Archdiocese of Poitiers

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Poitiers (Latin: Archidioecesis Metropolitae Pictaviensis; French: Archidiocèse Métropolitain de Poitiers) is a Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archepiscopal see is in the city of Poitiers. The Diocese of Poitiers includes the two Departments of Vienne and Deux-Sèvres. The Concordat of 1802 added to the see besides the ancient Diocese of Poitiers a part of the Diocese of La Rochelle and Saintes.

The diocese was erected according to an unsteady tradition in the third century, as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Bordeaux. On 13 August 1317, the diocese was subdivided by Pope John XXII, and two new dioceses, Luçon and Maillezais, were created.Favreau and Pon, pp. 66–67. The diocese was elevated to the rank of an archdiocese in 2002. The archdiocese is the metropolitan of the Diocese of Angoulême, the Diocese of La Rochelle, the Diocese of Limoges, and the Diocese of Tulle.

The Cathedral Church of Saint-Pierre had a chapter composed of the bishop and twenty-four canons. The officers of the chapter were: the dean, the cantor, the provost, the sub-dean, the sub-cantor, and the three archdeacons (who are not prebends). The abbé of Nôtre-Dame-le-Grand was also a member of the chapter ex officio.Pouillé, p. 148, 160.

Before the Revolution, the diocese had three archdeacons: the archdeacon of Poitiers, the archdeacon of Briançay (or Brioux), and the archdeacon of Thouars.Pouillé, pp. 31–32.

The current metropolitan archbishop is Jérôme Beau, who has yet to be installed and was appointed 14 January 2025. Since 2010 there have been three priestly ordinations in the diocese, and four ordinations of permanent deacons.Catholiques en Poitou: Site officiel du diocèse de Poitiers, Ordinations, retrieved: 2017-05-05.

History

Louis Duchesne holds that its earliest episcopal catalogue represents the ecclesiastical tradition of Poitiers in the twelfth century.Duchesne, p. 79, and see p. 82: "Tout ce qu'on peut dire, en somme, c'est que quelques-uns des premiers noms de la liste se retrouvent parmi ceux des saints que l'église de Poitiers honorait, soit qu'ils eussent vécu dans son sein, soit qu'elle en eût adopté le culte. De tout cela, il ne ressort pour notre liste aucune vérification sérieuse." The catalogue reckons twelve predecessors of Hilary of Poitiers, among them Nectarius, Liberius, and Agon, and among his successors Sts. Quintianus and Maxentius. Duchesne does not doubt the existence of the cults of these saints, but he questions whether they were bishops of Poitiers. In his opinion, Hilary (350 – 367 or 368) is the first bishop of whom we have historical evidence.Duchesne, pp. 79–82. In this he concurs with the Benedictine editors of Gallia Christiana.Gallia christiana II, p. 1138.

Notable bishops

Among his successors were Arnauld d'Aux (1306–1312), made cardinal in 1312; Guy de Malsec (1371–1375), who became cardinal in 1375; Simon de Cramaud (1385–1391), indefatigable opponent of the antipope Benedict XIII, who became cardinal in 1413; Louis de Bar (1394–95), cardinal in 1397 who administered the diocese (1413–1423); Jean de la Trémouille (1505–07), cardinal in 1507; Gabriel de Gramont (1532–1534), cardinal in 1507; Claude de Longwy de Givry (1538–1552), became cardinal in 1533; Antonio Barberini (1652–1657), cardinal in 1627; Abbé de Pradt (1805–1809), Chaplain of Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and afterwards Archbishop of Mechlin, Louis Pie (1849–1880), cardinal in 1879.

