Roman Catholic Diocese of Sagone

The Diocese of Sagone was a Roman Catholic diocese in France, located in the city of Sagone, Corsica. In 1801, it was suppressed to the Archdiocese of Ajaccio.[1][2]

History
Cathedral of S. Appianu, Sagone

The islands of Corsica, Sardina, and the Balearics suffered severely in the depradations of the Vandals in the second half of the fifth century. Appianu, the eponymous saint of the Cathedral of Sagone, is said to have died in exile. Archaeology indicates that only the inland town of Castellu in Upper Corse survived.[3] There were no Corsican representatives at the Council of Carthage in 484. Belisarius appears to have done nothing for Corsica, and the Lombard invasions had a negative impact.[4] It is only in the time of Pope Gregory I (590-604) that information becomes available. Having heard of the terrible state of Christianity on the island of Corsica, Gregory sent a bishop, a certain Leo, to the island, with the license to ordain priests and deacons in a diocese not his own, the diocese of Sagone.[5] Gregory remarks that the diocese had been without a bishop for many years: ... Ecclesiam Saonensem ante annos plurimos, obejunte eius pontifice, omnino destitutam agnovimus. It is around this time that the oldest foundations of the church on whose ruins the cathedral which came to be dedicated to St. Appianu was begun in the twelfth century.[6]

It is said that the Diocese of Sagone (Dioecesis Sagonensis) was established in AD 500.[2] Ughelli states that Pope Paschal I (817-824), after the devastation of the island by the Saracens (Arabs), erected five bishoprics on the island, Sagone among them.[7]

In 1123, at a Lateran Council, Pope Calixtus II consecrated a bishop for the Church of Sagona, but unfortunately his name is not preserved.[8] This anonymous bishop is the first person to whom one can point as a Bishop of Sagona. The Pope also decided definitively, with the council fathers agreeing, that the pope himself would consecrate all bishops on the island of Corsica, rather than favor the Genoese or the Pisitans.

In 1179 a bishop of Sagone, whose name is unfortunately not preserved, was present at the Lateran Council of Pope Alexander III and subscribed its decrees.[9]

In 1284 the island of Corsica was conquered by Genoa, but, although the political life of the island was directed by the Genoese, the dioceses on the island continued to be suffragans of the Archdiocese of Pisa. As might be expected, however, the bishops who were elected tended to be Genoese or from places in the territory of the Republic of Genoa.[10]

Pope Paul IV (1555–1559) authorized the Cathedral of Sagone to adopt the Virgin Mary of the Assumption as its patron saint. He permitted the Cathedral Chapter to have two dignities, the Archdeacon and the Archpriest, and five residentiary canons; there were two other canons who, because of the limited income of the Chapter, were not required to reside.[11]

In 1751 the town of Sagone was in ruins and uninhabited. The bishop lived in Vico, a small town of some 800 inhabitants, under the civil government of Genoa. The corporation of the Cathedral Chapter still existed, with two dignities and six canons. In Vico there was one monastery of men.[12]

The island of Corsica was conquered by the French in 1769,[13] and its inhabitants were naturalized as French citizens by King Louis XV. Under the terms of the Concordat of Bologna in 1516, the bishops of the island came to be nominated by the King of France.

During the French Revolution, the National Constituent Assembly reformed the Church in France, drawing up the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (12 July 1790).[14] All clergy were obliged to swear an oath of allegiance to the Constitution,[15] thereby effectively entering into a schism with the Papacy and the Roman Catholic Church, and the number of bishoprics in France was dramatically reduced. The five bishoprics on the island of Corsica were suppressed and combined into one, to be called the diocèse de Corse. When the electors of Corsica assembled, they elected Ignace-François Guasco, Provost (or Dean) of the Cathedral Chapter of Mariana.[16] He was consecrated at Aix on 16 June 1791 by Constitutional Bishop Charles-Benoît Roux, Metropolitan of Bouches-de-Rhône; the consecration was valid but illicit and schismatic. The people of Ajaccio were having none of their new Constitutional Bishop; on 2 June they tore down his arms from the cathedral and restored those of the legitimate bishop. On 11 August 1793, judging that the territory of Corse was too large, the National Convention in the Constitution of 1793 divided both the department and the diocese of Corse into two, Golo (Guasco, resident at Ajaccio) and Liamone, and ordered a second bishop to be elected for the northern and eastern part of the island. Before this could be done, however, the British seized the island, and on 23 December 1793, Guasco recanted[17] and resigned.[18]

