The Ancient Diocese of Uzès (Lat.: Uceticensis) is a former Roman Catholic diocese in France. From the arrival of Christianity in the 5th century until the French Revolution the southern French city of Uzès, in the department of Gard, was the seat of a bishop, a competitor to the local lords.

History The first reliably documented Bishop of Uzès was Constantius,The original editors of Gallia christiana VI, p. 610, report that he was bishop already in 419, based on a letter of Pope Boniface I of 419, directed to 14 named bishops and others in the Gauls and Seven Provinces. The name Constantinus appears, but none of the bishops has his see named, except Maximus of Valence, who was to be placed on trial by the others. Jacques Sirmond, Concilia antiqua Galliae, , Volume 1 (Sebastiani Cramoisy, 1629), p. 38. There is no reason to think that Constantinus was the same as Constantius, or that his see was "Uceticensis". Duchesne, p. 314, and most modern authors omit Constantinus. who was present at the Council of Vaison in 442. Other notable bishops were the fourth, Saint Firminus (541–53), who is locally venerated as Saint Firmin and whose remains are kept in Uzès Cathedral. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Theodoritus (Saint Théodorit) priest of Antioch, martyr, and patron saint of the town,Gallia christiana VI, p. 609. and who was invoked against plague. Also honored is Saint Ferreol (553–81).

In the eighth century, Saracen occupation of the town resulted in the destruction of all the Christian structures. Under Charlemagne, who liberated Uzès, the territory was organized into a county. The count of Uzès freed the bishop from his military obligations. The counts, however, were dependent upon the counts of Toulouse, who in 1065 managed to place one of their nephews in Uzès; eventually Uzès lost the title of count and became a seignory of Toulouse.Lionel d'Albiousse, pp. 29–31.

On 15 October 879, Bishop Walefridus of Uzès participated in the election of Boso of Provence, the son of Bivin of Gorze, count of Lotharingia, and Richildis, the daughter of Boso the Elder, as King of Provence.D.P. Curtin, Frankish Royal Elections: Boso, Eudes, Louis & Guy, (Philadelphia: Dalcassian Pub. Co. 2005), pp. 7, 22.

In 1177, the Albigensians, who entirely rejected the idea of a church hierarchy, entered Uzès, destroyed the cathedral, the church of Ss. Peter and Paul, the church of S. Jean, and the church of the monastery of Saint-Ferreol.Lionel d'Albiousse, pp. 51–52.

As the power of territorial magnates dispersed, the bishops obtained the right to strike coinage.Inge Lyse Hansen, Chris Wickham, The Long Eighth Century: Production, Distribution and Demand (Leiden-Boston: Brill 2021), p. 183: "The switch from emperor to king notwithstanding, the royal coinage is identical with its predecessor, is issued from the same four principal mints—Marsdeille, Arles, Uzès and Viviers—and continues to represent a centrally-inspired attempt to profit from trade on the Rhône-valley axis." Philip Grierson, "Le sou d'or d'Uzès," in: Le Moyen Age (1954), 293-309, rejecting the idea that the gold coins of Charlemagne are authentic contemporary currency. Robert Latouche, The Birth of the Western Economy: Economic Aspects of the Dark Ages (New York: Routledge, 2013), p. 151, note 1: "The only gold coins issued under the early Carolingians were struck at Aix-la-Chapelle. Consequently the mint at Uzès which turned out gold coins is a myth." The date of the beginning of coinage by the bishops is unknown, but the privilege was confirmed by Louis the Younger in 1156, and again by Philip II in 1211.Lionel d'. Albiousse, p. 27. In the 13th century, at the height of the see's power, the bishop was able to purchase a part of the signory of Uzès. Prior Guillaume de Grimoard held office as vicar-general of the bishop of Uzès, from 1357 to 1362, before becoming Pope Urban V.Jean Baptiste Magnan, Histoire d'Urbain V., (Paris, 1862), pp. 87–88.

Huguenots Like many cloth-manufacturing centers (Uzès manufactures serge), the city and the surrounding countryside were strongly Protestant during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, which wreaked havoc in the Languedoc regions, and Bishop Jean de Saint Gelais (1531–60) became a Calvinist. Many of the city's churches were burned by Huguenots and only two remained.

