The Diocese of Meaux (Latin: Dioecesis Meldensis; French: Diocèse de Meaux) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the entire department of Seine-et-Marne. It was suffragan of the Archdiocese of Sens until 1622, and subsequently of Archdiocese of Paris.
History Creation
The present Diocese of Meaux is made up of the greater part of the former Diocese of Meaux, a large part of the former Diocese of Sens, a part of the former Diocese of Paris, and a few parishes of the former Dioceses of Troyes, Soissons and Senlis. Hildegar, who lived in the ninth century, says in his "Life of St. Faro" (Burgundofaro), that this bishop was the twentieth since Denis of Paris.
According to the tradition accepted by Hildegaire, Denis was the first bishop of Meaux, and was succeeded by his disciple Saintin, who in turn was succeeded by Antoninus; Rigomer occupied the See of Meaux at the close of the fifth century. This episcopal list, however, is without credibility.Duchesne, p. 476: "Au déclin du IXe siècle, l'église de Meaux possédait un catalogue épiscopal; il est mentionné dans la vie de saint Faron par l'évêque Hildegaire. Le premier nom était celui de saint Denis, le dix-neuvième celui de Waldebert, le vingtième celui de saint Faron, le trente-sixième celui d'Hildegaire lui-même. S'il est regrettable que cette pièce ne se soit pas conservée, on ne saurait cependant la ranger au nombre de celles qui méritent créance." In 876 or 877, Hincmar showed Charles the Bald a document which he claimed had been transcribed from a very old copy and according to which Antoninus and Saintin, disciples of Denis, had brought to Pope Anacletus (c. 79–91) the account of the martyrdom of Denis, and on their return to Gaul had successively occupied the See of Meaux. However, the same document reports that, during their trip to Rome, Antoninus died and was resurrected from the dead by Saintin, hardly a circumstance to inspire confidence in the document or the events described in it.Duchesne, pp. 476–477.
Councils A council convoked in 845 at Meaux by Charles the Bald adopted important measures for the re-establishment of discipline in the three ecclesiastical provinces of Sens, Bourges, and Reims. Other councils were held at Meaux in 962,The meeting at the Matrona River (Marne) in the territory of Meaux in 962 was made necessary by conflict over the succession to the diocese of Reims, following the death of Archbishop Artaldus. Thirteen bishops met under the presidency of Archbishop of Sens. One Hugues was a controversial candidate, and so the matter was referred to Rome. Pope John XII rejected Hugues, and Odalric was elected instead. J.D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio editio novissima XVIII (Venice: Zatta 1773), pp. 459–460. 1082,Du Plessis, I, p. 108, places the council in 1080, and notes that it was presided over by Bishop Hugues de Die, the Papal Legate. Ursion Bishop of Soissons was deposed. 1204,The Council of 1204 was ordered by Pope Innocent III, and was presided over by his Apostolic Legate, the Cistercian Abbot John of Casamare. Its purpose was to bring about peace between King John of England and King Philip II of France. It failed. Mansi, Vol. XX (Venice 1778), pp. 745–750. 1229 (ended in Paris), where the Count of Toulouse was reconciled with the church; in 1240 a council was held in which the sentence of excommunication was pronounced against Frederick II by Joannes of Palestrina, legate of Gregory IX; there was held an important council in 1523. Four councils were held at Melun, in 1216, 1225, 1232, 1300. The city of Provins was famous in the Middle Ages for its burlesque ceremonies (fête de fous, fête do l'âne, fête des Innocents) held in the church. The church of Champigny has a magnificent crypt dating from the thirteenth century.
The cathedral of St-Etienne de Meaux is a fine Gothic edifice begun about 1170. The pouillé of 1353 shows that the Chapter of the Cathedral had six dignities and at least thirty-seven Canons (who are named). The dignities were: the Dean, the Archdeacon of Meaux, the Archdeacon of Brie, the Cantor, the Treasurer and the Chancellor.A. Longnon, Pouillés de la province de Sens (Paris: Imprimérie nationale 1904), pp. 460–461; cf. p. 472. In 1681 there were 6 dignities and 37 Canons: Ritzler, V, p. 263 note 1. In 1759 there were 6 dignities and 43 Canons: Ritzler, VI, p. 284 note 1.
