The former French Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (
Latin: Dioecesis Sancti Pauli Tricastinorum; French: Diocèse de Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux), sometimes, just like the town, also known as the Diocese of Saint-Paul-en-Tricastin (
Latin: Dioecesis Sancti Pauli Tricastinorum;
French: Diocèse de Saint-Paul-en-Tricastin), existed from the sixth century to the
French Revolution.
According to a legend of the fifteenth century,
St. Restitutus, the man born blind mentioned in the Gospel, was the first Bishop of St-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. Local traditions also make Saints Eusebius, Torquatus, Paulus, Amantius, Sulpicius, Bonifatius, Castorinus and Michael early bishops of St-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, in the 3rd to 6th centuries.[2] Of those,
Louis Duchesne regards St. Paulus (fourth or sixth century),
patron saint of the city, as the earliest attested bishop, after whom the diocese was later named. The "three chateaux" never existed; they are the result of a linguistic error in which an extra "r" was added to the word "tricastinorum".[3]
Owing to Saracen ravages from Iberia (827-29) the see of St-Paul-Trois-Châteaux was, by a decree of
Gregory IV,[5] united aeque principaliter (i.e. in
personal union) with that of Orange. By the 11th century, there were continuous squabbles between St-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and Orange, the former because of the union, the latter because of the assignment of parish churches.[6] In spring 1095, as he was travelling to France,
Pope Urban II wrote a letter from Cremona on 15 April to Bishop Pontius of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, advising him that he had decided to reunify the two dioceses as one, and that no successor of Bishop Guillaume of Orange and Saint-Paul would be elected. Pope Urban personally visited Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux in mid-September, and both Bishop Pons and Bishop Guillaume were present at the council of Clermont from 18 to 28 November 1095.[7]
Bishop Guillaume of Orange went on crusade, and died in the siege of Marra on 11 December 1098.[8] In 1100,
Pope Paschal II announced that, after extensive consultations, the longstanding union of the two dioceses should be dissolved.[9] In 1107, however, the clergy of Orange approached Pope Paschal with the claim that problems had been resolved; the pope authorized Cardinal Richard, Bishop of Albano, to hold a council of the ecclesiastical province of Arles. to decide the question, and if they agreed, to elect a new bishop of Orange.[10] The
Diocese of Orange was re-established, and Berengarius was elected.[11] On the death of Bishop Pontius of St-Paul-Trois-Châteaux in 1112, squabbling broke out again, which Paschal II silenced with a bull on 18 October 1113.[12]
Pope Gelasius II visited St-Paul-Trois-Châteaux on 21 December 1118 during his exile from Rome.[13] He was on his way to Cluny, where he died on 29 January 1119.[14]
Suppression of episcopal election
Bishop Guillaume Adhémar de Monteil (1482-1516) died on 23 July 1516, and the Chapter of the cathedral duly met to elect a successor. They chose Jacques de Vesc, and applied to the metropolitan, Archbishop Jean Ferrier of Arles, for canonical confirmation. King
Francis I of France, however, had written to
Pope Leo X, nominating Antoine de Lévis.[15] In reply, on 10 September 1516, Pope Leo issued the bull "Decet Romanum pontificem," in which he voided the election of Jacques de Vesc, on the grounds that the papacy had previously reserved to itself the appointment of the next bishop. He "provided" (appointed) Antoine de Lévis, who, in turn, since he remained in Paris with the king, appointed the Bishop of Viviers, Claude de Tournon, a relative of his mother, his grand vicar in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux.[16]
Protestants
In 1674, the population of the city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux was only approximately 2,000 persons, about half of whom were Protestants.[17] When the
Edict of Fontainebleau, revoking the toleration of the
Edict of Nantes, was published in October 1685, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux was invested by royal troops and Protestant pastors were forced to leave the country. Individual Protestants and their families were hunted down.[18] The Protestant church in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux was ordered destroyed by the Parliament of Grenoble.[19]
Revival of title
On 12 June 1911, the title of the diocese of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux was revived, though not the diocese itself. The title was assigned to the
Diocese of Valence. Its former cathedral, Ancienne cathédrale Notre-Dame et Saint-Paul, dedicated to Saint Paul and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, was not granted co-cathedral status.
