Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Catania

The archdiocese of Catania (Latin: Archidioecesis Catanensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastic territory in Sicily, southern Italy, with its seat in Catania. It was elevated to an archdiocese in 1859, and became a metropolitan see in 2000. Its suffragans are the diocese of Acireale and the diocese of Caltagirone.[1][2]

Archdiocese of Catania

Archidioecesis Catanensis

Arcidiocesi di Catania
Cathedral in Catania
Location
CountryItaly
Ecclesiastical provinceCatania
Coordinates37.502809°N 15.088604°E / 37.502809; 15.088604
Statistics
Area1,332 km2 (514 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics (including non-members)		(as of 2016)
746,549
736,700(est.) (98.7%)
Parishes157
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
RiteRoman Rite
CathedralBasilica Cattedrale di S. Agata
Secular priests237 (diocesan)
99 (Religious Orders)
41 Deacons
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
ArchbishopSalvatore Gristina
Bishops emeritusLuigi Bommarito
Map
Website
www.diocesi.catania.it
Province of Catania

Historical notes

According to legend, Christianity was first preached in Catania by St. Beryllus.[3] During the persecution of Decius the virgin St. Agatha suffered martyrdom.[4] At the same period or a little later the Bishop of Catania was Everus, who is mentioned in the acts of the martyrs of Leontini (303).[5] This same year is marked by the martyrdom of the Deacon Euplius and others.[6]

Earliest bishops

It is said that a Domninus (or Domnicius) was Bishop of Catania and was present at the Council of Ephesus (431); the Acts of the council, however, show that he was bishop of 'Coliaeum' (Cotyaeum, Cotyaion) in Phrygia, not bishop of Catania.[7]

A genuine bishop, Fortunatus, was twice sent with Bishop Ennodius of Pavia by Pope Hormisdas to Emperor Anastasius I to effect the union of the Eastern Churches with Rome (514, 516). Bishops Leo and Junius appear in the correspondence of Gregory the Great. In 730 Bishop Jacobus (Giacomo) suffered martyrdom for his defence of images. In 750, or thereabouts, Sabino was Bishop of Catania.[8] His successor, Saint Leo of Catania, also known as Leo of Ravenna, was known as a wonder-worker (thaumaturgus).

Bishop Euthymius was at first an adherent of the Patriarch Photius, but in the Eighth General Council approved the restoration of Ignatius as patriarch. John of Ajello, who died in the 1169 Sicily earthquake, won a contested episcopal election against William of Blois in 1167.

In the 9th century, while still a Greek city, Catania became suffragan to the archdiocese of Monreale.

Under the Arabs and the Normans

From c. 827 to 1275 Catania was subject to the Arab (Saracen) occupation of the island of Sicily.[9]

In 1169 an eruption of Mount Etna completely destroyed Catania, with a loss of life of some 15,000 persons. The Bishop of Catania, Ioannes de Agello, was among the dead.[10]

On 7 July 1274 Pope Gregory X wrote to the Bishop of Syracuse that he had received information that the Bishop of Catania (Angelo Boccamazza), along with his cousin Bartolomeo Romano and two nephews, had attacked a Franciscan convent at Castro Orsino and destroyed its buildings; the Bishop of Syracuse was ordered to investigate, and if the charges were true, he was to excommunicate the offending parties.[11]

In 1409 a severe earthquake reduced the monastery of S. Nicolo l'Arena to ruins.[12]

Bishop Bellomi (1450–1472) petitioned Pope Nicholas V that the Cathedral Chapter of Catania should include the dignities of the Archdeacon, Prior, Cantor, the Dean, and the Treasurer. Papal permission was granted on 12 June 1453.[13] There were twelve primary Canons and twelve secondary Canons.[14] Pope Pius V (1566–1572) abolished the dignity of Archdeacon. Originally the Canons were all members of a monastic community and followed the Rule of St. Benedict (hence the office of Prior),[15] but Bishop Vincenzo Cutelli (1577-1589) obtained permission from Pope Gregory XIII on 9 February 1578 to convert the Chapter into a corporation of secular priests.[16] Bishop Ottavio Branciforte (1638-1646) revived the dignity of Archdeacon in April 1639, and appointed his brother Luigi Branciforte, Doctor in utroque iure (Civil and Canon Law) to the dignity.[17]

