The Diocese of Diano (Teggiano)–Policastro (), is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Campania, has existed since 1850, under its present name since 1986. In that year the Diocese of Diano (Teggiano) was united with the diocese of Policastro."Diocese of Teggiano-Policastro" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016"Diocese of Teggiano-Policastro" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016
The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno. Its cathedral is the Cattedrale di S. Maria Maggiore e S. Michele Arcangelo, in Teggiano. The current bishop is Antonio De Luca.
History The diocese of Capaccio (Caputaquensis), as it had grown over the centuries, had become extremely large in geographical extent, and, as the population grew as well, it became much more difficult to administer. In 1848, the inhabitants numbered some 182,000.Marchisano, in: D'Avino, p. 134, column 2. The two considerations are mentioned by Pius IX in his bull. Ebner, p. 305. Discussions on dividing the diocese had already begun in the reign of Pope Gregory XVI,Ebner, p. 312. division of assets and relocation of facilities being of prime consideration. Progress was interrupted by the revolutions of 1848, and the deposition of the pope and creation of the Roman Republic. In addition, Bishop Gregorio Fistilli had resigned on 26 September 1848,Fistilli died in 1849. leaving the diocese of Capaccio without a bishop from 1848 to 1853.Cappelletti XX, p. 361.
On 21 September 1850, at the request of Archbishop Marino Paglia of Salerno and of king Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies,Ebner, p. 304: "Nostris venerabilis Fratris Marini Paglia Salernitani Archiepiscopi, nec non Carissimi in Christo Filii Nostri Ferdinandi Secundi utriusque Sicilie regis, qui novum in illa diecesi Episcopatum Dianensem nuncupandum a Nobis erigendum postulaverunt." in the bull entitled "Ex quo imperscrutabili", Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Diano.Cappelletti XX, p. 362. Ebler, pp. 303-312, quoting the bull in full. The bull was put into effect by the Archbishop of Salerno on 4 March 1851. The seat of the bishop was placed at Diano. To constitute the diocese, twenty-eight territories ("paese") were removed from the diocese of Capaccio, one from the diocese of Salerno, and one from the diocese of Cava.Constituent territories: Ebler, p. 304. Thenceforth the two sees were to be known as Capaccio and Diano. The metropolitan was the Archdiocese of Salerno, as it had been for the diocese of Capaccio.
It was specified that the King of the Two Sicilies had the right of presentation (nomination) of the bishop of the diocese.Ebner, p. 305.
The church of S. Maria Maggiore in Diano was designated the new cathedral of the diocese, and it was appointed a Chapter, consisting of four dignities (the Archdeacon, the Dean, the Archpriest, and the Cantor) and fourteen canons, including a Canon Theologus and a Canon Penitentiarius.Ebner, p. 307.
The first bishop of Diano, Valentino Vignone, was nominated by the king on 16 November 1850, and confirmed by Pope Pius IX on 17 February 1851.Ebner, p. 312. Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VIII, p. 244. In 1882, the city of Diano received the name of Teggiano, and the diocese came to be called informally the diocese of Teggiano.Umberto Benigni (1908), "Diano," The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 4 (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908); retrieved: 24 September 2022.
The diocesan seminary of Capaccio had been located in Diano, and it became the seminary of the diocese of Diano. There was also an episcopal palace belonging to the bishop of Capaccio, which now belonged to the bishop of Diano.Marchisano, in: D'Avino, p. 134, column 2. Ebner, p. 307. Appeal had to be made to the King of the Two Sicilies to help pay for the restoration and refurbishing of the two edifices.Ebner, p. 305.
The vacancy in the diocese of Capaccio was not filled until 1855. The king nominated Francesco Giampaolo on 6 March 1855, and Pope Pius IX confirmed his appointment on 23 March 1855.Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VIII, p. 180. The diocese of Capaccio was united with the Diocese of Vallo in 1853, and the bishop now resides in Vallo.
Diocesan reorganization The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), in order to ensure that all Catholics received proper spiritual attention, decreed the reorganization of the diocesan structure of Italy and the consolidation of small and struggling dioceses. It also recommended the abolition of anomalous units such as exempt territorial prelatures.In its decree Christus Dominus, section 22, it stated: "Concerning diocesan boundaries, therefore, this sacred synod decrees that, to the extent required by the good of souls, a fitting revision of diocesan boundaries be undertaken prudently and as soon as possible. This can be done by dividing dismembering or uniting them, or by changing their boundaries, or by determining a better place for the episcopal see or, finally, especially in the case of dioceses having larger cities, by providing them with a new internal organization.... At the same time the natural population units of people, together with the civil jurisdictions and social institutions that compose their organic structure, should be preserved as far as possible as units. For this reason, obviously, the territory of each diocese should be continuous."
On 8 September 1976, Diano-Policastro lost territory when Diocese of Tursi-Lagonegro was established.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 68 (1976), p. 676: "a dioecesi Policastrensi, Ecclesiae Anglonensi-Tursiensi adsignanda, municipia vulgo Lagonegro, Latronico, Lauria, Maratea, Nemoli, Rivello et Trecchina."
