The diocese of San Severo was established on 9 March 1580 by Pope Gregory XIII, with the bull "In Eminenti". The bull specifically states that the city of Civitas (Città),a town now called San Paolo di Civitate, was practically uninhabited and levelled to the ground, and that there were scarcely any traces of a cathedral. The See of Civitas was vacant, since its bishop, Cardinal Francesco Alciati, had just resigned.[3] Therefore, the seat of the vacant bishopric and the name and title of cathedral was transferred to the town (oppidum) of San Severo, which was fortified by walls and towers, and had a moderate population and several nobles, as well as four parishes. The parish church of S. Mary the Virgin was promoted to the status of a cathedral, and the seat of the bishop erected there. The diocese of San Severo was made a suffragan (subordinate) of the Archbishop of Benevento.[4]
To this diocese was later[when?] added the territory of the ancient Dragonara, a city built in 1005 by the Byzantine Governor of Apulia. Cappelletti[5] gives the names of twenty-eight bishops of Dragonara between 1061 and 1657.[6]
On 30 July 1627, a major earthquake struck San Severo, with a loss of life of some 800 persons. Churches and buildings were ruined. "Sansevero città è disfatta in tutto," wrote one witness.[7] Tremors continued for a year, causing many inhabitants to give up and migrate elsewhere.[8]
Between November 1656 and May 1657, the province of Capitanata and the city of San Severo were visited by the plague, causing the deaths of 3,000 people in the city, including Bishop Giovanni Battista Monti.[9]
In 1703 the population was only around 3,000 persons.[10]
Other earthquakes caused serious damage in February 1828 and on 14 August 1851.[11]
Cathedral and Chapter
The cathedral of San Severo, dedicated to the taking up (assumption) of the body of the Virgin Mary into heaven, was consecrated by Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Orsini, O.P., Archbishop of Manfredonia (Siponto).[12] The church of S. Antonio was united to the cathedral, along with its hospice, at which travellers would be received for three nights' sleeping accommodation; it also received the sick. The Prior of the hospice was elected annually by the cathedral Chapter.[13]
The cathedral was administered by a Chapter, composed of three dignities (the Archdeacon, the Archpriest and the Primicerius) and twelve Canons.[14] One of the Canons was designated the Canon Penitentiarius and another the Canon Theologus, according to a decree of Bishop Malaspina.[15]
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]
Synods were held by: Bishops Malaspina (1583–1604) in 1598;[17] Densa (1658-1670), and Fortunato (1670-1678).[18] Bishop Francesco Antonio Sacchetti (1635-1648) held two synods.[19] Bishop Carlo Felice de Matta (1678-1701) held his third diocesan synod on 15 August 1681; it was the ninth synod in the diocese's history.[20] A diocesan synod was held by Bishop Adeodato Summantico, O.E.S.A. (1717- 1735) on 30–31 October 1720;[21] he held a second synod on 15 August 1726.[22] Bishop Giovanni Camillo Rossi held a diocesan synod on 18 May 1823, and published its decrees.[23] Bishop Francesco Orlando (1942-1960) held a diocesan synod in San Severo in 1949.[24]
A different metropolitan
A major administrative reorganization of the dioceses of Apulia took place in 1979.
Following the Second Vatican Council, and in accordance with the norms laid out in the council's decree, Christus Dominus chapter 40,[25] the Episcopal Conference of Apulia petitioned the Holy See (Pope) that Foggio be made a metropolitan and that a new ecclesiastical province be organized; Foggia was, at the time, directly dependent upon the Holy See, even though it was the capital of a civil province of Italy.
After wide consultations among all affected parties, Pope John Paul II issued the bull "Sacrorum Antistites" on 30 April 1979, in which he, first of all, dissolved the ecclesiastical province of Siponto (Manfredonia), and elevated Foggia to the status of metropolitan see. He then created the new ecclesiastical province of Foggia, whose constituent bishoprics (suffragans) were to be: Manfredonia (no longer a metropolitanate, though the archbishop was allowed to retain the title of archbishop); Troiana (which had previously been directly subject to the Holy See); Ascoli e Cerinola, Bovino, Lucera and San Severo (all of which had been suffragans of the metropolitanate of Benevento); and Vestana (which had been a suffragan of Manfredonia).[26]
↑ Benedictus XIV (1842). "Lib. I. caput secundum. De Synodi Dioecesanae utilitate". Benedicti XIV ... De Synodo dioecesana libri tredecim (in Latin). Vol.Tomus primus. Mechlin: Hanicq. pp.42–49.George Phillips (1849). Die Diöcesansynode (in German). Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder. pp.1–23. John Paul II, Constitutio Apostolica de Synodis Dioecesanis Agendis (March 19, 1997): Acta Apostolicae Sedis 89 (1997), pp. 706-727.