On 11 March 1669 a major fissure opened up on the southeast side of Mt. Etna, some ten miles from Catania, and sent lava in the direction of the city. The stream passed along the walls of the city and reached the sea, but at the beginning of May fresh supplies of lava overtopped the walls of Catania and destroyed the monastery of the Benedictines. The vinyards of the Jesuits, who staffed a college in Catania, were also destroyed. By mid-May three quarters of Catania was surrounded by lava, and several streams entered the city. Fourteen towns and villages between the volcano and Catania were obliterated, leaving only the tower of a ruined church visible.[18]

From 1679 to 1818, the bishop of Catania was the Grand Chancellor of the University of Catania. The University had been founded in 1444 by Alfonso the Magnificent of Aragon, and was under the administration of the commune of Catania, with the supervision of the Viceroy of Sicily. It was small and remained so, even dropping its Humanities professor by the 16th century, a move which was sanctioned by the Viceroy in 1579. "The University of Catania was the most modest of Italian universities. It never expanded beyond a skeleton faculty, nor did it recruit famous scholars."[19]

In 1556 the Jesuits established a secondary school ('college') in Catania, which supplied the needed education in the Humanities, which the University had abandoned.[20]

On 9 January 1693[21] a major earthquake destroyed the city of Catania and killed eighteen thousand people.[22] Only a part of the cathedral and one house survived.[23] Another earthquake struck the ruins of Catania at the end of September 1693.[24]

In 1798, when the armies of General Bonaparte occupied the Kingdom of Naples, Church institutions were closed and church property was confiscated. This included the suppression of the religious orders, both male and female, and the sale of their property for the benefit of the State. The Jesuits had already been expelled and their properties liquidated beginning in 1767. In 1810 King Joachim Murat received permission to invade Sicily, with similar consequences.[25] The connection between episcopate and education was abolished.

In 1859 the diocese of Catania was made an archiepiscopal see, immediately subject to the Holy See.[26]

Bishops of Catania

Latin Name: Catanensis

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

to 1300
...
  • Fortunatus (attested 514–516)[27]
  • Ignotus (c. 558–560)[28]
  • Elpidius (attested 558–560)[29]
  • Leo (attested 591–604)[30]
...
  • Leo Thaumaturgus (c. 778 ?)[31]
...
  • Ansgarius (by 1091 – 1124)[32]
  • Mauritius, O.S.B. (1124 – c. 1144)[33]
  • Julianus (Joannes) (1144 – c. 1156)[34]
  • Bernardus (c. 1156 – 1158)[35]
  • Ioannes de Agello (1158 – 4 February 1169)[36]
  • Robertus, O.S.B. (attested 1170 – 1179)[37]
  • Symon, O.S.B. (attested 1189 – 1191)[38]
  • Leo (attested 1194)[39]
  • Rogerius Orbus, O.S.B. (April 1195 – 1206)[40]
  • Walter of Palearia (1208–1229)[41]
  • Henricus de Bilversheim (c. 1231 – 1232)[42]
  • Oddo Capucci (1254–1256)[43]
  • Angelo d'Abrusca (1257–1272)[44]
  • Angelo Boccamazza (after 1272 – 1282?)[45]
  • Gentilis, O.P. (1296–1304)[46]