On 18 February 1984, the Vatican and the Italian State signed a new and revised concordat. Based on the revisions, a set of Normae was issued on 15 November 1984, which was accompanied in the next year, on 3 June 1985, by enabling legislation. According to the agreement, the practice of having one bishop govern two separate dioceses at the same time, aeque personaliter, was abolished. Instead, the Vatican continued consultations which had begun under Pope John XXIII for the merging of small dioceses, especially those with personnel and financial problems, into one combined diocese. On 30 September 1986, Pope John Paul II ordered that the dioceses of Diano (Teggiano) and Policastro be merged into one diocese with one bishop, with the Latin title Dioecesis Dianensis-Policastrensis, or, in Italian Diocesi di Teggiano-Policastro. The seat of the diocese was to be in Teggiano, and the cathedral of Teggiano was to serve as the cathedral of the merged dioceses. The cathedral in Policastro was to become a co-cathedral, and the cathedral Chapters of Policastro was to be a Capitulum Concathedralis. There was to be only one diocesan Tribunal, in Teggiano, and likewise one seminary, one College of Consultors, and one Priests' Council. The territory of the new diocese was to include the territory of the former dioceses of Diano and Policastro.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 79 (Città del Vaticano 1987), pp. 696-698.
Dioceses of Bussento and Policastro Diocese of Bussento The diocese was established before the sixth century as the Diocese of Buxentum. All of the dioceses of Lucania,Paestum, Velia, Buxentum, Blanda, Potentia, Consilinum, Grumentum. except Paestum, appear to have been damaged or destroyed by the appearance of the Arian Lombards at the end of the 6th century.Louis Duchesne (1905), "Les évêchés d'Italie et l'invasion lombarde," , in: Mélanges d'archéologie et d'histoire 25 (Paris: Fontemoing 1905), pp. 365-399, esp. 367 and 398-399. D'Avino, p. 133.
Bishops of Bussento Rusticus (attested 501–502)Bishop Rusticus was present at the Roman synods of Pope Symmachus in 501 and 502. Lanzoni, p. 323. Kehr VIII, p. 371: "...Rusticus, qui actis conciliorum Romae a. 501 et 502 celebratorum subscripsit (Mansi VIII 252.269; Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctores antiqissimi XII 435. 454)." Sede vacante (592)Lanzoni, p. 323. Kehr VIII, p. 371: "Iam a. 592 episcopatus Buxentinus et Velinus atque Blandanus pastoribus destituti fuerunt (n. 1), sed mox restituti esse videntur, ut docent acta concilii Lateranensis a. 649 a Martino I celebrati, quibus Sabbatius Buxentinus una cum lohanne Paestano et Paschali Blandano subscripsit (Mansi X 866)." Sabbazius (attested 649)Kehr VIII, p. 371: "mox restituti esse videntur, ut docent acta concilii Lateranensis a. 649 a Martino I celebrati, quibus Sabbatius Buxentinus una cum lohanne Paestano et Paschali Blandano subscripsit (Mansi X 866).
Titular sees The title of Bishop of Bussento, though not the diocese itself, was restored in 1966 as the Titular bishopric of Buxentum (Latin) / Buxentin(us) (Latin adjective). It is called Capo della Foresta in Italian.GCatholic - Co-cathedral of Bussento
Titular bishops of Buxentum (Capo della Foresta): Francisco Cedzich, S.V.D. (1968–1971)Cedzich: (born Poland) (1968.05.11 – death 1971.12.23) as Bishop-Prelate of Territorial Prelature of Alto Paraná (Paraguay) (1968.05.11 – 1971.12.23) Desiderio Elso Collino (1972) From 21 January 1972 to 7 November 1972, Collino was Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Rosario (Argentina). From 7 November 1972 until 24 April 2001, he was Bishop of Lomas de Zamora (Argentina) He retired on 24 April 2001, and died in 2002. José María Márquez Bernal, C.M.F. (1973–1977)Márquez Bernal was titular bishop from 10 October 1973 ti 3 November 1977, while serving as Bishop-Prelate of Humahuaca (Argentina) (10 October 1973–20 February 1991). He retired in 1991 and died in 1995. Dominic J. Khumalo, O.M.I. (1978–2006)On 27 February 1978, Khumalo was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Durban (South Africa) by Pope Paul VI. He retired on 2 March 1999. He died on 27 April 2006. Joseph Karikkassery (2006–2010)Karikkassery was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Verapoly (India) on 25 November 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI. On 18 December 2010, he was appointed Bishop of Kottapuram (India) (2010.12.18 – ...). Eugenio Andrés Lira Rugarcía (2011–2016)Lira Rugarcía was appointed titular bishop of Buxentum on 24 February 2011, and named Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Puebla de los Ángeles (Mexico) (2011.02.24 – 2016.09.22) He was Secretary General of Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano (C.E.M.) from 14 November 2012 to 6 April 2016. On 22 September 2016 he was named Bishop of Matamoros (Mexico) by Pope Francis. Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán (2016 – ...)Morel Diplán was named titular bishop of Buxentum on 14 December 2016 by Pope Francis, and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Santiago de los Caballeros (Dominican Republic) (14 December 2016 – ...).
From 1970 to 1972, there existed a duplicated Latin Titular bishopric of Buxentum (Latin): Titular Archbishop Miho Pušić (6 June 1970–5 October 1972)Upon his retirement as Bishop of Hvar–Brač–Vis (Croatia) (1926–1970), Bishop Pušić was named titular bishop of Buxentum and given the honorary title of archbishop.
Diocese of Policastro