The Archdiocese of Pescara-Penne () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church on the east coast in central Italy.

It was promoted to the status of metropolitan archbishopric in 1982, and its name was changed from the Diocese of Penne e Pescara to Pescara-Penne.Archdiocese of Pescara-Penne: Creation of the Archdiocese That was in turn created in 1949, when the historic diocese of Penne-Atri was split up, with Atri going to form the Diocese of Teramo-Atri. The Diocese of Atri had been united with the Diocese of Penne in 1252.

The seat of the archbishops is in the Pescara Cathedral.

History The diocese of Penne was always immediately subject to the Holy See (Papacy), except for the period 1526 to 1539, when it was subject to the archbishop of Chieti.Kehr, IV, p. 283.

The diocese of Atri (Adriensis) was established by Cardinal Petrus Capoccius, Cardinal Deacon of S. Giorgio ad velum aureum, Legate of the Marches, under authority of Pope Innocent IV, on 1 April 1251 by the Bull Solet S. Mater. He appointed the church of S. Maria to be the new cathedral.Ughelli, I, pp. 1139-1141. In a letter to the people of Atri of 21 August 1251, Pope Innocent thanked them for their support against the attacks of the Emperor Frederick II.Ughelli, pp. 1141-1142. On 15 March 1252, the Pope united the diocese of Atri and the diocese of Penne in the person of one and the same bishop, aequaliter et personaliter.Ughelli, pp. 1138-1139. aequaliter et personaliter means that the two dioceses each retained its independent character and institutions, while having the same person as their bishop.

In 1927, Pescara became the capital of a new province of the Italian state. On 2 June 1946, a plebiscite of the Italian peoples abolished the monarchy and established a republic. On 1 January 1948, the new constitution of the Italian Republic went into effect. The political changes had a notable effect on the arrangement of the ecclesiastical provinces in the Abruzzi, as Pope Pius XII was well aware. He was especially concerned about the substantial movement of population to Pescara in the first half of the 20th century, and the decision of the Italian government, partially due to destruction of parts of the area during the military operations of World War II, to direct its resources toward the rebuilding and improvement of Pescara. As the capital of a province, Pescara might be expected to become the seat of a bishop; but the city extended over two different dioceses, Chieti and Penne."Dioecesium circumscriptiones": Hisce namque novissimis temporibus Piscaría urbs dioecesis Pinnensis, quae ad maris Adriatici oras iacet, tale incrementum sumpsit, ut, magni facta nominis civitas, merito eiusdem nominis Provinciae caput evaserit. Haec Piscaría urbs nunc ex unione efformata est duorum iam prius exsistentium oppidorum : quorum alterum, Piscaría nuncupatum, ad Theatinam archidioecesim pertinet; alterum vero, cui nomen Castrum Maris Adriatici, intra fines exstat dioecesis Pinnensis; ita ut nova Piscaría urbs partim Archiepiscopi Theatini, partim Episcopi Pinnensis iurisdictioni subiecta est. The Pope, therefore decided on the rearrangement of the diocesan system, which he effected in the Bull Dioecesium subscriptiones of 1 July 1949."Dioecesium circumscriptiones", Acta Apostolicae Sedis 42 (1950), pp. 135–137.

First of all, the Bull brought together all of the parishes of the city of Pescara, by transferring five parishes from the diocese of Chieti to the diocese of Penne. Second, the seat of the diocese of Penne was transferred from Penne.Penne was a town of only 14,000 persons in 1951. to the city of Pescara, and its name changed to Pinnensis-Piscarensis. Third, the parish of S. Cetteo in Pescara was elevated to the status of a cathedral, and the Chapter of the cathedral of Penne was transferred to S. Cetteo; the Archpriest of the Chapter was to be the parish priest of the cathedral. The cathedral in Penne was named a co-cathedral. The diocesan seminary was transferred to Pescara. Since the diocese of Atri was entirely in the civil province of Teramo, Atri was united aequaliter principaliter with the diocese of Teramo, forming the diocese of Teramo e Atri."Dioecesium circumscriptiones", p. 136, nos. 2-10.