St. Emmeram was a native of Poitiers, but according to the Bollandists and Duchesne the documents which make him Bishop of Poitiers (c. 650) are not trustworthy.S. Berger, "Poitiers," in: , points out that the inscription that gives his date of death as 662 belongs to the thirteenth century. On the other hand, Bernard Sepp,Bernardus Sepp, "Abeonis episcopi Frisingensis Vita S. Emmerammi authentica," Analecta Bollandiana VIII (Paris V. Palme 1889), 211-255. while admitting that there is no evidence (at vero in catalogo episcoporum huius dioecesis nomen Emmerammi non occurrit...), nonetheless points out that there is space after the death of Dido and the accession of Ansoaldus for Emmeramus, that is, between 674 and 696.Sepp, p. 221, note 2; but cf. p. 226 note 2. Dom François Chamard, Abbot of Solesmes, claims that he did hold the see, and succeeded Didon, bishop about 666 or 668.Georges Goyau, "Poitiers," The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 12. (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911), retrieved: 2017-05-03. May 2017. See: Brigitte Waché, "Les relations entre Duchesne et dom Chamard," in: Mgr Duchesne et son temps. Rome, (École Française de Rome, 1975) pp. 257–269.

Education at Poitiers

As early as 312 the bishop of Poitiers established a school near his cathedral; among its scholars were Hilary, St. Maxentius, Maximus, Bishop of Trier, and his two brothers St. Maximinus of Chinon and St. John of Marne, Paulinus, Bishop of Trier, and the poet Ausonius. In the sixth century Fortunatus taught there, and in the twelfth century students chose to study at Poitiers with Gilbert de la Porrée.

Bishop Gilbert de la Porrée attended the concilium generale which began at Reims on 21 March 1148 and continued for the rest of the month, under the presidency of Pope Eugenius III.P. Jaffé and S. Loewenfeld, Regesta pontificum Romanorum, II, pp. 52–53. Bishop Gilbert is addressed on April 14 in a papal mandate along with the other French bishops in attendance: Jaffé-Loewenfeld, no. 9240. After the conclusion of the council, he was attacked in a papal consistory by Bernard of Clairvaux, always searching for heretics, schismatics and other deviants from his strict view of orthodoxy, for various heterodox theological opinions. Gilbert demanded that he be judged on the basis of what he had written, not on what people believed that he had said, and he was able to argue each charge successfully against Bernard.K. J. Hefele, Histoire des conciles Tome VII (tr. Delarc) (Paris: Adrien Le Clere 1872), pp. 314–318. Pope Eugene ruled in Gilbert's favor, with the full agreement of the cardinals in attendance, and sent the bishop back to his diocese with his powers undiminished and in full honor.The story is told in detail by Otto of Frising, in his Gesta Friderici Imperatoris, Book I, chapters 56 and 57, in: Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptorum Tomus XX (Hannover: Hahn 1868), pp. 382–384.

The University Charles VII of France erected a university at Poitiers, which was his temporary capital, since he had been driven from Paris, in 1431. The new foundation stood in opposition to Paris, where the city was in the hands of the English and the majority of the faculty had accepted Henry VI of England. With a Bull of 28 May 1431, on the petition of Charles VII, Pope Eugene IV approved the new university and awarded it privileges similar to those of the University of Toulouse.Fournier, Statuts pp. 283–285. In the reign of Louis XII there were in Poitiers no less than four thousand students – French, Italians, Flemings, Scots, and Germans. There were ten colleges attached to the university. In 1540, at the Collège Ste. Marthe, the famous Classicist Marc Antoine Muret had a chair; Gregory XIII called him to Rome to work on his edition of the Septuagint, pronouncing him the torch and the pillar of the Roman School. The famous Jesuit Juan Maldonado and five of his confrères went in 1570 to Poitiers to establish a Jesuit college at the request of some of the inhabitants. After two unsuccessful attempts, the Jesuits were given the Collège Ste. Marthe in 1605. François Garasse was professor at Poitiers (1607–08), and had as a pupil Guez de Balzac. Garasse was well known for his violent polemics. He died of the plague at Poitiers in 1637. Among other students at Poitiers were Achille de Harlay, President de Thou, the poet Joachim du Bellay, the chronicler Brantome Descartes, François Viète the mathematician, and Francis Bacon. In the seventeenth century the Jesuits sought affiliation with the university and in spite of the opposition of the faculties of theology and arts their request was granted. Jesuit ascendancy grew; they united to Ste. Marthe the Collège du Puygareau. Friction between them and the university was continuous, and in 1762 the general laws against them throughout France led to the Society being expelled from Poitiers and from France. Moreover, from 1674 the Jesuits had conducted at Poitiers a college for clerical students from Ireland.

