The Diocese of Faenza-Modigliana () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Italy."Diocese of Faenza-Modigliana" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved October 7, 2016. "Diocese of Faenza-Modigliana" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved October 7, 2016. It was created in 1986 through a merger of the diocese of Faenza and the diocese of Modigliana.
Originally the Diocese of Faenza (Faventia) was a suffragan (subordinate) of the Archbishop of Ravenna.Kehr, p. 147. In 1582 the diocese of Bologna was raised to the status of a metropolitan archbishopric by Pope Gregory XIII in the bull Universi orbis of 10 December 1582, and Faenza was made one of its suffragan dioceses.
History
In 740, according to the Chronicon Faventinum of Canon Tolosanus of Faenza,Giuseppe Rossini (ed.), Magistri Tolosani Chronicon Faventinum Rerum Italicarum Scriptoresl Tomo XXVIII, pars 1 (Bologna: Nicola Zanichelli 1900), p. 6: Sub anno itaque dominice incarnationis DCC quadragesimo, parato exercitu magno, nominatus' rex maximis itineribu8 et occultis festinavit venire Favenciam, et sabbato sancto circa horam vespertinam pater per portam Emiliam, que dicitur Ymolensis, filius per Flamineam portam, que est super fluvium, in civitatem subito intraverunt, omnes viros et mulieres senes cum iunioribus, quos invenerunt, in ore gladii perimentes. Populus totus tunc aderat prò pueris baptizandis apud Sanctam Mariam foris portam, ubi sedis erat ep[iscopalis et unde] episcopatus delatus est in ecclesiam Sancti Petri intra civitatem' iubente Romano pontifice... Ex populo nempe pauci evaserunt, omnibus aliis interfectis seu vinculìs mancipatis.... the Lombard King Liutprand descended upon Faenza and put the town under siege. He was intent on seizing the Exarchate of Ravenna and expelling the last remaining Byzantine officials from northern Italy. Pope Gregory III, who was supporting the Exarch, and the people of Faenza who were supporting the Pope, were the object of the King's wrath. On Holy Saturday, in the evening, they broke into the Cathedral, where the annual solemn baptismal service was in progress, and killed or threw into chains nearly the entire population. The name and the fate of the bishop of Faenza are unknown.Righi, Annali, pp. 23-24. Cappelletti, p. 245.
Pope Gregory wrote immediately to Charles Martel, complaining of the destruction and depredations of the Lombard kings, and seeking aid of the Franks. Either Gregory or his successor Zacharias (Gregory died in November 741) ordered the bishop of Faenza to move his episcopal seat from S. Maria foris portam ('outside the gate'), where the outrage had taken place, to the church of S. Peter inside the city.Rossini, Magistri Tolosani Chronicon Faventinum, p. 6, note 1.
On 2 April 1787, Pope Pius VI transferred seven parishes from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Faenza to the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Ravenna.
On 7 July 1850, in the bull Ea quo licet immerito, Pope Pius IX created the new diocese of Modigliana from eight parishes in the territory of the diocese of Faenza.Cappelletti, Volume 17, pp. 349-354. This action was done at the repeated request of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold II, whose political domain included the lands that became the diocese of Modigliana. The Duke was unhappy to see persons under his temporal jurisdiction subject to an ecclesiastical authority (Faenza) which was outside of his domain. The new diocese was assigned to the ecclesiastical province of Florence, and the Collegiate Church of S. Stefano de Mutilano became a cathedral. In 1853, when its first bishop was appointed, Modigliana was transferred to the ecclesiastical province of Bologna.Kehr, p. 147. Ruggero Bovelli was appointed bishop of Modigliana on 5 August 1915, and when a vacancy occurred in the diocese of Faenza, he was also appointed Bishop of Faenza, on 24 March 1924, and on 1 May the decree was issued uniting the two dioceses in the person of Bishop Bovelli.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 16 (Città del Vaticano 1924), p. 301 : 1 maii. — Cathedrali Ecclesiae Mutilanae, cum Ecclesia cathedrali Faventina ad personam unitae, E. P. D. Rogerium Bovelli, Episcopum Faventinum, qui posthac Episcopus Faventinus et Mutilanus appellabitur. On 5 June 1970, Marino Bergonzini was named both Coadjutor Bishop of Faenza and Bishop of Modigliana.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 62 (Città del Vaticano 1970), pp. 540-541. : die 6 iunii. — Cathedrali Ecclesiae Mutilensi Exc. P. D. Marinum Bergonzini, hactenus Episcopum Volaterranum, quem simul constituit Coadiutorem cum iure successionis Cathedralis Ecclesiae Faventinae. Francesco Tarcisio Bertozzi was appointed Bishop of Faenza and Bishop of Modigliana on 6 August 1982.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 74 (Città del Vaticano 1982), p. 1077: die 6 Augusti. — Cathedrali Ecclesiae Faventinae R. D. Franciscum Tharsicium Bertozzi, Vicarium Generalem dioecesis Caesenatensis. — Cathedrali Ecclesiae Mutilensi R. D. Franciscum Tharsicium Bertozzi, qui simul Episcopus Faventinus constitutus est.