Pope John Paul II made additional changes in the ecclesiastical structure of the Abruzzi. In the Bull Ad majorem quidam of 2 March 1982, he created a new ecclesiastical province, and named the bishop of Penne-Pescara as the metropolitan archbishop. He assigned the diocese of Teramo e Altri, which had been immediately subject to the Holy See (Papacy), as a suffragan of the new archdiocese. He also changed the name of the archdiocese from Penne-Pescara to Pescara-Penne. These changes divested the Papacy of the direct control of two more dioceses.Ad maiorem quidem, Acta Apostolicae Sedis 74 (1982), pp. 533–534.

Cathedral and Chapter When the diocese of Atri was established in 1251, the number of Canons in the Chapter of the cathedralC.D. Fonseca, "La cattedrale e il suo Capitolo. Analisi comparata in prospettiva storica, ecclesiologica e canonistica," , in: Annali di Studi Religiosi Vol. 4 (2003), pp. 215-235. was fixed at twenty secular Canons. In electing a new bishop, the two Chapters of Canons were to vote together as one body. The number of electors from each Chapter was to be the same, even if one Chapter had more members than the other. For the first round of voting, they could meet in one or the other cathedral, or in some mutually agreed upon place; in subsequent votes they were to meet alternately in Atri and Penne.Ughelli, p. 1139.

A document of 4 January 1252 mentions that among the dignities of the Chapter of Penne were the Primicerius and the Archpriest.Ughelli, p. 1143. Another, of 26 January 1260, names the Archdeacon, the Archpriest of civitas S. Angeli, the Archpriest of Monte Silvano, and two Primicerii; it also states that there were sixteen Canons of Penne.

In 1698, the city of Penne had a population of c. 4000 persons, and its Cathedral Chapter was composed of three dignities and fourteen Canons.At the time the three dignities were: the Archdeacon, the Archpriest, and the Primicverius. Ughelli, p. 1111. The city of Atri had a population of c. 6000 persons, and its Cathedral Chapter was composed of four dignities and twenty Canons.Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 310 note 1. In 1755, there were three dignities and twelve Canons in Penne, and four dignities and sixteen Canons in Atri.Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 332 note 1.

Bishop Tommaso Balbani (1599–1621) held a diocesan synod in 1599. Bishop Giuseppe Spinucci (1668–1695) held a diocesan synod in the cathedral of Penne in November 1681.

Bishops Diocese of Penne

[Romanus (499)]Romanus: Ughelli, I, p. 1112. The existence of Romanus, Bishop of Penne, depends entirely upon the subscription list of the first Roman synod of Pope Symmachus in 499. The manuscripts give: Valentinus Episcopus Ecclesiae Amiterninae pro Romano Episcopo Ecclesiae Picinansium, with some manuscripts reading Pinantiatium or Bitiuanatium or Bitananatium.J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus VIII (Florence: A. Zatta 1762), p. 235. Lanzoni, p. 370, neither discusses nor even mentions Romanus, remarking only that the diocese might be earlier than the 7th century, Tuttavia non è improbabile che la diocesi di Pinna Vestina sia anteriore al VII secolo. ... Amadeus (attested 817, 844)Bishop Amadeus was present at the coronation of Louis as King of the Lombards in 817. He is also the subject of a charter of the Emperor Lothair. He was present at the Roman synod of 844, which decided upon the legitimacy of the election of Pope Sergius II. Ughelli, I, p. 1112-1113. Mansi, Tomus XIV, p. 802 (Life of Pope Sergius, by Anastasius Bibliothecarius). ... Giraldus (attested 868)On 27 October 868, Bishop Giraldus transferred the remains of five saints. Ughelli, p. 1113. Lanzoni, pp. 370-371. Helmoinus (872–879)Bishop Helmoinus had failed to appear at the Roman synod of 879. Pope John VIII wrote him a letter on 19 November 879, ordering him to appear in Rome by 8 December; the Pope also absolved a man who had been wrongly excommunicated by Bishop Helmoinus. Gams, p. 911. Kehr, IV, p. 284, nos. 1-2. ... Joannes (attested 953–990)Joannes: Schwartz, p. 338. ... Joannes (attested 1059)On 2 May 1059, Bishop Joannes (Felertanus) received the confirmation of the rights, privileges and properties of the diocese of Penne, from Pope Nicholas II (1058–1061). Still during Nicholas' reign, Bishop Joannes resigned his office and retired to a monastery. Ughelli, pp. 115-116. Ughelli states, without reference or proof that he was bishop in 1057. ... Pampo (attested 1070)Pampo: Schwartz, p. 339. ... Heribertus (attested 1111)Heribertus: Schwartz, p. 339. Grimaldus (before 1118–after 1153)Grimaldus was consecrated a bishop by Pope Paschal II, who died in 1118. He was the recipient of letters from Popes Calixtus II (1122?), Innocent II (1140), Eugene III (1150), Anastasius IV (1153), and Adrian IV (1156). Kehr, p. 285. Schwartz, p. 339. ... Oderisius (before 1169 – after 1190)Kehr, p. 286-288, nos. 14 (1178), 15, 17-18, 20-22, 31 (1189). Oddo (1194–1199)In September 1174, Oddo was bishop-elect; on 11 February 1195 he was bishop. Ughelli, pp. 1122-1130. Gams, p. 911. Kehr, p. 288 nos. 32-33. Anastasius Venantii (attested 1215)Anastasius Venanzi: Gams, p. 911. Gualterius, O.S.B. (attested 1216, 1220)Gualterius: Eubel, I, p. 394.

