The former French Catholic diocese of Comminges existed at least from the sixth century, to the French Revolution. The seat of the bishops was at Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, now no more than a village, in the modern department of Haute-Garonne in south-west France. The territory of the old diocese now belongs to the archdiocese of Toulouse. The name of Comminges was incorporated into the titulature of the archbishop of Toulouse on 19 January 1935. He is now the archbishop of Toulouse-Saint Bertrand de Comminges-Rieux. [1]
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The earliest Bishop of Comminges known by name is Suavis, who assisted at the Council of Agde in 506, along with thirty-four other bishops. [2] Sidonius Apollinaris, [3] however, writes of the death of a bishop of Comminges in 473. [4]
Among the bishops of Comminges [5] were:
In the church of St. Bertrand of Comminges (The gothic church is of the 14th century), baptism was administered with peculiar ceremonies: the baptismal water was placed in a silver dove with wings displayed (a symbol of the Holy Spirit), and enclosed in a cupola surmounting the font; at the moment of baptizing the dove was lowered over the head of the child by a pulley, and through its open beak the baptismal water was poured (as though grace from heaven). [9]
The Archdiocese of Bordeaux (–Bazas) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The episcopal see is Bordeaux, Aquitaine. It was established under the Concordat of 1802 by combining the ancient Diocese of Bordeaux with the greater part of the suppressed Diocese of Bazas. The Archdiocese of Bordeaux is a metropolitan see, with four suffragan dioceses in its ecclesiastical province: Dioceses of Agen, Aire and Dax, Bayonne, and Périgueux.
The Diocese of Fréjus–Toulon is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern France on the Mediterranean coast. The present diocese comprises the territory of the ancient Diocese of Fréjus as well as that of the ancient Diocese of Toulon. In 1957 it was renamed as the Diocese of Fréjus–Toulon.
The Diocese of Tulle is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Tulle, France. The diocese of Tulle comprises the whole département of Corrèze.
The Diocese of Cahors is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the whole of the department of Lot.
The Diocese of Tarbes et Lourdes is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. Until 2002 Tarbes was a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Auch. It is now a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Toulouse.
The bishopric of Lavaur was founded by Pope John XXII in his plan to reorganize the sprawling diocese of Toulouse. The town is situated some fifteen miles to the east of Toulouse. Lavaur had the reputation of being one of the strongest centers of Catharism, being referred to as sedes Satanae, atque erroris haeretici primatica ('seat of Satan and prime source of heretical error' The diocese consisted of some 80–90 parishes. It hosted one abbey, that of Sorèz, a convent of the Clarisses, a convent of the Daughters of the Cross, a convent of Dominicans, one of Franciscans, one of Capuchins, two of reformed Dominicans, and two houses of the Doctrinaires. The diocese produced some 35,000 livres for the bishop.
The former Catholic diocese of Mirepoix, in south-west France, was created in 1317 by Pope John XXII from the diocese of Pamiers. It existed until the French Revolution, and was suffragan of the Archbishop of Toulouse. Its see was Mirepoix, Ariège.
The former Catholic diocese of Narbonne existed from early Christian times until the French Revolution. It was an archdiocese, with its see at Narbonne, from the year 445, and its influence ran over much of south-western France and into Catalonia.
The former French Catholic diocese of Rieux existed from 1317 until the French Revolution. It was based at Rieux-Volvestre, south-west France, in the modern department of Haute-Garonne.
The former French Catholic diocese of Couserans existed perhaps from the fifth century to the French Revolution in the late eighteenth century. It covered the former province of Couserans, in south-west France. Its episcopal seat was in Saint-Lizier, a small town to the west of Foix. It was a suffragan of the archdiocese of Auch.
The former French Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Papoul, now a Latin titular see, was created by Pope John XXII in 1317 and existed until the Napoleonic Concordat of 1811.
The former French Catholic diocese of Saint-Pons-de-Thomières existed from 1317 until the French Revolution. Its see at Saint-Pons-de-Thomières in southern France is in the modern department of Hérault. There was the Abbey of St-Pons, founded in 936 by Raymond, Count of Toulouse, who brought there the monks of St-Géraud d'Aurillac.
The Diocese of Bazas, centred on Bazas in Aquitaine, covered the Bazadais region, known under the Romans as the Vasatensis pagus after the ancient occupants, the Vasates. In the 2nd century it was part of the Novempopulania, one of the seventeen provinces of Gaul. The diocese must have been created between the first and the third centuries, but because of the large numbers of invaders that passed through this region - Arians, Saracens, Normans - the list of bishops is much reduced during the first millennium. The first bishop of this diocese is mentioned, without a name, by Gregory of Tours in his De gloria martyrum.
The Archdiocese of Auch-Condom-Lectoure-Lombez, more commonly known as the Archdiocese of Auch, is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese now comprises the department of Gers in south-west France. The archdiocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Toulouse, and the current bishop is Bertrand Lacombe, appointed in 2020. He is the 119th bishop of Auch.
The Diocese of Dax or Acqs was a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Gascony in south-west France. According to tradition it was established in the 5th century. It was suppressed after the French Revolution, by the Concordat of 1801 between First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII. Its territory now belongs to the Diocese of Aire and Diocese of Bayonne.
The Diocese of Nîmes is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises all of the department of Gard. It is a suffragan of the Diocese of Avignon.
The Diocese of Aire and Dax is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. It comprises the département of Landes, in the région of Gascony in Aquitaine.
The Diocese of Nevers is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the department of Nièvre, in the Region of Bourgogne.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lescar, in south-western France, was founded in the fifth century, and continued until 1790. It was originally part of the Province of Novempopulania, and Lescar held the seventh place among the cities. Its see was the Cathedral of the Assumption in Lescar, begun in 1120; the crypt of the cathedral was also the mausoleum of the family of Albret in the 16th century.
The Diocese of Pamiers, Couserans, and Mirepoix is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in southern France.