Roman Catholic Diocese of Polignano

The Diocese of Polignano or Diocese of Polinianum (Latin: Dioecesis Polinianensis) was a Roman Catholic diocese located in the town of Polignano in the province of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy, located on the Adriatic Sea. In 1818, the diocese was suppressed, and its territory and Catholic population were assigned to the Diocese of Monopoli.[1][2] The title, though not the diocese itself, was restored as a titular See in 1968.[2]

cathedral square, Polignano, with campanile

History

It has been claimed that a church, dedicated to Saint Peter, existed in Polignano in the 3rd century;[3] Christianity, however, was still an unauthorized and illegal cult until after the Edict of Milan.

The existence of a papal bull, dated 530, and said to contain a reference to "Rev. Episcopus Polianen.," is mentioned by F.F. Favale.[4] The pope of 530 is not named (there were three, one of whom at least was an antipope), nor the nature of the reference; several forgeries of that year are known.[5]

St. Vitus and the diocese of Polignano

In 1659, Ferdinando Ughelli published a work entitled, "Translatio S. Viti cum sociis in territorio Polymniani," which apparently marked the establishment of the diocese and the first bishop, in 672.[6] The first part of the narrative takes place on the Amalfi coast, where a princess of Salerno named Florentia is caught in a flood, in a place called Marianus; St. Vitus appears to her, after she has called on God and the local martyrs for help. In return, Vitus commands her to locate his tomb, and those of his two companions, Modestus and Crescentia,[7] which she was unable to do, building a votive church instead. With the help of a hermit named John, over a period of twenty years she located the bodies, and buried them in her church. Florentia then went on a pilgrimage, in a large well-stocked ship built for her by her brother, who became ill during her absence in Jerusalem. Her prayers were of no help, but S. Vitus appeared to her in a dream, reminding her that he had expressed the wish to be buried at "Marianus". When she awoke, he appeared to her in the form of the doctor, and told her that he wished to be in Apulia in a place near Castro Polymnianense.[8] On the return journey from the Holy Land, a young man appeared on the yardarms, and announced that he was Vitus of Lucania,[9] and on the 24th day, the ship reached Marianum. They debarked, and sent a messenger to Bari, where they bought horses, and within a week had found the place where the sarcophagi in which the bodies of the saints were resting. Archbishop Nicholas of Salerno had the bodies exhumed, placed in silk, and exposed for veneration. They then sent letters and messengers to the pope to explain their doings, which the pope in return approved.

The party of the prince, princess, and archbishop then collected the relics, and carried them to Canne, where Bishop Petrus of Canne received them kindly,[10] rejoicing in the orders of the pope and the commands of the saints. The archbishop of Salerno and the bishop of Canne then led the entire crowd back to Marianus, which was in the diocese of the bishop of Canne, where they founded a church.[11] The translation of the relics was completed on 26 April [672].[12]

Valentini remarks, "Consequently, scholars have hypothesized that in that same date the church of Polignano might have been raised to the status of an Episcopal See, concomitant with the arrival of Pietro I." But there is no proof whatever.[13] Petrus is not called "bishop of Polignano"; and the first archbishop of Salerno was Amatus, in 983.

Papal privileges

The diocese of Polignano appears among the dioceses belonging to the ecclesiastical province of Bari in privileges granted by Alexander II (1063), Urban II (1089), Eugenius III (1152), and Alexander III (1172).[14]

Chapter and cathedral

The cathedral of Polignano was dedicated to the Taking up (Assumption) of the body of the Virgin Mary into Heaven. The cathedral was administered by a corporate body called the Chapter, which was composed of four dignities (the Archdeacon, the Archpriest, and two Primicerii) and eighteen canons.[15]

The medieval cathedral was consecrated in 1295. In 1351, Bishop Nicola da Giovinazzo built the chapel of the Annunciation in the cathedral.[16] In 1513, Bishop Cristoforo Magnavivo (Magnacurius) (1508–1517) reconsecrated the medieval cathedral, which had undergone extensive restoration.[17] In 1600, Bishop Giovanni Battista Guenzato conducted further reconstructions.[18]

After the French

Following the extinction of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, the Congress of Vienna authorized the restoration of the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. Since the French occupation had seen the abolition of many Church institutions in the Kingdom, as well as the confiscation of most Church property and resources, it was imperative that Pope Pius VII and King Ferdinand IV reach agreement on restoration and restitution. Ferdinand demanded the suppression of fifty dioceses.[19] Lengthy, detailed, and acrimonious negotiations ensued.[20] On 17 July 1816, King Ferdinand issued a decree, in which he forbade the reception of any papal document without prior reception of the royal exequatur. This meant that prelates could not receive bulls of appointment, consecration, or installation without the king's permission.[21]