The Capuchins first established a house in Uzès in 1605, and by 1635, with help from the duke of Uzès, they built a church and a convent.Lionel d'. Albiousse, p. 157.

The missionary Jacques Bridaine (1701–67) was a native of the village of Chusclan in the diocese of Uzès.Edwin Charles Dargan, A History of Preaching ...: Vol. II. From the Close of the Reformation Period to the End of the Nineteenth Century, 1572-1900. (New York: G.H. Doran Company, 1912), pp. 254–257. Even before he was ordained a priest, he was commissioned by Bishop Michel Poncet de la Rivière of Uzès to preach in Vers, then in Saint-Quentin. His mission was to bring back Catholicism to an area which had been Huguenot for a century.J. Rance, "Bridaine en Provence," in: Annales de Provence, , Volume 1 (Marseille: J. Chauffard 1883), p. 39.

French Revolution

The diocese of Uzès was a suffragan of the archdiocese of Narbonne.Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 400, note 1; VI, p. 428, note 1. The diocese had two religious houses, one for men, the Cluniac Pont-Saint Esprit; the other for women, the Cistercian Valsauve-de-Bagnols.Jean, p. 279. Both were closed during the French revolution, their members releaste from their vows by governmental order and pensioned off, the properties appropriated by the government. The Chapter of the cathedral was also dissolved.

For seventy days, from February to April 1813, the city of Uzès was the enforced residence of Cardinal Bartolomeo Pacca, the pro-Secretary of State of Pope Pius VII.Bartolomeo Pacca, Mémoires du Cardinal Pacca, sur la Captivité du Pape Pie VII. et le Concordat de 1813, pour servir à l'histoire du règne de Napoléon, troisième édition, Volume 2 (Paris: Ladvocat 1833), pp. 201–240. He had been deported from Rome along with Pope Pius VII when Napoleon annexed the Papal States to France. After his confinement at Fenestrelle (1812–1813), he was permitted to visit Pius at Fontainebleau, before being sent under guard to Uzès.Bartolomeo Pacca, Historical Memoirs of Cardinal Pacca, Prime Minister to Pius VII, Volume 1 (London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1850), passim.

The bishopric of Nîmes was re-established as a separate diocese in 1821.

A Papal Brief of 27 April 1877, granted to its bishop the right to add the titles Alais and Uzès to Nîmes, with the territory of the two suppressed dioceses combined with that of Nîmes.