In 1806 the State reopened the school of law at Poitiers and later the faculties of literature and science. These faculties were raised to the rank of a university in 1896. From 1872 to 1875 Cardinal Pie was engaged in re-establishing the faculty of theology. As a provisional effort he called to teach in his Grand Séminaire three professors from the Collegio Romano, among them Fr. Clement Schrader, S.J., formerly a professor at Vienna and the commentator of the Syllabus, who died at Poitiers in 1875. The effort does not appear to have borne fruit, a casualty of the 1905 Law of the Separation of Church and State.Université de Poitiers, Secteurs d' activité

Bishops

To 1000 [? Agon]A church in Poitiers was named in honor of a S. Agon, from which came the assumption that he had been a bishop. He was honored in the Basilica of S. Hilarius on 24 August. Gallia christiana II, p. 1137, 1223. Cf. Duchesne, pp. 77, 82. Hilary of Poitiers (349–367) [Pascentius]The five bracketed bishops occur in the 12th century list, but are otherwise undocumented. They are omitted by Duchesne. [Quintianus] [Gelasius] [Anthemius] [Maigentius] Adelfius of Poitiers (533)Duchesne, p. 82 no. 2, points out that an Adelfius episcopus de Ratiate (Retz), who in another version of the subscription list is ex civitate Pectavos Adelfios episcopus, was present at the Council of Orléans in 511, and an Adelfius was represented at the Council of Orléans in 533 (though without mention of his See). C. De Clercq, Concilia Galliae, A. 511 – A. 695 (Turnhout: Brepols 1963), pp. 13 and 19; 103. Daniel of Poitiers (attested 541)Bishop Daniel was present at the Council of Orléans in 541 (but not at the Council of Orléans in 538). Duchesne, p. 83 no. 4. De Clercq, pp. 143 and 146. Pientius 555 or 557–561 Pescentius 561Duchesne, p. 83 no. 6. Maroveus (573–594)Maroveus is often spoken of by Gregory of Tours: Duchesne, p. 83 no. 7. Gallia christiana II, pp. 1145–1148. Plato (594–599)Plato had been Gregory of Tours' Archdeacon, and Gregory took part in his installation as Bishop of Poitiers: Duchesne, p. 83. Gallia christiana II, pp. 1148–1149. Venantius Fortunatus 599–610Gallia christiana II, pp. 1149–1151. Duchesne, p. 83 no. 9. Caregisile (before 614) Ennoald (614–616)Ennoaldus was present at the Council of Paris in 614. De Clercq, p. 281. Johannes (John) I (attested 627)Joannes was present at the Council of Clichy in 627. De Clercq, p. 297. Dido (Desiderius) (c. 629–c. 669)Dido was the maternal uncle of Leodegarius (Léger), Bishop of Autun (who was brought up in Poitiers and became Archdeacon), and of Gerinus Count of Poitou. Duchesne, p. 84 no. 13. Ansoald (c. 677 – after 697)Ansoald: Gallia christiana II, pp. 1153–1154. J. Tardif, "Les chartes mérovingiennes de Noirmoutier," Ulrich Nonn, "Zum 'Testament' Bischof Ansoalds von Poitiers," Archiv für Diplomatik (1972), 413-418 (in German). Paul Fouracre, "Merovingian History and Merovingian Hagiography." Past & Present, no. 127 (1990): 3-38, at 14-15; https://www.jstor.org/stable/650941. EparchiusEparchius: Gallia christiana II, pp. 1154–1155. Duchesne, p. 85 no. 15. MaximinusMaximinus: Gallia christiana II, p. 1155. Gaubert Godon de Rochechouart (c. 757)Godo: Gallia christiana II, p. 1155. Magnibert Bertauld Benedict (Benoit) Johannes (John) (c. 800)Joannes: Duchesne, p. 85 no. 22. Bertrand I Sigebrand (c. 818) Friedebert (attested 834)Fridebertus: Gallia christiana II, p. 1156. Gams, p. 601 column 2.