In compliance with a Constitution of the Second Vatican Council, and following norms established by Pope John XXIII, after extensive consultations with all interested parties, and with the consent of Pope John Paul II, the Vatican Congregation of Bishops issued a decree on 30 September 1986, uniting the two dioceses of Faenza and Modigliana under one bishop, with one Curia, and with one seat, and one Cathedral Chapter, in Faenza. The former cathedral of Modigliana was reduced to the rank of co-cathedral, and was allowed to keep its Chapter of Canons.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 79 (Città del Vaticano 1987), pp. 704-707: Vi criterii generalis, quo statuitur ut in unum coalescant circumscriptiones ecclesiasticae usque adhuc pastorali curae unius Episcopi commissae, etiam pro dioecesibus unitis Faventina et Mutilensi Congregatio pro Episcopis praesenti Decreto plenam earum unionem decernit.
Cathedral and Chapter
In 816, the Emperor Louis the Pious held a council at Aix, at which it was ordered that Canons and Canonesses live together according to a set of rules (canons, regulae). In the Roman synod of Pope Eugene II of November 826, it was ordered that Canons live together in a cloister next to the church. In 876, the Council of Pavia decreed in Canon X that the bishops should enclose the Canons: uti episcopi in civitatibus suis proximum ecclesiae claustrum instituant, in quo ipsi cum clero secundum canonicam regulam Deo militent, et sacerdotes suos ad hoc constringant, ut ecclesiam non relinquant et alibi habitare praesumant. 'Bishops are to create a cloister next to their church, in which they serve God along with their clergy according to the rule of canons, and they should compel their priests not to leave the church and presume to live elsewhere.'
The office of Archdeacon is older than the Chapter of Canons, being attested as early as 883.Strocchi, p. 70. In 1045 the dignities of Archdeacon and Provost are found combined in one person.Tonduzzi, pp. 153, 155. But, after 1179, there is no mention of the Archdeacon, until the office was restored on 14 May 1517 by Pope Leo X.Strocchi, p. 71.
According to tradition, the Canons and Canonry at Faenza were established by Bishop Paulus, a figure of the mid-tenth century.
In 1045, according to the Chronicon of Canon Tolosanus of Faenza,Giuseppe Rossini (ed.), Magistri Tolosani Chronicon Faventinum, p. 21: Anno MXLV conbusta est Faventia et maior ecclesia cum instrumentìs eiusdem destructa est turris magna que erat in Caminica [Canonica]. a fire consumed Faenza, and the cathedral along with it. The scrinium, where the diocese's documents were kept, was severely damaged. An effort was made immediately to recover, repair, or restore the most important documents. On 23 April, a large public meeting took place next to the wall of the cathedral, Bishop Eutychius (Etico) presiding, and the constitutions of the Cathedral Chapter were reconstructed. The Chapter and the Canonica, it was remembered, had been instituted by Bishop Paulus, and had provided for thirty Canons.Tonduzzi, pp. 152-155: Necessarium duximus tradere memoria textam cartularum nostrae Canonicae quas scimus Iudicio Dei igne consumptas. Et maximè qualiter Domnus Paulus Religiosus Episcopus ordinavit Canonicam et Canonicos supradictae Fav(entinae) Ecclesiae num. xxx. The properties from which they derived their income included the cathedral parish, the parish of S. Pietro in luna, the monastery of S. Stephen Protomartyr in Faenza, the monastery of S. Vitale, and the monastery of S. Savini, along with numerous towns and estates.Tonduzzi, p. 153.
