History
Concordia is an ancient Venetian city, called by the Romans Colonia Julia Concordia Sagittaria, and is situated on the Lemene River, between the Rivers Tagliamento and Livenza, two miles south of Portogruaro, not far from the Adriatic. Today there remain of the city only ruins and the ancient cathedral. The eighty-nine martyrs of Concordia, who were put to death under Diocletian, are held in veneration; their cult is recent, however, and based on late and dubious material. [5]
The monk, author, and controversialist, Tyrannius Rufinus (345–411), was born in Concordia, but was baptized in Aquileia, where he became a monk. [6]
During the fifth century the city was destroyed by Attila.
The first known bishop of Concordia is Clarissimus, who, at a provincial synod of Aquileia in 579, helped to prolong the Schism of the Three Chapters; this council was attended by Augustinus, later Bishop of Concordia, who in 590 signed the petition presented by the schismatics to Emperor Mauricius. Bishop Johannes transferred the episcopal residence to Caorle (606), retaining, however, the title of Concordia. [7]
On 12 February 928, Hugh of Arles, King of Italy, granted to the Patriarch of Aquileia the right to invest the bishops of Concordia. [8]
The medieval bishops seem to have resided near the ancient cathedral, and to have wielded temporal power, which, however, they were unable to retain. [9] The bishops of Concordia held one of the twenty-four canonicates in the cathedral Chapter of Aquileia; their functions were carried out by an appointed vicar. [10]
In 1586, during the episcopate of the elder Matteo Sanudo, the episcopal residence was transferred to Portogruaro. In 1974 the episcopal residence was definitively transferred to Pordenone.
Canons and cathedral
The cathedral was staffed and administered by a corporation of Canons. In 1191, Bishop Romulus decreed the reduction in number of the Canons from twenty-two to sixteen. The change was sanctioned by the Patriarch of Aquileia on 14 December 1191. He also renewed the obligation of the Canons to reside together. [11]
Bishop Articus da Castello (1318–1331) attempted, without success, to reform the cathedral Chapter, by appointing Canons who would agree to live in Concordia, where there was a dormitorium canonice and a claustrum. The problem was made difficult because both the Provost and the Dean were non-residential. [12] In order to ensure that the regular liturgical services were held in the cathedral at Concordia, on 3 April 1339 Bishop Guido de Guisis (1334–1347) established three mansionarii to assume the duties that the Canons would not perform. [13]
Returning from the Council of Trent, Bishop Pietro Querini (1537–1584) began a counter-reformational program with a general visitation of the institutions of his diocese (1566), during which he indicated to the cathedral Chapter that they should put their own discipline in order, and that they should address the equitable distribution of prebends. The result was a capitulary act of 15 January 1567, declaring that the Chapter had three dignitaries (the Dean, the Provost, and the Archdeacon), and assigning specific prebends to six Canons who were priests, two to deacons, and one to a subdeacon. [14] In 2020, the cathedral had a Chapter composed of three dignities (the Dean, the Theologus and the Penitentiarius) and three Canons, with four honorary Canons. [15]
Diocesan synods
A diocesan synod was an irregularly held, but important, meeting of the bishop of a diocese and his clergy. Its purpose was (1) to proclaim generally the various decrees already issued by the bishop; (2) to discuss and ratify measures on which the bishop chose to consult with his clergy; (3) to publish statutes and decrees of the diocesan synod, of the provincial synod, and of the Holy See. [16]
Bishop Guido de Guisis (1334–1347) held a diocesan synod in 1335. [17] On 4 August 1450, Bishop Giovanni Battista Legname (1443–1455) held a diocesan synod. [18] On 8 April 1587, Bishop Matteo Sanudo (1585–1616) held a diocesan synod. [19] Bishop Paolo Vallaresso (1693–1723) presided over a diocesan synod in the cathedral of S. Andrea in Portogruaro on 20–22 May 1697. [20] Bishop Alvise Gabrieli (1761–1779) held a diocesan synod on 1–3 June 1767. [21] Bishop Domenico Pio Rossi, O.P. (1881–1892) held a diocesan synod in the cathedral of S. Andrea on 16–18 April 1885. [22]