^Frank W. Walbank,
"Some reflections on Hannibal's pass," in: Selected Papers: Studies in Greek and Roman History and Historiography, (Cambridge University Press, 2010), pp. 110-111.
^Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 5-28, accepts Sulpicius, Eusebius, Torquatus, Bonifacius, Amantius. Castorinus, and Michael.
^Pierre Sogno,
Villages de la Drôme, (in French) (La Louvière: Les points cardinaux, 2007), p. 88: " Suite à une erreur linguistique au Moyen Age, Tricastinorum devint Tricastrinorum et la cité se trouva nantie de trois châteaux qui n'ont jamais existé." Edward A. Freeman,
"Saint-Paul Trois-Chateaux," in: Archaeological Journal 45 (London 1888), pp. 12-21, at p. 14.
^Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
p. 41, suggests that the union might belong to the 10th century, "On reporte à son temps l'union de l'évêché d'Orange à celui de St-Paul, causée surtout par le manque de ressources du premier diocèse. Peut-être faut-il la renvoyer au commencement du X° siècle (voir à l'évêché d'Orange) ou a- t-elle été intermittente." The bull of Pope Urban II, (Denis de Sainte-Marthe, Gallia Christiana (Paris: Typographia Regia, 1715),
"Instrumenta," p. 119): "Tricaltinus
vero post diuturnam, et plusquam centenariam possessionem, venerabilium pontificum Romanorum, & Gregorii & Alexandri privilegiis, causæ suæ partes tuebatur."
^"inter Tricaftinos et Arausicos diuturna contentio habita est, Tricastinis quidem de unitione, Arausicis vero de parochiarum ecclesiarum divisione contestantibus...."
^Denis de Sainte-Marthe, Gallia Christiana (Paris: Typographia Regia, 1715),
"Instrumenta," p. 120: "Jure enim & auctoritate esse vacuum quidquid prædecessorum nostrorum aliqua de Gregorii, Victoris, Alexandri & Urbani statutis Aurasicensis ecclesia Tricastinæ constet ecclesiæ esse unita quæstioni super hoc negotio diu ventilata, secundum statuta eorum, consilio confratrum nostrorum finem imponere decrevimus; & ut episcopo Tricastino de cetero sicut proprio pontifici postposita omni refragatione obediatis, apostolica auctoritate mandamus...."
^Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
p. 517: "Nos, ne constitutio et deputatio, ac provisio et prefectio predicte valeant quomodolibet impediri providere volentes, quascumque electiones seu postulationes de quibuscumque personis, praesertim dilecti filii Jacobi de Vesc, in episcopum Tricastrinensem per dilectos filios capitulum dicte ecclesie, illorumque confirmationem metropoliticam forsan factas, e indse secuta quecumque, utpote contra reservationem et decretum hujusmodi attemptata, nulla prorsus et invalida nulliusque roboris vel momenti fuisse et esse...."
^Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 389, note 1. In 1743, it is estimated to have been 3.000 persons: Ritzler & Sefrin VI, p. 415, note 1.
^Frédéric Bernard, Wonderful Escapes, (New York: Scribner, Armstrong, 1875), pp. 90-95. Jacques Le Fèvre, Nouveau Recueil De Tout Ce Qui S'Est Fait Pour Et Contre Les Protestans, Particulierement En France: Où L'On Voit L'Establissement, le Progrez, la Décadence, & l'Extinction de la R.P.R. dans ce Royaume,(in French), Volume 1 (Paris: chez Frederic Leonard, 1686), pp. 661-662.
^Bishop Paulus is identified with the Paulus who attended the council of Valence on 12 July 374. The name of the diocese and the name of the bishop, however, do not appear together. Duchesne, p. 263.
