The former French Catholic diocese of Chalon-sur-Saône (Lat.: dioecesis Cabilonensis)Older spelling Chalons-sur-Saône. existed until the French Revolution. After the Concordat of 1801, it was suppressed, and its territory went to the diocese of Autun.Chalons-sur-Saône (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy] Its see was Chalon Cathedral.
History Julius Caesar first mentions Cabillonum in his Gallic Wars. Later it is said to be an oppidum or castrum. It was a civitas of the Burgundians. Chalon was not made a city, separate and distinct from Autun, until the fifth century, and it is probably as a consequence of this development that a bishop, Paul (I.), first appears.Courtépée, p. 214. The first Christians in the neighborhood are said to have been a priest of Lyon named Marcellus, who was imprisoned by the Roman government along with other Christians of Lyon and their bishop, Pothinus, ca. 177 in the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161-180). The rest were executed, but Marcellus, eschewing martyrdom, managed to break out of prison and escape north along the Saône river, first to Tournus and then to Chalon. There he was taken in by a pagan, whom he converted to Christianity. Leaving Chalon, Marcellus encountered the provincial governor, who invited him to a celebration in his residence. When the governor began the celebration with an appropriate sacrifice, Marcellus excused himself on the grounds that he was a Christian; the governor ordered him to participate in the sacrifice, and Marcellus refused.H. Quentin (1908), Les martyrologues historiques du Moyen-Age, Paris, 1908, pp. 179-180; 284. This constituted refusal to obey a legitimate order, and, since prayer to the members of the Imperial Cult was involved, refusal constituted treason (laesa majestas) as well. The governor is said to have had Marcellus buried up to his waist on the bank of the Saône, where he died three days later. The method of death may be shocking, but Marcellus was a prison escapee, who refused a patriotic sacrifice, and disobeyed a Roman governor. Christians made him into a martyr.Besnard, pp. 451-456. While Besnard affirms the historical existence of Marcellus, he argues (along with others) that the Acts of the martyr Marcellus are unreliable.
Bishop Flavius is credited with the foundation of the monastery of S. Pierre, just north of Chalon, in 584. It was destroyed by the Arabs in the 8th century, and rebuilt by Bishop Gerboldus, ca. 887 as a Benedictine monastery.Courtépée, p. 225. The monastery was attacked by the Huguenots in 1562 and despoiled, and the monks were driven out. King Charles IX turned the monastic buildings into a fortress in 1566 and paid the monks an annual pension in recompense.Gallia christiana IV, p. 961.
Bishop Lupus (ca. 600), in a Life otherwise devoid of facts, is credited with founding a school for the study of the scriptures.Acta Sanctorum Januarius III, p. 392: satagebat quoque erga quotidianae eruditionis profectum, et instituta divinorum voluminum schola auditoribus suis caelestis eloquii copiam ministrabat. Batault, p. 9. By the time of Bishop Guillaume de Bellevesure (1294 – 1301), schools were to be found not just in Chalon, but also in towns and villages of the diocese.
Cathedral and other establishments The original cathedral of Chalon was dedicated to Saint Étienne.Besnard, pp. 461-466. In 541 King Childebert presented the cathedral with relics purported to be those of Saint Vincent of Saragossa, in whose honor the name of the cathedral was changed. That cathedral was destroyed by the Arabs in the 8th century, and rebuilt by Charlemagne. It was in that church that the Council of 813 was held. In 1310 extensive repairs were necessary, and Bishop Robert de Decize taxed every curé in the diocese the sum of its first year's income upon entry into office to pay for the works. This tax was imposed for ten years. Bishop Nicolas de Vères completed two vaults of the choir in 1386. Bishop Hugues d'Orges erected the third vault, and Bishop Jean d'Arsonval the fourth and fifth, with contributions from the Chapter and the people. The consecration took place in 1403 by Bishop Olivier de Matreuil.Courtépée, pp. 216-217. The cathedral was severely damaged by the Huguenots in 1562.E. Fyot (1934-1935), "Les spoliations commises par les Calvinistes en 1562 dans la cathédrale Saint-Vincent de Chalon," in: Mémoires de la Société d’Histoire et d’Archéologie de Chalon-sur-Saône 25 (Chalon-sur-Saône, 1934-1935), pp. 124-140.
The cathedral was served by a Chapter, which was composed of dignities and canons. There were seven dignities at Chalon: the Dean, the Cantor, the Treasurer (who were elected by the whole Chapter), and the four Archdeacons (who were appointed by the bishop).Gallia christiana IV, p. 861. The Archdeacons were: Cabilonensis, de Bressia, de Trenorchio, and de Oscarensi. Longnon, p. xli. There were once thirty canons, but the number was reduced to twenty in 1218. In 1327 the number was set at twenty-five.Courtépée, pp. 217-218. In 1648 there were twenty-four canons.Ritzler-Sefrin, V, p. 132 note 1. In 1772 the number was twenty.Ritzler-Sefrin, VI, p. 136 note 1. All the cathedral chapters in France were abolished by the Constituent Assembly on 13 February 1790.
There was also a Collegiate Church in the city of Chalon, dedicated to Saint George.Adrien Martinet, "Note sur le sceau de la collégiale de Saint Georges de Chalon sur Saône," Saint George had originally been a parish church, under the control of the monastery of Saint Pierre. It escaped the fire which destroyed most of the town during the siege of 834, but in 1323 it became a collegiate church with twelve canons. It was served by a Chapter composed of a Dean, a Cantor, a Sacristan, and thirteen prebends. The bishop has the right to confirm the election to vacant canonries. One of the canons was assigned the task of being the priest of the parish.Pouillie general p. 1-2. Courtépée, pp. 223-225.