Diocese of Penne e Atri United: 15 March 1252 with the Diocese of Atri

Beroaldus (1252–c.1263)Beroaldus: Cappelletti, XXI, p. 446. Gams, p. 911 column 2. Gualterius (1264–1268)Gualterius had previously been Bishop of Amelia from 1255 to 1264. He was transferred to the diocese of Penne e Altri by Pope Urban IV on 25 January 1264. Jean Guiraud, Les registres d'Urbain IV Tome deuxième (Paris: Fontemoing 1901), pp. 240-241, no. 483: eisdem Pennensi et Adriensi ecclesiis providemus, teque ad ipsas transferimus. Eubel, I, pp. 85, 394. Beroaldus (1268–1285)Gams, p. 911. Leonardus (Cajus), O.S.M. (1285–1302)Leonardus, O.Serv.: Eubel, I, p. 394. Bernardus (1302-1321)Bernardus had been a Canon of S. Peter's in Angers. He was elected, but also provided by Pope Boniface VIII on 11 April 1302. Eubel, I, p. 394. Raimundus (1321–1324)Raimundus had been the Abbot of the monastery of S. Sebastiano in Naples. On the death of Bishop Bernardus there was a contested election Raimundus was confirmed by Pope John XXII on 28 June 1321, after he rejected the candidacies of Magister Guillaume de Saint-Victor and Nicolutio Bartholomei. Eubel, I, p. 394. Guillaume de Saint-Victor (1324–1326) Bishop-electAfter the death of Bishop Bernardus, the Chapter elected Guillaume, Provost of S. Peter de Foresta (Aquino). Pope John XXII confirmed the election on 24 November 1324. On 10 March 1326 he was named a papal Chaplain, being referred to as the Rector of S. Peter's, not the Bishop of Penne e Alatri. G. Mollat, Jean XXII (1316-1334): Lettres communes analysées d'Après les registres dits d'Avignon et du Vatican Tome cinquième, p. 254, no. 21000. Mollat, Tome sixième, p. 125, no.24615. Eubel, I, p. 394. Nicolaus, O.Cist. (1326–1352)Nicolaus was appointed on 13 March 1326 by Pope John XXII. He died in 1352. Ughelli, pp. 1147-1149. Eubel, I, p. 394. Marco Ardinghelli, O.P. (1352–1360)A native of Florence, Ardinghelli (Andrighelli) was appointed Bishop of Penne e Atri on 5 November 1352 by Pope Clement VI. He was transferred to the diocese of Camerino on 31 January 1360 by Pope Innocent VI, in an exchange of dioceses with Bishop Giojosus of Camerino. Eubel, pp. 161 (where he is called a Franciscan), 394. Giojosus (1360–1370)Giojosus had been Bishop of Camerino from 1356 to 1360. He was transferred back to Camerino on 9 January 1374. Eubel, I, pp. 161, 394. Gams' dates are in error.