^Bishop Florentius attended the Council of Epaone in 517, and the Council of Lyon, which was held between 518 and 523. Duchesne, p. 264, no. 2. Carolus de Clercq, Concilia Galliae (Turnhold: Brepols 1963), p. 36 ("Item Florentius in Christi nomine episcopus ciuitatis Trecastininsis relegi et subscripsi.").
^Bishop Eusebius participated in the council of Valence in 584, and was represented at the council of Mâcon in 585. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 33-34.
^Bishop Agricola attended the council of Paris on 10 October 614. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
p. 34: "Ex civitate Trigassinum Agricola episcopus."
^Betto attended the council of Chalon-sur-Saône, held on 25 October, between 647 and 653, summoned by
King Clovis II. C. DeClercq, Concilia Galliae, A. 511 – A. 695 (Turnholt: Brepols 1963), p. 302. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
p. 34: "Item Betto episcopus ecclesie Trecastinensis subscripsi."
^Sainte-Marthe, Gallia Christiana I,
"Instrumenta," p. 119: "Tres itaque Tricastinæ ecclesiæ clerici super evangelia facro-fancta jurarunt, se vidisse et legisse Romani pontificis Gregorii bullatum privilegium Bonifacio Tricastino episcopo attributum, per quod prædictæ ecclesiæ fuerant coünita." Gregory IV ruled 827–844.
^In the episcopal list, Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
p. 1. before the name "Pontius I" appear the names Segaldus, Bertrandus I, Aldebranus I, Berniconius, Aldebranus II. These names are all rejected by Duchesne, p. 264: "Depuis cet évêque [Berto] on n'en connaît aucun autre avant le temps de Louis le Pieux."
^Laudonis was elected by the clergy and people of Orange and Tricastensis on 19 February 839. Duchesne, p. 265. Denis de Sainte-Marthe, Gallia Christiana (Paris: Typographia Regia, 1715),
"Instrumenta," p. 119. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima, [https:// books.google.com/books?id=WG47AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA45 p. 41], suggests a date of 909.
^Pons (I): Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 41-42.
^Gérard attended the council of Avignon in 1060, and was the recipient of three letters from
Pope Alexander II. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
p. 44.
^ Gaucerand had been abbot of the monastery of Insula Barbara near Lyon. Bishop Gaucerand died on 10 May 1211. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica I, p. 497 with note 1.
^Hugues consecrated the new cathedral of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux on 3 June 1348. He died in July 1348. Albanès, "Les évêques de Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux...,"
Vol. 5 (1885), pp. 398-400;
Vol. 6 (1885), pp. 5-8. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 136-155.
^Guitard was appointed bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux on 14 August 1348. He was transferred to the diocese of Lisieux by
Pope Clement VI on 4 November 1349. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
p. 155-160, esp. p. 157, no. 340. Eubel I, pp. 304, 497.
^Coci had previously been Bishop of
Vence (1347–1348), then Bishop of
Grasse (1348–1349). He was appointed bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux by
Pope Clement VI on 4 November 1349. He died in the spring of 1364. Albanès, "Les évêques de Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux...,"
Vol. 6 (1885), pp. 11-15. Eubel I, p. 497. There was no sede vacante of three years.
^Artaud held the degree of bachelor of laws, and was a canon of the cathedral of Die. He was named bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux by
Pope Urban V on 10 July 1364. He was transferred to the diocese of
Gap on 10 April 1366. He died in August 1399. Albanès, "Les évêques de Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux...,"
Vol. 6 (1885), pp. 17-20. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 168-177. Eubel I, pp. 497, 514.
^Raymond de Castellane had been Provost of Aix. His election was approved by
Pope Urban V on 15 September 1367. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 177-184. Eubel I, p. 497.
^Aimar de La Roche, previously Bishop of
Bethléem à Clamecy (1363–1378). He was transferred to the diocese of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux by
Pope Clement VII (Robert of Geneva) on 10 November 1378. Fabri was named bishop of Geneva on 12 July 1385 by Clement VII. He died on 8 October 1388. Eubel I, pp. 135, 260, 497. "Fabri" was never part of his name: Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima, p. 184.