A note in the archives of the Cathedral Chapter indicates that Bishop Federico Manfredi (1471-1478) was the last bishop to be elected by the Chapter.Messeri, p. 60, column 1: ultimus ad episcopatum electus a capitulo legitur canonicus Federicus de Manfredis.
In 1682, the Chapter was composed of three dignities and fifteen Canons.Ritzler-Sefrin, V, p. 198, note 1. In 1742, there were sixteen Canons.Ritzler-Sefrin, VI, p. 213, note 1.
Synods
A diocesan synod was an irregularly held, but important, meeting of the bishop of a diocese and his clergy. Its purpose was (1) to proclaim generally the various decrees already issued by the bishop; (2) to discuss and ratify measures on which the bishop chose to consult with his clergy; (3) to publish statutes and decrees of the diocesan synod, of the provincial synod, and of the Holy See. John Paul II, Constitutio Apostolica de Synodis Dioecesanis Agendis (March 19, 1997): Acta Apostolicae Sedis 89 (1997), pp. 706-727.
Bishop Ugolinus, O.Min. (1311-1336) presided at a diocesan synod in 1312, probably in September; and at another in 1321.Antonio Messeri, in: B. Azzurrini, Chronica breviora aliaque monumenta Faventina a Bernardino Azzurrinio collecta, p. 46 note.
Bishop Giovanni Battista Sighicelli (1562–1575) presided over a diocesan synod in Faenza on 5 October 1569. This was the first diocesan held after the close of the Council of Trent. Strocchi, p. 153.
Cardinal Erminio Valenti (1605–1618), Bishop of Faenza, held a diocesan synod on 15 October 1615. On 11 June 1620, Bishop Giulio Monterenzi (1618–1623) presided over a diocesan synod. Cardinal Francesco Cennini, Bishop of Faenza (1623–1643), presided over a diocesan synod on 26 April 1629. On 4–6 July 1647, Cardinal Carlo Rossetti, Bishop of Faenza (1643–1681), celebrated his first diocesan synod. His second synod took place on 7 October 1649. The third synod was held on 1 June 1651. The fourth took place on 15–16 October 1654. The fifth was held on 18–19 October 1657; the sixth on 13–14 May 1660; the seventh on 18–19 October 1663; the eighth on 17–18 May 1668; and the ninth on 18–20 October 1674.J.D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XXXVIter (Arnhem and Leipzig: H. Welter 1924), p. 283-284. Cardinal Gianfrancesco Negroni, Bishop of Faenza (1687–1697) presided over a diocesan synod which began on 30 August 1694.
A diocesan synod was held by Bishop Antonio Cantoni (1742–1767) on 25–27 June 1748, and its Constitutions were published.
Bishop Giuseppe Battaglia (1944–1976) held a diocesan synod in 1949.
Bishops of Faenza
[Sabinus]It was not until 1573 that the claim was made that Sabinus of Spoleto or of Assisi was bishop of Faenza. The claim is rejected by Lanzoni (1927), p. 770. Lanzoni (1906), pp. 20-21. Gams, p. 688 italicizes his name. ...Messeri points out the complete absence of evidence concerning the period between 465 and 649: Dal 465 al 649 non si ha traccia alcuna dei vescovi faentini. Leontius (attested 649)Bishop Leontius attended the Lateran synod of Pope Martin I in October 649. Ughelli, p. 492. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus X (Florence: A. Zatta 1764), p. 867. Messeri, p. 23, note 3, rejects most of the patriotic fantasies of Strocchi and Valgimigli. ...