↑ Secunda synodus dioecesana S. Severi ab illustriss. et reverendiss. domino fr. Adeodato Summantico, ex priore generali ordinis eremitarum S. Augustini, dictae civitatis episcopo, celebrata in ejus cathedrali ecclesia, die decima mensis augusti in festivitate assumptionis beatae Mariae virginis, anno Domini 1726. Beneventi, ex typographia archiepiscopali, anno 1728.
↑ Christus Dominus 40. Therefore, in order to accomplish these aims this sacred synod decrees as follows: 1) The boundaries of ecclesiastical provinces are to be submitted to an early review and the rights and privileges of metropolitans are to be defined by new and suitable norms. 2) As a general rule all dioceses and other territorial divisions that are by law equivalent to dioceses should be attached to an ecclesiastical province. Therefore dioceses which are now directly subject to the Apostolic See and which are not united to any other are either to be brought together to form a new ecclesiastical province, if that be possible, or else attached to that province which is nearer or more convenient. They are to be made subject to the metropolitan jurisdiction of the bishop, in keeping with the norms of the common law. 3) Wherever advantageous, ecclesiastical provinces should be grouped into ecclesiastical regions for the structure of which juridical provision is to be made.
↑ Acta Apostolicae Sedis 71 (Città del Vaticano 1979), pp. 563-564.
↑ Bishop Joannes subscribed the judgment issued by King Roger of Sicily in the suit between the Bishop of Avesano and the Abbot of San Lorenzo in Aversa. Cappelletti, XIX, p. 322; XX, p. 340. Gams, p. 923 column 1.
↑ Bishop Robertus attended the Third Lateran Council of Pope Alexander III in March 1179. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XXII (Venice: A. Zatta 1778), p. 214.
↑ Bishop Petrus was appointed on 16 January 1388 by Urban VI. He was transferred to the diocese of Larino on 11 July 1401 by Pope Boniface IX. He died on 12 March 1410. Eubel I, pp. 189, 294.
↑ Stephanus: Eubel, Hierarchia catholica Eubel I, p. 189. II, p. 129.
↑ A priest of the diocese of Aquila, Martini had previously been Bishop of Pharo (Hvar, Dalmatia) (1574–1581). He had required a dispensation because he had left the Society of Jesus without approval of his superiors. He was transferred to the diocese of San Severo on 20 February 1581 by Pope Gregory XIII. Ughelli states that Martini died in the second year of Gregory XIII. Ughelli VIII, p. 362. Eubel III, p. 168, 273 with note 8.
↑ Malaspina was appointed in the papal consistory of 27 April 1583 by Pope Gregory XIII. He died in 1604. Eubel III, p. 168.
↑ Vipera: Gauchat, Hierarchia catholica IV, p. 313 with note 2.
↑ Verallo was a member of a Roman curial family; both he and Pope Urban VII were nephews of Cardinal Girolamo Verallo. He held the degree of Doctor in utroque iure (Perugia). He was a Canon of the Vatican Basilica (a gift of Urban VII), and a Referendary of the tribunal of the Two Signatures. He was Inquisitor of Malta, and then nuncio in Switzerland, for which post he was named Bishop of S. Severo on 5 May 1606. He was named a cardinal by Pope Paul V on 24 November 1608, and shortly thereafter appointed a member of the Sacred Congregation of the Inquisition, the SC of Bishops and Regulars, and the SC on Rites. He also served as papal Nuncio in Naples. He never visited his diocese, but governed through Vicars, and resigned the diocese of S. Severo before 23 March 1615, in order to devote more time to his curial duties. He died in Rome on 17 November 1624. Ughelli, p. 363. Cappelletti, p. 331. Tura, p. 603. Gauchat IV, pp. 11 no. 16 with note 5; 313 with note 3.
↑ On 3 Mar 1625 Caputo was transferred to the diocese of Andria by Pope Urban VIII. Gauchat IV, p. 313 with note 4.