1300 to 1600
  • Leonardo Fieschi (Flisco) (10 January 1304 – 21 March 1331)[47]
  • Nicolaus (13 March 1332 – 1339)
  • Nicolaus de Grelis, O.S.B. (24 November 1339 – 1342)
  • Geraldus, O.Min. (27 November 1342 – 1347) (Administrator)[48]
  • Petrus[49]
  • Joannes de Luna (30 May 1348 – 1355)[50]
  • Martialis (4 December 1355 – 1375)[51]
  • Elias (14 May 1376 – 1388)[52]
  • Petrus de Alagona (5 August 1388 – ?) (Avignon Obedience)[53]
  • Simon de Puteo, O.P. (De Puits) (16 December 1378 – 1396) (Roman Obedience)[54]
  • Petrus Serra (1396–1397) (Avignon Obedience)[55]
  • Robertus (1398–1404) (Avignon Obedience)[56]
  • Mauro Cali, O.S.B. (1408–1411) (Pisan Obedience)[57]
  • Thomas de Asinari, O.S.B. (5 February 1411 – 1415)[58]
  • Joannes de Podio, O.P. (28 February 1418 – 1431)[59]
  • Joannes de Piscibus, O.Min. (21 November 1431 – 3 February 1447),[60] appointed titular bishop
  • Cardinal Joannes de Primo (3 February 1447 – 21 January 1449) (Administrator)[61]
  • Arias de Davalos (14 February 1449 – 1450)[62]
  • Guglielmo Belloni (Bellomo) (2 Oct 1450 – 1472 Died)[63]
  • Giuliano della Rovere (13 Jan 1473 – 23 May 1474)[64]
  • Francesco de Campulo (1474–1475 Died)[65]
  • Giovanni Gatto, O.P. (18 Aug 1475 – 8 Feb 1479)[66]
  • Bernardo Margarit, O.S.B. (8 Feb 1479 – 1486 Died)[67]
  • Alfonso Carrillo de Albornoz (8 Nov 1486 – 27 Jun 1496)[68]
  • Juan Daza (27 Jun 1496 – 14 Feb 1498)[69]
  • Francisco Desprats (20 Mar 1498 – 9 Feb 1500)[70]
  • Diego Ramírez de Guzmán (26 Jun 1500 – 23 Oct 1508 Died)[71]
  • Jaime de Conchillos, O. de M. (25 Feb 1509 – 1 Oct 1512)[72]
  • Gaspar Ponz (4 Apr 1513 – 14 Oct 1520 Died)[73]
  • Cardinal Matthäus Schiner (1 Nov 1520 – 30 Sep 1522 Died) (Administrator)[74]
  • Cardinal Pompeo Colonna (27 Feb 1523 – 18 Jan 1524) (Administrator)[75]
  • Marino Ascanio Caracciolo (18 Jan – 24 Jul, 1524 Resigned)
  • Scipione Caracciolo (24 Jul 1524 – 28 Oct 1529 Died)[76]
  • Marino Ascanio Caracciolo (29 Nov 1529 – 9 Mar 1530 Resigned)
  • Luigi Caracciolo (9 Mar 1530 – 1 Sep 1536 Died)[77]
  • Cardinal Marino Ascanio Caracciolo (1 Sep 1536 – 8 Jan 1537 Resigned)
  • Nicola Maria Caracciolo (8 Jan 1537 – 15 May 1567 Died)[78]
  • Antonino Faraone (9 Feb 1569 – 29 Jul 1572 Died)[79]
  • Juan Orozco de Arce (11 Aug 1574 – 28 Mar 1576 Died)[80]
  • Vincenzo Cutelli (11 Sep 1577 – 1589 Resigned)[81]
  • Juan Corrionero (2 Mar 1589 – 9 Jul 1592 Died)
  • Giovanni Domenico Rebiba (11 Dec 1595 – 6 Feb 1604 Died)[82][83]
  • Juan Ruiz Villoslada (5 Dec 1605 – 1609 Died)[82]

1600 to 1800
Sede Vacante (1717–1721)[90]
  • Cardinal Álvaro Cienfuegos Villazón, S.J. (20 Jan 1721 – 21 Feb 1725)[91]
  • Alessandro Burgos, O.F.M. Conv. (20 Feb 1726 – 20 Jul 1726 Died)[92]
  • Raimundo Rubí, O. Cart. (26 Nov 1727 – 20 Jan 1729 Died)[93]
  • Pietro Galletti (28 Nov 1729 – 6 Apr 1757 Died)[94]
  • Salvatore Ventimiglia, C.O. (19 Dec 1757 – 11 Dec 1771 Resigned)[95]
  • Corrado Maria Deodato de Moncada (10 May 1773 – 23 Oct 1813 Died)[96]

since 1800
Sede Vacante
  • Gabriello Maria Gravina, O.S.B. (23 Sep 1816 – 24 Nov 1817 Resigned)[97]
  • Salvator Ferro de Berardis (16 Mar 1818 – 15 Dec 1819 Died)[98]
  • Domenico Orlando, O.F.M. Conv. (24 Nov 1823 – 21 Apr 1839 Died)
  • Felice Regano (Regnano) (11 Jul 1839 – 30 Mar 1861 Died)

Archbishops of Catania
Latin Name: Archidioecesis Catanensis
Elevated: 4 September 1859
Sede Vacante (1861–1867)[99]
  • Giuseppe Benedetto Dusmet, O.S.B. (22 Feb 1867 – 4 Apr 1894 Died)[100]
  • Giuseppe Francica-Nava de Bontifè (18 Mar 1895 – 7 Dec 1928 Died)
  • Emilio Ferrais (7 Dec 1928 – 23 Jan 1930 Died)
  • Carmelo Patané (7 Jul 1930 – 3 Apr 1952 Died)
  • Guido Luigi Bentivoglio, S.O.C. (3 Apr 1952 – 16 Jul 1974 Retired)
  • Domenico Picchinenna (16 Jul 1974 – 1 Jun 1988 Retired)
  • Luigi Bommarito (1 Jun 1988 – 7 Jun 2002 Retired)
  • Salvatore Gristina (7 Jun 2002 – )