^Diodatus was appointed on 23 December 1388 by
Pope Clement VII. Bishop Hugues de Theissiac was named administrator of the diocese of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux on 11 February 1411 by
Pope John XXIII in place of the deceased Bishop Dieudonné. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 204-232. Eubel I, p. 497.
^Hugues de Theissiac had been appointed Bishop of
Vaison (1412 – 1445) by
Pope Alexander V, after the
Council of Pisa had deposed both Gregory XII (Roman Obedience) and Benedict XIII (Avignon Obedience), for manifest heresy, schism, and perjury. Bishop Guillaume of Vaison had remained faithful to Benedict XIII and had been deposed as well. On 18 February 1411, after the death of Bishop Dieudonné, Pope Alexander named him administrator of the diocese of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. On 30 March 1444, due to senescence, he was assigned a coadjutor bishop of Vaison, Pons de Sade. Bishop Hugues died in his castle of Crestet int the diocese of Vaison, before 15 July 1448. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 232-253. Eubel I, p. 497; II, p. 255.
^Pons was coadjutor-bishop for Bishop Hugues de Theissiac, and thus also acted as administrator of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux along with Bishop Hugues. He became Bishop of
Vaison (1445 – 1473). Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 253-257. Eubel II, p. 255, note 1.
^Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 257-268. Eubel II, p. 255.
^, no other prelature; next Metropolitan Archbishop of
Vienne (France) (1480.12.11 – death 1482)
^Antoine was the nephew of François de Tournon. He held the degree of bachelor of Canon Law, and was almoner of Queen Claude of France. Though only in minor orders, he was nominated bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux by King Francis I and appointed by Pope Leo X, though he remained in Paris at court. Still bishop-elect, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of
Embrun on 8 January 1526, in succession to his uncle François. Still bishop-elect he was transferred to the diocese of
Saint-Flour on 9 January 1548 by
Pope Paul III. He died in 1566. Sainte-Marthe, Gallia christiana I, p. 729. Eubel III, pp. 190, 197, 318 with note 3. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 515-523.
^, next Metropolitan Archbishop of
Arles (France) ([1644.03.31] 1645.01.16 – death 1689.03.09)
^, next
Coadjutor Bishop of Uzès (France) ([1657.05.22] 1658.09.30 – 1660.02.12), succeeding as Bishop of Uzès (France) (1660.02.12 – death 1674.09.13)
^Lucas d'Aquin was a doctor of Canon Law (Paris), and was a canon of the cathedral of Tulle. He was nominated bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux by
King Louis XIV on 6 June 1674, and confirmed by
Pope Clement X on 11 June 1674. In 1675, he was a deputy of the ecclesiastical province of Arles to the General Assembly of the Clergy of France. He was transferred to the diocese of Fréjus on 17 March 1681. He died in Paris on 2 March 1718. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima,
pp. 618-623. Ritzler & Sefrin VI, pp. 204 with note 5; 389 with note 2.
^, previously Bishop of Grasse (France) ([1675.09.16] 1676.11.16 – 1682.05.25)
^, while Metropolitan Archbishop of
Arles (France) ([1775.02.26] 1775.04.24 – death 1792.09.02)
Albanès, Joseph Hyacinthe (1885). "Les évêques de Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, au quatorzième siècle," (in French), in: Bulletin d'histoire ecclésiastique et d'archéologie religieuse des diocéses de Valence, Digne, Gap, Grenoble et Viviers,Vol. 5 (1885), pp. 383-408.
Vol. 6 (1885), pp. 5-34.
Albanès, Joseph Hyacinthe (1904).
Gallia christiana novissima. (in Latin). Volume 4. Valence: Imp. Valentinoise, 1904.
Bergin, Joseph. The Making of the French Episcopate, 1589-1661. [full citation needed]