalan). Curial. ISBN 978-84-7256-968-3.
^"Rinunce e Nomine, 06.03.2014" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
^"Resignations and Appointments, 09.07.2022" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 9 July 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
^"Resignations and Appointments, 11.04.2023" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 11 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
Bibliography
Reference works
Gams, Pius Bonifatius (1873). Series episcoporum Ecclesiae catholicae: quotquot innotuerunt a beato Petro apostolo. Ratisbon: Typis et Sumptibus Georgii Josephi Manz. pp. 599–601. (Use with caution; obsolete)
Eubel, Conradus, ed. (1913). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 1 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana. (in Latin) pp. 238–239.
Eubel, Conradus, ed. (1914). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 2 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana. (in Latin) p. 150.
Eubel, Conradus (ed.); Gulik, Guilelmus (1923). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 3 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana. {{cite book}}: |first1= has generic name (help) p. 192.
Gauchat, Patritius (Patrice) (1935). Hierarchia catholica IV (1592-1667). Münster: Libraria Regensbergiana. Retrieved 2016-07-06. pp. 181–182.
Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1952). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi V (1667-1730). Patavii: Messagero di S. Antonio. Retrieved 2016-07-06. pp. 193–194.
Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1958). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi VI (1730-1799). Patavii: Messagero di S. Antonio. Retrieved 2016-07-06. p. 206.
Sainte-Marthe, Denis de; Hauréau, Barthélemy (1739). Gallia Christiana: In Provincias Ecclesiasticas Distributa, De provincia Narbonensi (in Latin). Vol. Tomus sextus (VI). Paris: Typographia Regia. pp. 1030–79, Instrumenta, 474–97.
Studies
Barthélemy, Édouard de (1857). Etude sur les établissements monastiques du Roussillon: (Diocèse d'Elne-Perpignan) (in French). Paris: A. Aubry.
Beaulieu, Ernest-Marie de, O.Min.Cap. (1903). Les Sanctuaires de la Vierge en Roussillon. Vol. 2 vols. Perpignan: impr. de C. Latrobe.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Borrallo, Joseph (1909). Promenades archéologiques. Première promenade archéologique: Elne et sa cathédrale (in French). Perpignan: Impr. de Barrière.
Brutails, Jean-Auguste (1886), "Étude sur l'esclavage en Roussillon du XIIe au XVIIe siècle," Nouvelle revue historique de droit français et étranger (in French). Vol. 10. Paris: L. Larose. 1886. pp. 388–427.
Brutails, Jean-Auguste (1887). Monographie de la cathédrale et du cloître d'Elne ... (in French). Perpignan: Latrobe.
Devic, Claude; Vaissete, J. (1876). Histoire générale de Languedoc (in French). Vol. Tome quatrième. Toulouse: Édouard Privat. pp. 339–358.
Duchesne, Louis (1907). Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule: I. Provinces du Sud-Est. Paris: Fontemoing. second edition (in French)
Gazanyola, Jean de; Guiraud de Saint Marsal, Raymond Marc Antoine (1857). Histoire du Roussillon (in French). Perpignan: J. B. Alzine.
Hefele, Karl Joseph (1871). Histoire des conciles d'après les documents originaux: 870-1085 (in French). Vol. Tome VI (870-1085). Paris: Adrien le Clere et Cie, Libraires-Éditeurs.
Michaud, Eugène (1883). Louis XIV et Innocent XI: d'après les correspondances diplomatiques inédites du Ministère des affaires étrangères de France (in French). Vol. 4 vols. Paris: G. Charpentier.
Puiggari, Pierre (1842). Cataloque biographique des évêques d'Elne: avec six portraits (in French). Perpignan: J. B. Alzine.
Tolra de Bordas, Joseph (1884). L'Ordre de Saint-François d'Assise en Roussillon, fragments et récits sur l'histoire ecclésiastique du diocèse d'Elne (in French). Paris: V. Palmé.
Torreilles, Philippe (1896). Perpignan pendant la révolution, 1789-1800 (in French). Vol. 1–2. Perpignan: Ch. Latrobe.
Vidal, Pierre (1887). Elne historique et archéologique (in French). Perpignan: imp. de l'Indépendant.
Philippe Torreilles, Perpignan pendent la Revolution (3 vols., 1896–97)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Perpignan". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.