Notable events Pope Eugene III stayed some days at Meaux from 12 to 30 June 1147.P. Jaffe, Regesta pontificum Romanorum II (Leipzig: Veit 1888), pp. 44–45.
In 1562 most of the inhabitants of Meaux had become Protestants. In the First War of Religion Joachim de Montluc, sent by the king, proceeded with rigour against them. They were still sufficiently powerful in 1567 to attempt to carry off, in the vicinity of Meaux, Catherine de' Medici and Charles IX. Shortly after St. Bartholomew's day in August 1572, the Protestants of Meaux were massacred. At the château of Fontainebleau, built by Francis I, was held the theological conference of 4 May 1600, between the Catholics (Cardinal du Perron, de Thou, Pithou) and the Calvinists (du Plessis Mornay, Philippe Canaye, Isaac Casaubon).
In 1664, John Eudes preached for two months at Meaux. Jeanne Guyon passed the first six months of 1695 at the Visitation convent of Meaux, where Bossuet had frequent conferences with her, but failed to make her abandon her mystic views.
was superior of the preparatory seminary (the Pétit Seminaire) of Châage, in the Diocese of Meaux, from 1812 to 1814. He was particularly famous for his insistence on the importance of history in the curriculum, and for his elementary textbooks in the subject. His Histoire de France was anti-revolutionary and anti-Napoleonic, and caused controversy for some decades.
Revolution The diocese of Meaux was abolished during the French Revolution by the Legislative Assembly, under the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790). Its territory was subsumed into the new diocese, called 'Seine-et-Marne', which was part of the Metropolitanate called the 'Metropole de Paris' (which included seven new 'départements'). The Civil Constitution mandated that bishops be elected by the citizens of each 'département', which immediately raised the most severe canonical questions, since the electors did not need to be Catholics and the approval of the Pope was not only not required, but actually forbidden. Erection of new dioceses and transfer of bishops, moreover, was not in the competence of civil authorities or of the church in France. The result was schism between the 'Constitutional Church' and the Roman Catholic Church. The legitimate bishop of Meaux, Camille de Polignac, refused to take the oath, and therefore the episcopal seat was declared vacant. Two-thirds of the clergy of Meaux, however, took the oath.
On 27 February 1791 the electors of Seine-et-Marne were assembled, and on 18 March, after three ballots, they elected the parish priest of Dontilly, Pierre Thuin. Thuin travelled to Paris for his consecration, which was carried out on 27 March by Jean-Baptiste Gobel, the titular Bishop of Lydda, who had just been installed as Constitutional Bishop of Paris. Thuin's installation at Meaux was not attended by the Canons of the Cathedral or by the directors of the diocesan seminary. Bishop de Polignac emigrated to Switzerland and then to Hungary; he did not return until 1814. Thuin, and all the Constitutional Bishops, were required to resign in May 1801 by First Consul Bonaparte, who was negotiating a treaty with Pope Pius VII, the Concordat of 1801 (15 July 1801). Once the Concordat went into effect, Pius VII was able to issue the appropriate bulls to restore many of the dioceses and to regulate their boundaries, most of which corresponded closely to the new 'départements'. (Latin, with French translation)
The Concordat of 1801 gave to the Diocese of Meaux the department of Marne, but in 1821 and 1822 the territory of the department of Marne was separated from Meaux and distributed to the Diocese of Reims and the Diocese of Châlons.
