List of Catholic dioceses in France

The Catholic Church in France mainly comprises a Metropolitan Latin Church hierarchy, joint in a national episcopal conference, consisting of

fifteen ecclesiastical provinces, each under a Metropolitan Archdioceses (15)
- with a total of 80 suffragans: seven non-Metropolitan Archdioceses, 72 bishoprics and a Territorial Prelature
two exempt non-Metropolitan Archdioceses
the (exempt) Military Ordinariate.

Furthermore, it has four exempt Eastern Catholic jurisdictions : three rite-specific (of which two are transnational) and a national Ordinariate for the Faithful of Eastern Rite for all others without rite-proper Ordinary.

The French overseas departments and territories, although administratively and constitutionally part of the French republic, are not part of the French church under canon law but exempt and/or part of an episcopal conference in their respective continent.

There is also an Apostolic Nunciature (as papal diplomatic representation at embassy-level) to France in the national capital Paris. the country also hosts three multilateral Holy See Representations: to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to the Council of Europe in Strasburg and to the International Commission on Civil Status (ICCS).

The following contains the list of the French Catholic Roman Catholic dioceses of France as since 2002. See also the List of Ancien Régime dioceses of France and the List of French dioceses in the 19th and 20th century for information prior to 2002.

Pope John Paul II completely redrew the map of French ecclesiastical provinces in December 2002, in order to coincide more closely with the map of French administrative regions, but losing in several instances remaining boundaries surviving from late Roman times. This meant the creation of a few new Metropolitan archbishoprics and ecclesiastical provinces. This also entailed, for several archbishoprics, the loss of their metropolitan status (symbolised by the wearing of the pallium): their bishops nevertheless retained the title of archbishop.

As a result of history, many former episcopal sees were united, mainly as a consequence of the French Revolution; hence many dioceses bear the names of several cities, in which case, only the first one is the cathedral see where the bishop still actually resides.

In France, most dioceses coincide with a department of France, but there are a few exceptions, where some arrondissements are attached to a diocese outside the department, or form a separate diocese within the department (this happens mainly in departments with numerous populations, such as Nord or Bouches-du-Rhône). Along with the list of the new ecclesiastical provinces and their suffragan dioceses, this list also gives the equivalent of the diocesan jurisdiction in departmental terms.

Current European French Dioceses edit

Exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See edit

Exempt Latin edit

Eastern Catholic (exempt) jurisdictions edit

Ordinariate for Eastern Catholics in France, vested in the Metropolitan Archbishop of capital Paris.
Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Sainte-Croix-de-Paris, Armenian Rite, with Cathédrale Sainte-Croix de Paris des Arméniens in Paris, for France, immediately subject to the Patriarch of Cilicia, but not part of his province.
Maronite Eparchy of Notre-Dame du Liban de Paris, Antiochian Rite and West Syriac Rite, with Our Lady of Lebanon of Paris Cathedral, immediately subject to the Maronite Patriarchs of Antioch, but not part of his province; also Apostolic Visitor in Western and Northern Europe of the Maronites.
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Vladimir the Great of Paris, Byzantine Rite, with St. Vladimir's Cathedral, Paris, directly subject to the Ukrainian Catholic Major Archeparchy of Kyiv–Galicia, and covers for France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Episcopal Conference of ('Metropolitan', European) France edit

Defunct jurisdictions in European France edit

Titular sees edit

There were titular metropolitan sees that were both united with another diocese, such as the Archdiocese of Arles and the Archdiocese of Embrun.

There were also titular episcopal sees, 41 of which were united and 18 were not united with other dioceses, these included: Accia, Agde (united), Aléria, Alès (united), Alet, Apt, Arisitum, Auxerre (united), Avranches (united), Bazas (united), Béziers (united), Boulogne (united), Briançonnet, Carpentras, Castres (united), Cavaillon, Châlon-sur-Saône (united), Condom (united), Couserans (united), Die (united), Dol (united), Entrevaux, Laon (united), Lavaur (united), Lectoure (united), Léon (united), Lescar (united), Lisieux (united), Lodève (united), Lombez (united), Mâcon (united), Maillezais, Mariana en Corse, Mirepoix (united), Nebbio, Noyon (united), Oloron (united), Orange, Rieux (united), Riez (united), Sagone, Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges (united), Saint-Malo (united), Saint-Omer (united), Saint-Papoul, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (united), Saint-Pons-de-Thomières (united), Saint-Quentin (united), Saintes (united), Sarlat (united), Senez, Senlis (united), Sisteron (united), Thérouanne, Toul (united), Tréguier (united), Uzès (united), Vabres (united), and Vaison.