Other affiliated bishops

Coadjutor archbishops
  • Emilio Ferrais (1925-1928)
  • Guido Luigi Bentivoglio, O. Cist. (1949-1952)
  • Domenico Picchinenna (1971-1974)

Auxiliary bishops
  • Antonio Maria Trigona (1806-1817), appointed Archbishop of Messina
  • Francesco di Paola Berretta (1828-?)
  • Giovanni Fortunato Paternò (1823-1834)
  • Pietro Gravina Luzzena (1836-1855)
  • Antonio Caff (1882-1895)
  • Emilio Ferrais (1911-1925), appointed Coadjutor here
  • Pio Vittorio Vigo (1981-1985), appointed Bishop of Nicosia

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
  • Gaetano Maria Giuseppe Benedetto Placido Vincenzo Trigona e Parisi (priest here, 1791-1817), appointed Bishop of Caltagirone in 1818; future Cardinal
  • Salvatore Nicolosi, appointed Bishop of Lipari in 1963
  • Salvatore Pappalardo, appointed Bishop of Nicosia in 1998 (He is not the Salvatore Pappalardo who was Archbishop of Palermo and who became Cardinal in 1973.)
  • Giuseppe Marciante (priest here, 1980-1993), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Roma (Rome) in 2009
  • Giuseppe Schillaci, appointed Bishop of Lamezia Terme in 2019
  • Giuseppe Batri, appointed Archbishop of Cagliardi in 2019