↑ Fortunato was born in S. Archangelo (diocese of Anglona), and held the degree of Doctor in utroque iure. He served as Vicar General of the diocese of Montefiascone, and was appointed Bishop of San Severo on 6 October 1670 by Pope Clement X. Fortunato restored the cathedral, and held a diocesan synod. On 10 Jan 1678 Fortunato was transferred to the diocese of Nardò by Pope Innocent XI, where he died in July 1707. Cappelletti, p. 332. Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 286 with note 3; 355 with note 3.
↑ Matta was a native of Cremona. He was appointed Bishop of San Severo on 6 June 1678. He rebuilt the episcopal palace, and founded the major seminary. He held two diocesan synods. He died in the Castello di S. Paolo, in the diocese of San Severo, which he had restored, on 26 February 1701. Tura, p. 604. Cappelletti, p. 332. Ritzler-Sefrin V, p. 286 with note 4.
↑ On 15 Mar 1717 Giocoli was transferred to the diocese of Capaccio by Pope Clement XI. Ritzler-Sefrin V, p. 286 with note 5.
↑ Summantico was a native of Foggia. He became Procurator General of his Order, and then Master General. He was named Bishop of S. Severo by Pope Clement XI on 12 April 1717, and was consecrated a bishop in Rome on 25 April by Cardinal Niccolò Spinola. He held two diocesan synods, and was responsible for allowing the Capuchins and Carmelites to settle in his diocese. He died on 21 December 1735. Cappelletti, p. 333. Tura, p. 604. Ritzler-Sefrin V, p. 355 with note 6.
↑ Scalea was born at Terlizzi (Bari) in 1670. He held the degree of Doctor in utroque iure (Sapienza, Rome 1711). had previously been Bishop of Lacedonia (1718–1736). He was transferred to the diocese of S. Severo on 27 February 1736 by Pope Benedict XIV. He died in S. Severo on 18 July 1739. Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 236 with note 5; VI, p. 377 with note 2.
↑ Pallante: Ritzler-Sefrin VI, p. 377 with note 4.
↑ Battiloro: Ritzler-Sefrin VI, p. 377 with note 5.
↑ Scaramuccia: Ritzler-Sefrin VI, p. 377 with note 6.
↑ Farao was born in Curraro in 1728, and held the degree of Doctor in utroque iure (Naples 1757). He had served as Vicar General in the dioceses of Andria, Anglona, Acherunta e Macerata, Pozzuoli, and Capua. He completed the reconstruction of the episcopal palace, begun by Bishop Scaramuccia. De Ambrosio, pp. 138-139. Ritzler-Sefrin VI, p. 378 with note 7.
↑ On 29 October 1804 Del Muscio was transferred to the diocese of Manfredonia by Pope Pius VI.
↑ Tommasi was born in Capua in 1776, of the family of the Marchesi Montanara. He was Archdeacon of Capua. He was appointed Bishop of S. Severo on 2 July 1832. He obtained from Rome what was identified as the body of Saint Severus the martyr. He died on 6 January 1843. Cappelletti, p. 334. Tura, pp. 605-606. Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VII, p. 344.
↑ De Gregorio was born in Lacedonia in 1803, and served as Rector of the seminary of Ascoli and Cerignola. He was also a Canon of the cathedral of Ascoli. He was appointed Bishop of S. Severo by Pope Gregory XVI on 19 June 1843. He died on 8 July 1858. Cappelletti, p. 334. Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VII, p. 344.
↑ La Scala was born in Lucera in 1817. He had been Bishop of Gallipoli (1852–1858). He was transferred to the diocese of S. Severo by Pope Pius IX on 27 September 1858. He died on 25 April 1889. Cappelletti, p. 334. Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VIII, pp. 280, 515.
↑ On 25 May 1970 Vailati was transferred to the diocese of Manfredonia (e Vieste) by Pope Paul VI.
↑ On 15 December 1990 Cassati was transferred to the diocese of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie (-Nazareth).
↑ On 13 December 1996 Bonicelli was transferred to the diocese of Parma (-Fontevivo) by Pope John Paul II.
↑ On 24 June 2006 Seccia was transferred to the diocese of Teramo-Atri by Pope Benedict XVI.
Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1958). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi (in Latin). Vol.Tomus VI (1730-1799). Patavii: Messagero di S. Antonio. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
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