On 29 November 1801, following the agreement on the Concordat of 1801 between First Consul Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII, the diocese of Sagona was suppressed by the Pope, and its territory and Catholic population assigned to the Archdiocese of Ajaccio.[2]

In April 2002 the diocese of Sagone was restored as Titular Episcopal See of Sagone, though, of course, without the administrative apparatus. Both holders of the title (as of November 2016), were appointed to the title to qualify them as papal nuncios. Both also had the title "Archbishop" for the same reason.[2]

Bishops

Diocese of Sagone
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
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  • Bonifatius de Donoratico, O.P. (18 July 1297 – 17 February 1306);[19]
  • Guarinus, O.P. (17 February 1306 – ca. 1323)[20]
  • Guilelmus Franchi de Villanova, O.Min. (28 February 1323 – 1328);[21]
  • Antonius, O.Min. (20 March 1328 – 1331);
  • Jacobus, O.Min. (24 September 1331 – ? );
  • Paganus;
  • Bernardus de Monteto, O.Min. (9 June 1343 – 1358);
  • Elias de Pinna, O.Min. (14 January 1359 – ? );
  • Gualterus (attested ca. 1380);[22]
  • Petrus Guascone (13 September 1391 – 1411)[23]
  • Michael Bartholi (1411 – 1419);[24]
  • Joaninus Albertini (29 January 1412 – ? );[25]
  • Jacobus de Ordinis (15 May 1419 – 1432);[26]
  • Gabriele Benveduto (23 Jul 1432 – 29 Oct 1434)[27]
  • Laurent de Cardi, O.P. (29 Oct 1434 – 1438 Died)[28]
  • Valeriano Calderini of Genoa (18 July 1438 – 6 February 1442)[29]
...
  • Guglielmo de Speluncata, O.F.M. (17 Dec 1481 – 1493 Resigned)
...
  • Agostino Fieschi (30 Sep 1510 – 1528 Died)[30]
  • Imperiale Doria (21 Aug 1528 – 1544 Died)[31]
  • Odoardo Cicala (18 Feb 1544 – 27 Nov 1545 Died)
  • Giovanni Maria Buttinoni (14 Dec 1545 – 1550 Died)
  • Girolamo Federici (12 Feb 1552 – 6 Jul 1562 Appointed, Bishop of Martirano)
  • Carlo Grimaldi (6 Jul 1562 – 8 Dec 1565 Appointed, Bishop of Ventimiglia)
  • Giovanni Battista Cicala (Cicada) (1565 – 1567 Resigned)
  • Jerome de Leonibus (24 Jan 1567 – 30 Oct 1577 Appointed, Archbishop of Chieti)
  • Cesare Contardo (16 Apr 1578 – Jan 1585 Died)
  • Giuseppe Godoni (2 Oct 1585 – 1606 Died)
  • Pietro Lomellini, O.S.B. (20 Nov 1606 – 30 Jun 1625 Died[32])
  • Sebastiano Albani[33] (18 Aug 1625 – 10 Nov 1631 Died)
  • Stefano Siri[34] (19 Jan 1632 – Jan 1635 Died)
  • Benedetto Rezzani (17 Sep 1635 – Jul 1639 Died)[35]
  • Raffaele Pizzorno, O.M. (9 Jan 1640 – 1655 Died)
  • Giovanni Battista Federici (30 Aug 1655 – Aug 1657 Died)[36]
  • Paolo Maria Spínola, C.R.S.[37] (17 Dec 1657 – 5 Aug 1658 Died)
  • Marzio (Martinus) Marini[38] (13 Jan 1659 – Dec 1676 Died)
  • Antonio de Martini (28 Feb 1678 – Aug 1687 Died)
  • Giovanni Battista Costa (14 Jun 1688 – 15 Aug 1714 Died)[39]
  • Dominico Giovanni Cavagnari (7 Dec 1714 – Sep 1726 Died)
  • Pier Maria Giustiniani, O.S.B. (9 Dec 1726 – 17 Apr 1741 Appointed, Bishop of Ventimiglia)
  • Paulo Maria Mariotti (29 May 1741 – 26 Jun 1751 Died)
  • Giuseppi Maria Massoni (20 Sep 1751 – May 1765 Died)
  • Nicolas (Angelo Odardo) Stefanini (6 Aug 1770 – 31 Jul 1772 Resigned)
  • Matthieu François Antoine Philippe Guasco, O.F.M. Obs. (8 Mar 1773 – Oct 1801 Resigned[40])