Suffragan sees
Since 2000

Notes
  1. "Archdiocese of Catania" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016
  2. "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Catania" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016
  3. Beryllus is known from the Martyrologium Romanum, a liturgical calendar used by the diocese of Rome. Ottavio Gaetani (1657). Petrus Salernus (ed.). Vitae sanctorum Siculorum, ex antiquis graecis latinisque monumentis (in Latin). Volume I. Palermo: apud Cirillos. pp. 18–19. Pirro, pp. 514–515 (who lists numbers of authorities, beginning with Cardinal Baronius, who followed that source). The accumulation of followers does not increase the authority of the source.
  4. Agatha is known from the Passio S. Agathae, a hagiographical work written between the second half of the fifth century and before the eighth century. She was not, of course, a cleric. Pirro, pp. 515–516. Lanzoni, p. 626.
  5. Everus was said to have served in the time of Valerianus and Gallienus (250s AD). Pirro, p. 516.
  6. Pirro, p. 516, column 2.
  7. J.-D. Mansi (ed.) Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus V (Florence 1761), pp. 1223 and 1364. Lanzoni, p. 629. Lanzoni points out that the only western prelates at the Council of Ephesus were the representatives of Pope Leo I.
  8. Gaetani, Vol. II, p. 3. Canon Gaetano Lombardo, in: D'Avino, p. 174, column 2.
  9. Pirro, p. 520.
  10. Lee Allyn Davis (2010). Natural Disasters (new ed.). New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 392. ISBN 978-1-4381-1878-9. Mario Baratta (1901). I terremoti d'Italia: Saggio di storia, geografia e bibliografia sismica italiana (in Italian). Torino: Fratelli Bocca. p. 27.
  11. Alessandro Musco; Giuliana Musotto (2007). I francescani e la politica. Franciscana, 13 (in Italian). Volume 2. Palermo: Officina di Studi Medievali. pp. 190, with note 69. ISBN 978-88-88615-63-9. J.H. Sbaralea (ed.), Bullarium Franciscanum III (Rome 1765), p. 214, no. XLI.
  12. Baratta, p. 61.
  13. Pirro, p. 541, column 1.
  14. Lombardo, in: D'Avino, p. 182 column 2.
  15. Pirro, pp. 571–573.
  16. Pirro, p. 566.
  17. Pirro, p. 560, column 2.
  18. Charles Hutton; George Shaw; Richard Pearson, eds. (1809). The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, abridged. Vol. I, From 1665 to 1672. London: C. & R. Baldwin. pp. 383–387. Davis, p. 396.
  19. On the early history of the University of Catania, see: Vincenzo Cordaro Clarenza (1833). Osservazioni sopra la storia di Catania cavate dalla storia generale di Sicilia (in Italian). Tomo terzo. Catania: per S. Riggio. pp. 207–209. Paul F. Grendler (2011). "Chapter 3". The Universities of the Italian Renaissance. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 101–103. ISBN 978-1-4214-0423-3.
  20. Grendler, p. 102.
  21. Robert Mallet; John William Mallet (1858). The Earthquake Catalogue of the British Association for the Advancement of Science: With the Discussion, Curves and Maps, Etc. Taylor & Francis. p. 101.
  22. Baratta, I terremoti d'Italia, pp. 165–173. It was estimated that in 1687 the city of Catania contained about 20,000 inhabitants. Ritzler-Sefrin, V, p. 150 note 1.
  23. Douglas Brooke Wheelton Sladen (1908). Sicily, the New Winter Resort: An Encyclopaedia of Sicily. Methuen. p. 325.
  24. Mallet and Mallet, p. 101.
  25. John A. Davis (2006). Naples and Napoleon: Southern Italy and the European Revolutions, 1780-1860. OUP Oxford. pp. 151–156. ISBN 978-0-19-820755-9.
  26. Umberto Benigni (1908), "Catania (Catanensis)" The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908, retrieved: 2017-3-30, states that the date was 1860, but the other sources (e.g. Cheney and Chow) unanimously say that the date was 1859.
  27. Fortunatus: Pirro, p. 517. Lanzoni, p. 629 no. 2. Kehr, X, p. 283, states that a bishop of Catania does not appear until the sixth century: ...licet antistites eius non prius quam saec. VI occurrant, though the diocese goes back to the fourth or even the third century.
  28. Bishop Eucarpus of Messana was appointed Visitor of the Church of Catania, whose bishop had died. Pope Pelagius I ordered him to see to the election of a suitable successor. Philippus Jaffé (1885). Paul Ewald (ed.). Regesta pontificum Romanorum: ab condita Ecclesia ad annum post Christum natum MCXCVIII (in Latin). Tomus I. Leipzig: Veit et Comp. pp. 129, no. 977. Lanzoni, p. 629 no. 3.
  29. Elpidius was elected in Catania, and consecrated in Rome by Pope Pelagius I. Kehr, p. 286, no. 3. Jaffé, nos. 982, 992, 1001, 1030. He was remembered by Pope Gregory I. Pirro, p. 517. Lanzoni, p. 629 no. 4.
