The Catholic diocese of Larino is located in the province of Campobasso, Southern Italy, c. 18 mi. (29 km) south of Termoli. It existed from the 7th century until 1986. In that year it was united into the diocese of Termoli-Larino. It was a suffragan of the archdiocese of Benevento."Diocese of Larino" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016"Diocese of Larino" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016
History The repopulated Larino is a mile from the site of the ancient Larinum (Larino Vecchio), destroyed by war and epidemic. The known bishops of Larinum were: Justus (attested 492 to 496),Kehr IX, pp. 173 and 175, nos. 1-2: "iam Gelasii I tempore episcopos habuisse patet ex epistolis eiusdem papae cuidam Iusto ep. directis...." Aprile (his successor, c. 496–501)Bishop Aprile is known from a letter of Pope Gelasius I (d. 496), though the letter does not name his diocese. Kehr IX, p. 175, no. 3; p. 173: "idem esse videtur ac Aprilis ep., Laterianae" (potius Larianae) eccl., qui a. 501 concilio Symmachi papae subscripsit." and Joannes (attested 555–560).Joannes received a letter from Pope Pelagius I (556–561). Lanzoni, p. 277. Kehr IX, p. 175, no. 4. Nigro, p. 105.
In 493/494, Pope Gelasius I granted Bishop Justus permission to consecrate a basilica in honor of the Archangel Michael, which had been built in his diocese by Priscillianus and Felicissima. They were to be warned, however, that, in donating the basilica to the church and having it consecrated, they surrendered all rights over it.Giovanni Nigro, "Il Molise paleocristiano dalle origini a Gregorio Magno," , in: Vetera Christianorum 40 (2003), pp. 93-116, at p. 98.
Among the bishops traditionally claimed were Saint Pardus, named as the first bishop and said to have died in 650. His alleged remains were not brought to Larino until the 9th or 10th centuryPardus was a bishop of Arpi, c. 314. His remains were taken to Larino after the Saracen attacks of the 9th century, according to the hagiographeer, Deacon Radoin of Larino. Lanzoni, pp. 273-276: "Nel secolo ix i Saracini devastano Larinum: e gli abitanti di Lesina, per provvedere la loro chiesa di sacre reliquie, tolgono da Larinum i corpi dei ss. Primiano e Firmiano, e li portano nella loro città; e quelli di Larinum, naturalmente per compensarsi della perdita dei loro corpi santi, si recano armati tra le rovine di Lucerà, ne rapiscono le ossa del nostro s. Pardo, le trasportano nella loro città, e le collocano da prima in una chiesa di S. Maria, poi in una edificata a bella posta."
On 11 November 943, Pope Marinus II granted a privilege to Bishop Joannes of Benevento, which included "whatever your predecessors were seen to possess legally and reasonably by ancient law," including: "Bivinem, Asculum, Larinum, Sipontum et ecclesiam s. Michaelis archangeli in Monte Gargano cum omnibus earum pertinentiis et omnia praedia."Kehr IX, p. 53, no. 11. In 952, Larino was under the control of the Lombard princes, Landulf II and Pandulf I, who confirmed a number of grants to the monastery of Montecassino, including the church of S. Benedict, inside the walls of Larino, which had been built by the priest and monk Leo, who was afterwards made pseudoepiscopus.Erasmus Gattola, Ad historiam abbatiae Cassinensis accessiones Vol. I (Venice: Sebastian Coleti 1734), p. 55, column 2: "Nec non & concedimus & confirmamus in eodem sancto mопаsterio ecclesiam vocabulo S. Benedicti, qui edificata esse videtur infra muro, & muricino de civitate Larino, quam edificavit Leo presbyter & Monachus, qui postea factus est pseudo Episcopus cum omnibus rebus et substanciis pertinentibus de eadem ecclefia ipsa omnia datum & offertum habuit eodem Leo presbyter & Monachus, quam et confirmamus in eadem ecclesia S. Benedicti, qui edificata est infra predicto muro...." Kehr IX, p. 174, takes this to mean that the diocese of Larino was being governed by a priest in 952.
On 26 May 969, Pope John XIII raised Benevento to the rank of archdiocese, granted its bishop Landolfus the title of archbishop with the pallium, and the right to consecrate bishops in his territory: "facultatemque consecrandi episcopos in locis, quibus olim fuerant, scilicet Sancta Agathe, Abellino, Quintodecimo, Ariano, Asculo, Bibinae, Vulturaria, Larino, Thelesia, Alifis."Kehr IX, p. 55, no. 15.
In 1120 (or 1125), an earthquake struck Larino, causing considerable damage. The monastery of S. Felice was destroyed.Tria, p. 151. Mario Baratta, I terremoti d'Italia (Torino: De Bocca 1901), p. 24.
In 1166, Bishop Petrus of Larino held a diocesan synod.Kehr IX, p. 174. G.A. Loud, The Latin Church in Norman Italy Cambridge University Press, 2007, p. 379.
In 1300, another severe earthquake caused great damage to Larino.Magliano, pp. 170-171. Baratta, p. 43: "Per i terribili terremoti del 1300, che durarono fino all'anno seguente, l'antica Larino dovè risentire non pochi danni."