Titular Bishops
  • Dominique François Joseph Mamberti (18 May 2002 - 14 Feb 2015) (Appointed Cardinal-Deacon of Santo Spirito in Sassia[41])
  • Paolo Rocco Gualtieri (13 Apr 2015 - )

References
  1. "Diocese of Sagone (Sagona)" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016
  2. "Titular Episcopal See of Sagone" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016
  3. Neither Ughelli (p. 515), nor Cappelletti (p. 394-395) nor even Gams (p. 767) names Appianu as a bishop of Sagone, let alone its first bishop.
  4. Andrew Merrills; Richard Miles (2009). The Vandals. Chichester Suffolk UK: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 139–140. ISBN 978-1-4443-1808-1.
  5. Gregory I, Epistolarum Liber I, no. 78 (sometimes numbered 76), in" J. P. Migne (ed.), Patrologiae Latinae Tomus LXXVII (Paris 1862), pp. 532-533. Cappelletti remarks that the reference to Sagona in the manuscripts is far from secure; various manuscripts give Saonensem, Sagonensem, Salonensem, Harnensem, and Aleriensem. Pope Gregory's letter no. 80 (also referred to as letter 79), however, addresses the clergy and nobles of Corsica, informing them that he is sending Bishop Martinus to replace Bishop Leo as Visitor and requesting that they assist him. It is reasonable, as Cappelletti points out, that Saonensem is not Savona on the mainland, but a diocese on Corsica.
  6. Daniel Istria, "Étude architecturale de la cathedrale médiévale Sant'Appianu de Sagone (Vico, Corse-du-Sud)," Archeologia dell'Architettura (in French). XIV. Firenze: All’Insegna del Giglio. 2009. pp. 63–74, at 64. ISBN 978-88-7814-433-0. There are no textual references to a cathedral until the 12th century. Whether the sixth century ruins were a cathedral and whether the building was dedicated to St. Appianu from the foundation cannot be determined.
  7. Ughelli, p. 515.
  8. Cappelletti, p. 395. Gams, p. 767. Cf. J. D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio editio novissima, Tomus vigesimus primus (21) (Venice: Antonio Zatta 1776), pp. 269-271.
  9. Ughelli, p. 516. J. D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio editio novissima, Tomus vigesimus secundus (22) (Venice: Antonio Zatta 1778), p. 462: Saganensis episcopus de Corsica.
  10. Robiquet, Francois-Guillaume (1835). Recherches historiques et statistiques sur la Corse (in French). Paris: Duchesne. pp. 120–124.
  11. Ughelli, pp. 515-516. Cappelletti, p. 394.
  12. Ritzler, VI, p. 362, note 1.
  13. Robiquet, pp. 323-332.
  14. Text of Civil Constitution of the Clergy (in English) Retrieved: 2016-11-13.
  15. Ludovic Sciout (1872). Histoire de la constitution civile du clergé, 1790-1801 (in French). Tome 1. Firmin Didot et Cie. pp. 180–191, 398–433.
  16. Ignace-François Guasco is not to be confused with Bishop Mathieu Guasco, Bishop of Sagone from 1793 to 1801. Gams, p. 767.
  17. L'Ami de la religion et du roi (in French). Tome 57. Paris: Le Clere. 1828. p. 264.
  18. Paul Pisani (1907). Répertoire biographique de l'épiscopat constitutionnel (1791-1802) (in French). Paris: A. Picard et fils. pp. 332–334.
  19. Bonifatius was transferred to Chiron, Crete. Eubel, I, pp. 185 and 428.