Bishops of Uzès To 1150

419?–462 ConstantiusBishop Constantius (Constantinus) participated in the Council of Vaison in 442: "Ex prouincia prima Narboninsi Eucesia oppido Constantius episcopus, Principius diaconus." (C. Munier, Concilia Galliae (Turnholt: Brepols 1965), p. 102); in the council of Arles in 451. In 462, he was appointed by Pope Hilarius to preside over the bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Narbonensis prima. Gallia christiana VI, p. 610. Duchesne, p. 314, no. 1. 506 : ProbatiusProbatus, Probacius, Probasius: Munier, p. 213: "Probatius in Christi nomine episcopus de Vcetia subscripsi." Duchesne, p. 315, no. 2. [Roricius]According to the "Legend of Saint Firminus", Roricus was the father and predecessor of the saint on the episcopal throne of Uzès. Gallia Christiana VI, p. 611. Duchense (p. 315, note 1), however, considers the source 'hardly reassuring', and excludes Roricius from the list of bishops: "Le G. C. insère ici un Roricius, père du suivant, d'après la légende de celui-ci, laquelle est des moins rassurantes." 538–553 : FirminusBishop Firminus attended the council of Orleans in 541; the council of 549 in 549; and the council of Paris in 552. Duchesne, p. 315, no. 3. 553–581 : FerreolusDuchesne, p. 315, no. 4. 581 : AlbinusAlbinus was bishop for only three months, according to Gregory of Tours, Historia Francorum Book VI, § 7: "Post cuius obitum Albinus ex praefecto per Dinamium rectorem Provinciae extra regis consilium suscepit episcopatum; quem non amplius quam tribus utens mensibus, cum ad hoc causa restitisset, ut removeretur, defunctus est." He had failed to secure the consent of the king (the praeceptio), and was deposed. O.W. Dalton, The History of the Franks, Volume 1 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1927), p. 288, 296. Duchesne, p. 315, no. 5, with note 6. : Jovinus usurperHis name is omitted both by Gallia Chrsistiana and by Duchesne. Gregory of Tours, Historia Francorum Book VI, § 7: "Iovinus iterum, qui quondam & Provinciae rector fuerat, regium de episcopatum praeceptum accipit. Sed praevenit eum Marcellus diaconus, Felicis senatoris filius. Qui, convocatis conprovincialibus, per consilium Dinamii episcopus ordinatus est. Sed et ipse vi pulsatus deinceps a Iovino, ut removeretur, conclusus in civitate, virtute se defensare nitebatur; sed cum non valeret, muneribus vicit." Gallia Christiana VI, p. 614. 581 : Marcellus ... 659 : Aurelien (Aurele) 661 : Mummolus ... 773 : Sigibert (Sigepert, Sigisbert) 791 : Arimundus (Arimond)The name of Arimundus (Arimond) appears among the signatories of the false council of Narbonne in 788. Duchesne, p. 315, no. 9. J.D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, , Vol. 13 (Florence: A. Zatta 1767), p. 823. Charles Joseph Hefele, Histoire des conciles (ed. H. Leclercq) , Vol. 3, part 2 (Paris: Letouzey 1910), pp. 1024–1027. 823–835 : Amelius I. 841 : Éliphas(Éléphant, Alphant, Alphonse) is mentioned in the preface to Dodana's "Liber Dodonae Manualis", in: J.P. Migne (ed.), Patrologiae Latinae Tomus CVI (Paris 1855), p. 110. Duchesne, p. 315, no. 10. 858–879 : Walafrid(Wilfrid, Wilfred) participated in the transfer of relics in 858. He assisted at the coronation of Louis the Stammerer as king in West Francia in 877. He was present at the council of Troyes in 878, and at the council of Mantaille in 879. Duchesne, pp. 315–316, no. 11. 885 : AsaëlAsaël was in office on 15 August 885, the day that S. Theodard arrived in Uzès. Duchesne, p. 316, no. 12. 886–915 : Amelius (II).Amelius: Duchesne, p. 316, no. 13. ... 945 : RostagnusRostaing: Rostagnus subscribed the foundation charter of the Priory of S. Saturninus du Port (-Esprit) in August 945. Claude De Vic & Joseph Vaissete, Histoire generale de Languedoc, . Tome second (Paris: Jacques Vincent 1733). "Preuves," pp. 87–88. Gallia Christiana VI, p. 617 B. Charvet, p. 107. ... 994–1030 : HeribaldusHeribaldus (Aribald, Arbaud) was present at the council of Anse in the diocese of Lyon in 994. In 1004 he was present at the assembly of Psalmodi. In 1010, he was present at a council of Urgel. He subscribed a bull of Pope Benedict VIII (1012–1024) in 1020. In 1025, Heribaldus attended the (second) council of Anse, where a conflict between the archbishop of Vienne and the bishop of Mâcon was adjudicated. J.D. Mansi (ed.) Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus 19 (Venice: A. Zatta 1774), p. 423. Claude De Vic & Joseph Vaissete, Histoire generale de Languedoc, . Tome second (Paris: Jacques Vincent 1733). pp. 143–144, 153. Charvet, p. 107. ... 1030–after 1066 : Hugues (Hugo)Bishop Hugo subscribed the acts of the council of Narbone, which met in 1031 or 1032. In 1050, he was at the council of Thibéry. He took part in the consecration of the cathedral of Maguelonne in 1054. In 1066, Bishop Hugo subscribed to the grant of Count Raymond IV of Toulouse in favor of the abbey of S. Gilles. The "Hugo sedis apostolicae legatus" at the council of Bordeaux in 1080 was not Hugp of Uzès, but Hugo de Die. J.D. Mansi (ed.) Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus 19 (Venice: A. Zatta 1774), p. 556, 795. Charvet, pp. 107–108. ...