Politics and scandal
Perronius was already Bishop of Larino under Pope Martin IV (1281–1285), the former chancellor of Louis IX of France. The pope was a great supporter of his fellow countryman, Charles of Anjou, King Louis' brother, whom the papacy had recognized as King of Sicily. Bishop Perronius was no supporter of the French. He was denounced to Cardinal Gerardo Bianchi, Bishop of Sabina and papal legate in Sicily,The Sicilian Vespers began on 30 March 1282, and Gerardo was appointed legate on 5 June 1282. King Charles died on 7 January 1285. for serious faults and gross excesses (ob culpas graves et enormes excessus), and was suspended from office by the legate. Perronius was ordered to present himself at the papal court, which was living in exile in Perugia, and explain his conduct to Martin IV face-to-face. He did so, but without giving satisfaction. He then left the court, without permission, and returned to Larino, where he continued his activities against the heirs of King Charles and the papacy, engaging in sedition and conspiracy. Pope Honorius IV (1285–1287) ordered the archbishop of Benevento, on 4 April 1285, to cite Bishop Perronius to the papal court within thirty days.Maurice Prou, Les registres d' Honorius IV , (Paris: Thorin 1888), p. 333-334, no. 468.
in a letter of 6 August 1289, Pope Nicholas IV had given Cardinal Berardus, his legate in Sicily, the mandate of finding a suitable place for Bishop Saba. Saba had been driven out of his own diocese, the see of Mileto.Eubel I, p. 340, note 3. Cardinal Berardus appointed Bishop Saba as administrator of the diocese of Larino, which was regarded as a vacant see, on a temporary basis (usque ad suum beneplacitum). On 13 September 1291, following the death of Cardinal Berardus,Cardinal Berardus Callensis had been appointed Bishop of Palestrina on 15 May 1288, and died on 5 August 1291. Eubel I, p. 37. Pope Nicholas IV renewed the appointment.Ernest Langlois, Les registres de Nicolas IV Tome II (Paris: Fontemoing 1905), p. 803, no. 5966.
Bishop Joannes of Milevito was appointed administrator of Larino by Cardinal Landolfo Brancaccio, Cardinal Deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria.Brancaccio was named a cardinal on 18 September 1294. Eubel I, p. 49. After his death, Pope Boniface VIII granted the administratorship of the diocese of Larino to Archbishop Joannes d'Alatri of Benevento, on 8 May 1299.Georges Digard, Les registres de Boniface VIII Cinquieme fascicule (Paris: Thorin 1890), p. 419-420, no. 3080. Eubel I, p. 294, note 2. Archbishop Joannes was transferred to the diocese of Capua on 2 January 1301.Eubel I, p. 165. His successor, Adenulf, was also named apostolic administrator of Larino.
On 11 April 1301, however, Pope Boniface decided to appoint the rehabilitated bishop of Fiesole, Angelo, his apostolic administrator of Larino, pastore vacantis.The pope does not write "sede vacante". The appointment was temporary, usque ad beneplacitum Sedis Apostolice.Georges Digard, Les registres de Boniface VIII, Year 7 (Paris: Fontemoing 1907), pp. 71-74, nos. 4039-4041. Bishop Angelo was transferred to the diocese of Methone (Mothon, Modon) on 2 November 1303.Ch. Grandjean, Les registres de Benoît XI Tome I (Paris: Thorin 1883), pp. 10-11, no. 7. Eubel I, p. 351.
On 22 February (or 8 March) 1304, Pope Benedict XI appointed Pasquale,Not "Peter, once bishop of Cassano". There was no such person; cf. Eubel I, p. 170). It was a mistake of Ch. Grandjean, in filling out names expressed with a single letter. He makes the bishop of Larino who was still under suspension "Pasquale"; his name was Perronius. one time bishop of Cassano, apostolic administrator of the diocese of Larino, on a temporary basis (usque ad Apostolicae Sedis beneplacitum).Ch. Grandjean, Les registres de Benoît XI Tome I, , pp. 352-353, no. 525. In the date there is a lacuna: it could be Kal. (22 February) or Ides (8 March).
Bishop Perronius of Larino finally died in the first half of 1309, after a suspension lasting a quarter-century. The cathedral Chapter of Larino proceeded to conduct an election of his successor, under the leadership of the Archpriest Garinus. They chose to proceed by the way of compromise, and appointed a committee composed of Archpriest Garinus and the canons Hugo Roberti, and Luca Magni Petri. They chose Bishop Pasquale, who was serving as the apostolic administrator. and sent procurators to the papal court, with a postulatio in his favor. Pope Clement V appointed a committee of three cardinals to examine the proceedings. On 15 July 1309, the pope signed documents approving the selection of Bishop Pasquale as bishop of Larino.Registrum Clementis Papae V Anni Quarti, , (Roma: Typographia Vaticana 1886), p. 200, no. 4365.
Population and earthquakes On 5 December 1456, a very strong earthquake devastated the entire northern part of the kingdom of Naples. Larino was completely ruined, and 1,313 persons died.Baratta, p. 70: "Larino (Campobasso) — rovinato interamente con 1313 morti. Invece, seconda i signori Magliano (Consid. st. sulla città di Larino, pag. 171) questo terremoto avrebbe distrutto i casali, ma non apportato gravi danni alla città, poiché niuna traccia lasciò sull'arco del campanile e sulla facciata della cattedrale che non furono in queir epoca restaurati."
The city of Larino had a population of c. 200 persons in 1686.Ritzler & Sefrin V, p. 236, note 1. On 5 June 1688, the Sannio earthquake, centered on Benevento, caused widespread damage. Guadalfiera was destroyed.Baratta, p. 160.
By 1742, it is estimated that the population of the city had reached c. 2,300.Ritzler & Sefrin VI, p. 253, 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.