  30. Leo's name occurs frequently in the epistles of Pope Gregory I. Pirro, p. 517. Lanzoni, p. 629 no. 5. Kehr, pp. 287–290, nos. 5-17.
  31. Information about Leo Thaumaturgus is derived from the Gallican Breviary, a prayer book. He was from Ravenna, and left home to be with Cyril, Bishop of Reggio Calabria. Pirro, p. 518. Gams, p. 944.
  32. Ansgar was consecrated by Pope Urban II. He was given a mandate by Pope Paschal II in 1111 to serve on a committee to investigate the alleged simony of Archbishop Gualterius of Palermo. Kehr, pp. 290–291, nos. 18-20.
  33. Pirro, pp. 525–528.
  34. Julianus: Pirro, pp. 528–529. Gams, p. 944.
  35. Bernardus: Pirro, p. 529 column 2.
  36. Ioannes was the brother of Matthew, Chancellor of King William of Sicily. He was consecrated by Pope Alexander III. Pirro, pp. 531–532. Kehr, p. 291-292, nos. 24-25.
  37. Robertus received a re-confirmation of the privileges of the Church of Catania from Pope Alexander III dated 20 August 1171. Pirro, pp. 531–532. Kamp, p. 1204. Kehr, p. 292 no. 21.
  38. Symon: Kamp, p. 1205.
  39. Leo: Pirro, pp. 531–532. Kamp, p. 1206-1207. Kamp explains that he was not 'Leo de Ravenna', there being a confusion with the eighth century Bishop Leo.
  40. Roger was a native of Catania. Pirro, pp. 532–533. Kamp, pp. 1207–1209.
  41. Gualterius was Chancellor of the Kingdom of Sicily. In the summer of 1221 he accompanied Count Henricus of Malta on the expedition to Damietta, and, due to its failure and unwilling to face the wrath of Emperor Frederick II, Gualterius went off into exile. He was restored in 1229 through the influence of Pope Gregory IX. Pirro, pp. 533–535. Kamp, pp. 1210–1216.
  42. Henricus: Eubel, I, p. 176 with note 1. Kamp, pp. 1217–1221.
  43. Oddo was a native of Rome and the nephew of Cardinal Pietro Capucci. Kamp, pp. 1224–1228.
  44. Fulvio Mazza (2008). Catania: storia, cultura, economia (in Italian). Soveria Mannelli: Rubbettino. pp. 111–112.
  45. Boccamazza was the brother of Cardinal Giovanni Boccamazza, who was Archbishop of Monreale in Sicily. Angelo probably (according to Walter) abandoned his diocese as a result of the Sicilian Vespers of 1282, and thereafter lived in Rome. He continued to hold the title of Bishop of Catania until 1296. Pirro, p. 536. Ingeborg Walter, "Boccamazza, Angelo," Dizionario biografico degli Italiani Volume 11 (1969).
  46. Pirro, p. 536. Gams, p. 944.
  47. Fieschi, a member of the noble Genoan family, governed Catania through vicars, including Otho Abrazabeni. He visited Catania in 1313, but became involved in a lawsuit with the Benedictines, and returned to Genoa. A major eruption of Mount Etna, which began in June 1329, severely damaged Catania. Bishop Leonardo died in Genoa on 21 March 1331. Pirro, p. 537. Eubel, I, p. 176.
  48. Gerald studied under John Duns Scotus in Paris, and was a personal friend of Pope John XXII. He was also Latin Patriarch of Antioch (1342–1347). He took possession by proxy of Theobaldus, Archbishop of Palermo, and governed Catania through Vicars, Fr. Jacobus de Soris, then Jacobus titular Bishop of Sebasteia (Armenia), then Joannes de Grisalone and Gerardus de Lucicampo. He died in 1347, likely of the Black Death, which reached Sicily in October 1347 and Avignon by January 1348 (where there were 62,000 deaths between January 25 and April 27). Pirro, pp. 539–540. Eubel, I, pp. 93, 176, 440.
  49. Pirro, p. 540. Omitted by Eubel, I, p. 176.
  50. Juan de Luna, a relative of the kings of Aragon, had been a Canon of Toledo. Pirro, pp. 540–541.
  51. Martialis had been Abbot of the Benedictine monastery of S. Andrea de Insula in Brindisi. He died in Avignon in 1375. Pirro, pp. 541–542. Eubel, I, p. 176.
  52. Elias was a native of Limoges When he was deposed by Urban VI in 1378, Simon was appointed Vice-Treasurer of Clement VII. Pirro, p. 542. Eubel, I, p. 176 note 8.
  53. Petrus succeeded Bishop Elias, by appointment of Clement VII. Eubel, I, p. 176.
  54. Simon was appointed after Urban VI deposed Bishop Elias. Bishop Elias continued to have the support of Clement VII of the Avignon Obedience. When Elias died in 1388, the diocese of Catania was given to Petrus de Alagona by Clement VII. Simon continued in occupation, however, until he was deposed by Benedict XIII in 1396. Eubel, I, pp. 176–177.