There was the single titular abbacy of Cluny that became united with another diocese.

Other defunct French sees edit

There were other dioceses that no longer exist and were not united with current active dioceses, these included: Diocese of Aleth, Diocese of Antibes, Diocese of Bethléem à Clamecy (alias Panthenor), Diocese of Bourg-en-Bresse, Diocese of Cimiez, Diocese of Dax (Acqs), Archdiocese of Eauze (Elusa), Diocese of Grasse, Diocese of Javols, Diocese of Limoux, Archdiocese of Narbonne, Diocese of Rezé, Diocese of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Diocese of Sospel, Archdiocese of Tarentaise, Diocese of Toulon, Diocese of Vence, Diocese of Vernay and the Archdiocese of Vienne.

Overseas French dioceses edit

all Latin (in many cases, in a conference/province(s) with non-French, mainly Anglophone, dioceses)

Exempt, directly subject to the Holy See (Africa) edit

Diocese of Saint-Denis de La Réunion (Réunion)

Episcopal Conference of the Antilles edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Martinique edit

(Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana; exclusively Francophone)

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France (Martinique)
- Diocese of Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe)
- Diocese of Cayenne (French Guiana)

Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (Oceania) edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Papeete edit

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Papeete (French Polynesia, minus the Marquesas Islands)
- Taiohae o Tefenuaenata (Marquesas Islands)

Ecclesiastical Province of Nouméa edit

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nouméa (New Caledonia)
- Diocese of Wallis and Futuna (Wallis-et-Futuna)
- Diocese of Port-Vila, on and for Vanuatu (formerly the Anglo-French condominium New Hebrides)

Gallery of Archdioceses edit

The seat of the Archdiocese of Besançon is Basilique-Cathédrale Saint-Jean l’évangéliste.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Bordeaux is Cathédrale Saint-André.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Clermont is Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Dijon Cathedral is Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Lille is Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Lyon is Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste
The seat of the Archdiocese of Marseille is Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Montpellier is Cathédrale Saint-Pierre.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Paris is Notre Dame de Paris.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Poitiers is Cathédrale Saint-Pierre.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Reims is Notre-Dame de Reims.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Rennes is Cathédrale Saint-Pierre.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Rouen is Notre-Dame Cathedral of Rouen.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Strasbourg is Notre-Dame Cathedral of Strasbourg.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Toulouse is Cathédrale Saint-Étienne.
The seat of the Archdiocese of Tours is Cathédrale Saint-Gatien.

Notes edit

^ Pope Benedict XVI elevated the Diocese of Lille to a Metropolitan Archdiocese. Cambrai (the former Metropolitan) became its suffragan, while retaining the title "Archdiocese" (see "Daily Bulletin - Elevazione di Lille (Francia) a Chiesa Metropolitana e Nomina del Primo Arcivescovo Metropolita" (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 2008-03-29. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-03-30.).

Sources and external links edit

[1] Pope Benedict XVI elevated the Diocese of Lille to a Metropolitan Archdiocese. Cambrai (the former Metropolitan) became its suffragan, while retaining the title "Archdiocese" (see "Daily Bulletin - Elevazione di Lille (Francia) a Chiesa Metropolitana e Nomina del Primo Arcivescovo Metropolita" (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 2008-03-29. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-03-30.).

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List of Catholic dioceses in France

Contents

Current European French Dioceses edit

Exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See edit

Exempt Latin edit

Eastern Catholic (exempt) jurisdictions edit

Episcopal Conference of ('Metropolitan', European) France edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Besançon edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Bordeaux edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Clermont edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Dijon edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Lille edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Lyon edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Marseille edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Montpellier edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Paris edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Poitiers edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Reims edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Rennes edit

Ecclesiastical Province of Rouen edit

Eccleasiastical Province of Toulouse edit

Eccleasiastical Province of Tours edit