  20. Guarinus was already Coadjutor with right of succession when Bonifatius was transferred to the diocese of Chiron. Eubel, I, p. 428.
  21. Guillaume was previously suffragan Bishop of the Bishop of Peking. He was transferred to the diocese of Tergeste (Trieste), where he died ca. 1330. Eubel, I, p. 159 note 1; p. 428; and p. 477
  22. Gualterus was an appointee of the Roman Obedience. Eubel, I, p. 428.
  23. Petrus was a Florentine, and a Doctor of Canon Law. He was appointed a Papal Chaplain (a monsignor) and named an Auditor causarum Apostolici Palatii (judge in the Roman Curia). Eubel, I, p. 428 note 6.
  24. Bartholi had been a Canon of Bologna. He was appointed bishop by John XXIII of the Pisan Obedience. Eubel, I, p. 428.
  25. Albertini was appointed by Gregory XII of the Roman Obedience. Eubel, I, p. 428 with note 7.
  26. Jacobus was a Papal Notary. On 8 January 1425 he was appointed Papal Nuncio in Corsica. Eubel, I, 428, with note 8.
  27. Beveduto was appointed Bishop of Fossombrone (1434-1449). Eubel, II, pp. 156 and 227.
  28. Cardi held the title Master of theology.
  29. Calderini was transferred to the diocese of Savona. Eubel, II, pp. 227 and 229.
  30. "Bishop Agostino Fieschi" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved September 15, 2016. Fieschi was the nephew of Cardinal Niccolò Fieschi. Eubel, III, p. 288.
  31. "Bishop Imperiale Doria" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved September 15, 2016
  32. Lomellini was a native of Genoa, and died in Rome. He was buried in the Basilica of S. Paolo fuori le mura. Gauchet, IV, p. 300 note 2.
  33. Albani was a native of Savona. He was Doctor in utroque iure (Civil and Canon Law), and was Vicar General in the diocese of Spoleto when appointed to Sagone. He died in Rome. Gauchat, IV, p. 300 note 3.
  34. Siri was a native of Savona. He was Doctor in utroque iure (Civil and Canon Law). He died in Calvi in Corsica. Gauchat, IV, p. 300 note 4.
  35. "Bishop Benedetto Rezzani" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 11, 2016
  36. "Bishop Giovanni Battista Federici" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved October 29, 2016
  37. Spinola was born in Madrid of Genoese ancestry. Gauchat, IV, p. 300 note 8.
  38. Marini belonged to a noble Genoese family, and was born in the diocese of Cieti. He was Doctor in utroque iure (Civil and Canon Law), and Vicar General of the Bishop of Chieti. He died at the age of 63. Ughelli, p. 522.
  39. "Bishop Giovanni Battista Costa" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 9, 2016. Costa was a Doctor of theology. He was Canon of the Collegiate Church of S. Maria de Carignano.
  40. Guasco, a native Bastia in the diocese of Mariana, had previously been Bishop of Nebbio (1770-1773). He was consecrated in Rome on 12 August 1770 by Cardinal Henry Stuart. He resigned the diocese of Sagone in October 1801, in obedience to the wishes of Pope Pius VII. He died on 24 July 1802. Ritzler, VI, p. 305 with note 4.
  41. YouTube video of Cardinal Mamberti's reception of a Corsican delegation in the Vatican in February 2015. Retrieved: 2016-11-13.

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