  55. Serra was a native of Barcelona and a cousin (sobrinus) of King Martin. He was a Royal Councilor and Chancellor of the Kingdom of Aragon. He was appointed by Benedict XIII. He resigned the office when Benedict XIII promoted him to the cardinalate on 22 September 1397. He died in Genoa in October 1404. Pirro, p. 545. Eubel, I, p. 30 no. 4.
  56. Bishop Robert: Pirro, pp. 545–546. Gams, p. 944.
  57. Cali had been Bishop of Malta (1393–1408). He was nominated bishop of Catania by King Martin, and approved by Pope Alexander V, who had been elected by the cardinals at the Council of Pisa. Lombardo states that Cali was removed on orders of Queen Maria because he favored the party of Count Caprera her enemy. Lombardo, in D'Avino, p. 178. Gams, p. 944. Eubel, I, pp. 177, 340.
  58. The Canons of Catania unanimously elected Asinari, a native of Catania and Prior of the Cathedral. He was acceptable to Ferdinand I of Aragon, but controversy arose among the supporters of Bishop Cali. Asinari submitted his resignation to the papal Legate and returned to his old position of Prior of S. Agata in Catania. Pirro, p. 546, column 2. Gams, p. 944. Eubel, I, p. 177.
  59. Giovanni de Podio had been Master General of the Dominicans, and an adherent of Clement VII. He participated in the Council of Constance. He was confessor of Pope Martin V. Pirro, p. 547. Eubel, I, p. 177.
  60. Joannes was transferred to the titular diocese of Philipopolis. Pirro, pp. 547–548. Eubel, II, pp. 122, 215.
  61. Cardinal Giovanni died on 21 January 1449. Pirro, p. 548. Eubel, II, pp. 9, 64, 122.
  62. A native of Naples, Davalos was appointed bishop of Catania on the recommendation of King Alfonso, with the consent of Pope Eugene IV. Summoned to Rome to defend himself against criminal activities (which had been judged by King Alfonso to be true), he died there before trial, perhaps by 12 May 1450, perhaps on 22 August. Pirro, pp. 548–549. Lombardo, in D'Avino, p. 178. Eubel, I, p. 122, with note 2.
  63. Belloni was a member of Syracusan nobility. Lombardo, in D'Avino, p. 179 column 1. Eubel, II, p. 122.
  64. Giuliano della Rovere was a nephew of Pope Sixtus IV. King John did not approve of his appointment, and eventually appointed Francesco de Campulo to replace della Rovere, who was transferred from Catania to the diocese of Avignon. He became Pope Julius II on 1 November 1503. Eubel, II, pp. 16 no. 2; 122; III, p. 9.
  65. Campulo was never granted possession of Catania by the necessary papal bull. Pirro, p. 549. Eubel, II, p. 122, with note 3.
  66. Gatto had been Bishop of Cefalù (1472–1475) before his appointment to Catania. He returned to the diocese of Cefalù on 8 February 1479, and died there in 1484. Pirro, pp. 549–550. Eubel, II, pp. 122, 125.
  67. Bernardus had been Bishop-Elect of Cefalù when he exchanged dioceses with Giovanni Gatto. He was consecrated in Catania by Bishop Dalmatius of Syracuse on 3 November 1479. He was elected Archbishop of Monreale after the death of Cardinal Auxias Despuig in September 1483, but the King rejected his election. Pirro, p. 550. Eubel, II, pp. 122, 125.
  68. Carrillo was the nephew of Cardinal Alfonso Carillo. He was transferred to the diocese of Ávila on 27 June 1496. He died in 1514. Eubel, II, pp. 78, 122.
  69. Daza was appointed Bishop of Oviedo). David M. Cheney, "Bishop Juan Daza" Catholic-Hierarchy.org; retrieved August 21, 2016.
  70. A native of Valencia, Desprats was serving as papal Legate in Aragon at the request of King Ferdinand from April 1498. He was transferred to Astorga on 9 February 1500, but was transferred again to Leon on 4 December 1500. He was named a cardinal by Pope Alexander VI on 31 May 1503, and died on 9 September 1504. Pirro, p. 551. Eubel, II, pp. 98, 122, 174; III, pp. 8 no. 42, 221 note 2.
  71. Ramirez de Guzman had been Dean of the Cathedral Chapter of Seville: Pirro, p. 551. Eubel II, p. 122 with note 9; III, p. 159.
  72. Conchillos had been Major Chaplain of the King of Aragon in Sicily. He was appointed Bishop of Lérida in Catalonia on 1 October 1512 at the request of King Ferdinand. He died on 4 April 1542. Pirro, p. 552 column 1. Eubel, III, pp. 159, 212.
  73. Pons (de Puteo): Pirro, p. 552. Eubel, III, p. 159.
  74. Schinner: Eubel, III, pp. 12 no. 24; 159.
  75. Pompeo Colonna had been made a cardinal by Pope Leo X on 1 July 1517. He died on 28 June 1532. Eubel, III, pp. 15 no 18; 159.
  76. Scipio Caracciolo was the brother of Marino Ascanio Caracciolo. Pirro, p. 553.
  77. Luigi (Ludovico) Caracciolo was the nephew of Marino Ascanio Caracciolo. Pirro, p. 553.