The abbey of Saint Marcellus (Marcel) was founded by King Guntram of Burgundy (561–592), where he completed a church in 577, and in which he was buried. The abbey was ruined by the Arabs in the 8th century, and again in the 10th century. When the Counts of Chalon became abbots commendatory, it recovered its prestige and financial status. The counts ceded their rights to the Abbey of Cluny, when then became one of their priories.Canat de Chizy, pp. vi-vii. Peter Abelard spent his final months at the priory of St. Marcel, where he died on 21 April 1142. His body was interred there for a time, but secretly moved to the nunnery of the Paraclete and the care of Abbess Héloïse.
Church councils at Chalon A council of the church was held at Chalon c. 470, under the leadership of the Metropolitan, Bishop Patiens of Lyon, to elect a successor to the deceased Paul of Chalon. In the midst of party strife, the bishops fastened on Joannes and made him bishop.
In 579 a council was summoned at Chalon by King Guntram to deal with Bishop Salonius of Embrun and Bishop Sagittarius of Gap, who had already been condemned in the second synod of Lyon on charges of adultery and homicide.J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus IX (Florence 1763), pp. 919-922.
In 603 a council was held at Chalon, in which, at the instigation of Queen Brunhilda of Austrasia, Bishop Desiderius of Vienne was deposed and exiled.J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus X (Florence 1764), pp. 493-494. Hefele, IV, pp. 434, 463.
Around the year 650 thirty-eight bishops met in council at Chalon, among whom was Bishop Gratus of Chalon. The council produced some twenty decisions (canons). Bishops Agapius of Digne and Bobo of Valence were degraded from the episcopal order for disregarding church canons.Mansi, Tomus X, pp. 1189-1198. Hefele, p. 463. In 674 Bishop Desideratus (Diddo) of Chalon and the deposed bishop Bobo of Valence attacked Autun and seized Bishop Leger, their enemy, who had led a revolt of the Burgundian nobility against Ebroin, Mayor of the Palace of Neustria. They blinded him on orders of Ebroin, and held him in a monastery for two years, at which point they cut off his ears and cut out his tongue; after two more years, they killed him.Juedin, Ddd ij.
In 732 Chalon was captured and held by the Arabs of Spain, led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, Governor-General of al-Andalus, until after their defeat by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours.
A provincial council of Tertia Lugdunensis was held at Chalon in 813. It produced sixty-six canons.J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XIV (Venice 1769), pp. 91-108. Among the most important was the requirement of the establishment of a school in each cathedral, in which reading and writing and the scriptures would be taught. Batault, p. 6. Mansi, p. 94, Canon III: Oportet ut episcopi scholas constituant in quibus et litteras solertia disciplinae et Sacrae Scripturae documenta discantur...
In 875 an assembly of bishops, led by Archbishop Remigius of Lyon, took place at Chalon at the church of S. Marcellus for the consecration of Adalgerius as Bishop of Autun. They then met and confirmed the properties belonging to the monastery of Tournus. Gerboldus Bishop of Chalon was present.Gallia christiana IV, p. 876. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XVII (Venice 1772), pp. 299-302. Archbishop Remigius died on 28 October 875.
In 887 nine archbishops and bishops, Bishop Stephen of Chalon among them, met at the church of Saint Marcellus outside the walls of Chalon, to deal with property issues of churches and villas involving the bishop of Langres.J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XVIII (Venice 1773), pp. 51-52.
In 894 three bishops, headed by Bishop Gualo of Autun and including Ardradus of Chalon, met at the church of S. John the Baptist outside the walls of Chalon, to settle the case of the monk and Deacon Gerfredus of Autun, who had been accused of poisoning Bishop Adalgarus of Autun. Gerfredus was able to demonstrate his innocence by taking an oath and receiving holy communion, and was purged of the charge by all of the bishops.Mansi, XVIII, pp. 127-128.
On 31 October 915 seven bishops met under the presidency of Austerius, Archbishop of Lyon, at the church of S. Marcellus outside the walls of Chalon to deal with the case of Roculsus, Count of Mâcon, who was threatened with excommunication for his refusal to respect various properties belonging to the church. They also dealt with a dispute between two priests over a parish church which was being usurped.Mansi, XVIII, pp. 325-326. Bishop Ardradus participated.
A council was held at Chalon by the papal Apocrisiarius Aldebrannus (Hildebrand) in 1065, to adjudge the ownership of the church of Spinola. The Bishop of Chalon Guido (Wido) was present.J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XIX (Venice 1774), pp. 843-844. Guido's (Guy) presence creates a problem, since the dates usually assigned to his episcopacy are 1044–c. 1058, while Hildebrand did not become Apocrisiarius (Archdeacon) until 1059.
A council was held at Chalon by Cardinal Peter Damiani, the Papal Legate, and thirteen bishops in 1063 in the reign of Pope Alexander II. Bishop Drogo of Mâcon had violated the privileges of the monastery of Cluny, and Abbot Hugh had gone to Rome and complained. The council found in favor of Cluny, and Bishop Drogo was compelled to beg pardon.Mansi (ed.), Tomus XIX, pp. 1025-1028.