Bishops of Meaux
Prior to 1300
Medovechus (attested 549, 552)Medovechus was present at the Council of Orleans in 549, and at the Council of Paris in 552. C. De Clercq, Concilia Galliae, A. 511 – A. 695 (Turnhout: Brepols 1963), pp. 59 and 168. Duchesne, p. 477, no. 1. Gundoaldus (attested 614, 627)De Clerq, p. 282. Duchesne, p. 477, no. 2. Faro (Burgundofarus) (626–672)Faro's father, Chagneric, was Chancellor of King Dagobert I; his brother Chagnoald was Bishop of Laon. Faro's sister Fara (Burgundofara) founded the Abbey of Faremoutiers, while Faro himself built at Meaux the monastery of St-Croix. He is attested in 637/638, 660, 664, and 667. Hadrian, the associate of Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, spent the winter of 668/669 with Faro. Bede, Ecclesiastical History IV. 1. Hildegarius, Bishop of Meaux, "Life of St. Faro", in: Martin Bouquet (ed.), Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France Tome troisième (Paris 1741), p. 504. Allou, pp. 22–25. Duchesne, p. 477, no. 3. Hildevertus (672–680);Allou, pp. 25–27 (citing the Life of S. Faro by Hildegarius, the 9th century Bishop of Meaux). Duchesne, p. 478, no. 4. Herlingus (attested 683)Duchesne, p. 478, no. 5. [Pathus];Pathus was a monk of the monastery of Jarre; he died on the day of his election, and was buried in the Monastery of Jarre, according to Gallia christiana VIII, p. 1601. Allou, pp. 27–28, cites only the existence of his relics in the Cathedral, and a village that bears his name. He is passed over by Duchesne. His episcopacy may have been a figment of the monks of Jarre. Ebrigisilus (end of the seventh century);Ebrigisilus, from 684: Gallia christiana VIII, pp. 1601–1602. Allou, p. 28. Gilbert of Meaux ( – 1015);Gilbert is dated by Du Plessis, p. 92, to the years 995 to 1015; Gallia christiana places his death in 1009. He had previously been Archdeacon of Meaux, appointed by Bishop Archanradus. Gallia christiana VIII, pp. 1606–1607. Allou, pp. 33–35. Macarius (attested 1011)Macarius had been a Canon of Notre-Dame de Paris. On 9 January 1011 he gave the Chapter of Paris two churches in his diocese. Gallia christiana VIII, p. 1607. Allou, p. 35. Bernerus (attested 1029)Bernarius participated in the dedication of the church of Saint-Aignan in Orléans in 1029. Gallia christiana VIII, p. 1067. Allou, pp. 35–36. DagobertusDagobertus: Allou, p. 36. Galterius ( – 1082)Gallia christiana VIII, pp. 1608–1609. Allou, p. 36. Gams, p. 575. Robert (1082–1085)Robert was Abbot of Rebais. He was elected eight days after the death of Bishop Galterius at the Council of Meaux, presided over by Hugues de Die, the Papal Legate. He was excommunicated by Richer, Archbishop of Sens, on 2 November 1085. Gallia christiana VIII, p. 1609. Allou, pp. 36–37. Gauthier de Chambly (1085–1105)Gauthier had been a Canon of Paris. He was consecrated by Richer, Archbishop of Sens, in July 1105. Gallia christiana VIII, pp. 1609–1610. Gallia christiana VIII, pp. 1610–1611. Allou, p. 37. Manasses I (1105 – 9 January 1120)Manasses had been Archdeacon of Meaux. He participated in the coronation of King Louis le Gros on 3 August 1108 at Orléans. Allou, pp. 37–38. Burchardus (1120 – 3/4 January 1134)Burchardus had been Canon of the Cathedral of Sens. Gallia christiana VIII, pp. 1611–1613. Allou, p. 38. Manasses II (1134–1158)Manasses participated in the Council of Sens of 1140. Gallia christiana VIII, pp. 1613–1615. Allou, pp. 38–39. Rainaldus (1158 – 1 May 1161)Raynaud was also Abbot of Joue. Gallia christiana VIII, p. 1615. Allou, pp. 39–40. Hugues (1161)Hugues had been Dean of the Cathedral of Meaux. He died on 6 or 7 September 1161. Gallia christiana VIII, p. 1615. Allou, p. 40.