  78. Niccolo Caracciolo was the brother of Luigi Caracciolo and nephew of Marino Ascanio Caracciolo. He was appointed when he still had not reached the age of 27; he required a dispensation. Pirro, p. 554. Eubel, III, p. 159 with note 10.
  79. Faraone, a chaplain of Emperor Charles V, had previously been Bishop of Cefalù (1562–1569) on the Emperor's nomination. He was transferred to Catania, on the presentation of King Philip II of Spain, on 9 February 1569. Pirro, p. 555. Eubel, III, pp. 159, with note 11; 163.
  80. Orozco, a priest of the diocese of Toledo and Doctor in utroque iure (Civil and Canon Law), was the nephew of the Archbishop of Palermo, Francisco Orozco (1559–1561). Juan had previously been Bishop of Syracuse (1562–1574). He was presented to the diocese of Catania by King Philip II. Pirro, p. 555. Eubel, III, pp. 158, 307.
  81. "Bishop Vincenzo Cutelli" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved March 21, 2016
  82. Gauchat, Patritius (Patrice) (1935). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentioris aevi. Vol. IV. Münster: Libraria Regensbergiana. pp. 141–142. (in Latin)
  83. "Bishop Giovanni Domenico Rebiba" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved April 21, 2016
  84. "Patriarch Bonaventura Secusio, O.F.M. Obs." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved September 30, 2016
  85. "Bishop Juan Torres de Osorio" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved January 4, 2017
  86. Massimi was a native of Rome and a Referendary of the Two Signatures. He had previously been Bishop of Bertinoro (1613–1624). Pirro, pp. 558–560. Gauchat, Hierarchia catholica IV, pp. 120 with note 2; 142.
  87. Branciforte was born in Palermo, the son of Ercole, first Duke of San Giovanni. In 1627 he was appointed to the Royal Council of Sicily by King Philip IV of Spain, and was named a royal Chaplain. He was Bishop of Cefalù from 1633 to 1638. Francesco Maria Emanuele e Gaetani Villabianca (marchese di) (1757). Della Sicilia nobile. Parte seconda, continuazione. Palermo: nella stamperia de' Santi Apostoli. pp. 19–20. Pirro, pp. 560–561. Gauchat, pp. 142, 146.
  88. Carafa was born in Naples, and had taught philosophy and theology in houses of his Order. He was Praepositus of the house in Madrid and the one in Zaragoza. He was nominated to the diocese of Lanciano (1675–1687) by King Charles II of Spain on 1 April 1675, and approved by Pope Clement X on 27 May. He was transferred to Catania on 24 November 1687, and allowed to retain the personal title of Archbishop. Ritzler-Sefrin, V, pp. 150 with note 3; 235 with note 4.
  89. Riggio: Ritzler-Sefrin, V, pp. 150 with note 4.
  90. Gaetano Lombardo, in: D'Avino, p. 182, column 1.
  91. Cienfuegos was named a cardinal by Pope Clement XI on 30 September 1720; his red biretta was sent to him in Spain. He was appointed Cardinal Priest of San Bartolomeo all'Isola on 16 July 1721. Cienfuegos governed his diocese through a Vicar General, Pietro Gravina, Prior of the Cathedral Chapter, and, for his episcopal duties, through Paolo Stabile, O. Minim., Bishop of Bova. He was appointed Archbishop of Monreale on 21 February 1725. He died on 19 August 1739. Pirro, p. 568. Ritzler-Sefrin, V, pp. 32 no. 70; 125 with note 5; 150 with note 5.
  92. Burgos: Ritzler-Sefrin, V, pp. 150 with note 6.
  93. Rubi: Ritzler-Sefrin, V, pp. 151 with note 7.
  94. Galletti had previously been Bishop of Patti. Ritzler-Sefrin, V, pp. 151 with note 8.
  95. Ventimiglia: Ritzler-Sefrin, VI, p. 156 with note 2.
  96. Moncada was born at Neti (diocese of Syracuse), and was a Doctor of theology (Sapienza, Rome 1773). He was several times Vicar General and Vicar Capitular of Messana, and a Synodal Examiner. He was presented to the diocese of Catania by the King of Sicily on 5 April 1773, and approved by Pope Clement XIV on 10 May. He was consecrated in Tusculum (Frascati) by Henry Stuart, Cardinal York, on 16 May. Ritzler-Sefrin, VI, p. 156 with note 3.
  97. Gravina left Catania when he was promoted to the position of Major Chaplain to the King. Gaetano Lombardo, in: D'Avino, p. 182.
  98. Ferro was a native of Trepani. Gaetano Lombardo, in: D'Avino, p. 182.
  99. Gams, p. 945, column 1.
  100. Dusmet: Gaetano Zito (1987). La cura pastorale a Catania negli anni dell'episcopato Dusmet (1867-1894) (in Italian). Acireale: Galatea.

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Acknowledgment

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Catania (Catanensis)". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

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