A concordat was finally signed on 16 February 1818, and ratified by Pius VII on 25 February 1818. Ferdinand issued the concordat as a law on 21 March 1818.[22] On 27 June 1818, Pius VII issued the bull De Ulteriore, in which, the decision was made to suppress permanently the diocese of Polignano, and to incorporate its territory into the diocese of Monopoli.[23] The former cathedral became a collegiate church.[24]

Titular see

On 19 July 1968, Rev. Paul Anderson was appointed Auxiliary Bishop and Coadjutor with the right of succession of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA, for which purpose he was named titular bishop of Polignano, thereby reviving the title (though not the diocese) of Polignano.[25]

Bishops of Polignano

Erected: 7th Century
Latin Name: Polinianensis
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Bari-Canosa

to 1500
...
  • [Ambrosius (1109)][26]
...
  • Milo (attested 1152)[27]
...
  • Arpinus (attested 1176–1202)[28]
  • Boetius (attested 1208–1217)[29]
...
  • Guilelmus (attested 1295, 1327)[30]
  • Matthaeus, O.P (1330–1332)[31]
  • Bonajuncta de Boscolis (Bonaventura) (1333– ? )[32]
  • Guilelmus (attested 1341)
  • Bonavinus (attested 1343)
  • Nicolaus da Bari, O.P. (1344–1363)[33]
  • Nicolaus Albus (1364–1375)[34]
  • Pavo de Grifis (1375–1379)[35]
  • Pascalis (1379–1382) Avignon Obedience[36]
  • Angelus de Cupersano, O.Min. (1382–1393) Avignon Obedience[37]
  • Angelo (da Bitonto) (1394– ? ) Avignon Obedience[38]
  • Lupulus de Lacu (1390–1391) Roman Obedience[39]
  • Angelo Afflitti (1391–1401) Roman Obedience[40]
  • Christophorus, O.E.S.A. (1401– ? ) Roman Obedience[41]
  • Nicolaus (1411–1420?)[42]
  • Paolo Alfatati (1420–1423)[43]
  • Paulus, O.F.M. (1424–1460)[44]
  • Claudius (1460–1468?)[45]
Latinus Orsini (1468–1472) Administrator[46]
  • Jacobus Colae de Toraldo (1473– ? )[47]

1500 to 1818
  • Caspar Toraldus ( ? –1506)[48]
  • Michele Claudio (1506–1508)[49]
  • Christoforo Magnacurius (1508–1517 Resigned)[50]
  • Giacomo Framarini (1517–1540 Resigned)[51]
  • Rosmano Casamassima (1541–1544 Resigned)[52]
  • Pietro Antonio Casamassima (1544–1570 Died)[53]
  • Francesco Angelo Gazzino, O.P. (1570–1572 Died)
  • Pietro Francesco Ferri (1572–1580 Died)
  • Raffaele Tomei (1580–1598 Died)
  • Giovanni Battista Guanzato (1598–1607 Died)[54]
  • Giovanni Maria Guanzelli, O.P. (1607–1619 Died)[54]
  • Francesco Nappi (1619–1628)[54]
  • Girolamo Parisani (1629–1638)[54][55]
  • Antonio del Pezzo (1638–1641 Appointed, Archbishop of Sorrento)[54]
  • Giovanni Domenico Moroli, O.S.B. (1642–1649)[54]
  • Vincenzo Pineri, O.F.M. Conv. (1649–1672 Resigned)[54]
  • Scipione de Martinis (1672–1681)[56]
  • Ignatius Fiumi, O.P. (1681–1694 Died)[57]
  • Giovanni Battista Capilupi (1694–1716)[58]
  • Pietro Antonio Pini (1718–1736)[59]
  • Andreas Venditti (Vinditti) (1737–1767)[60]
  • Francesco Broccoli (1767–1775)[61]
  • Mattia Santoro (1775–1797)[62]
Sede vacante (1798–1818)[63]
Suppressed: 1818; territory assigned to the Diocese of Monopoli

See also

References
  1. "Diocese of Polignano" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  2. "Titular Episcopal See of Polignano" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  3. D'Avino, p. 330, column 2: "Veniamo alle particolarità della cattedra. Sebbene si dica stabilita in Polignano dal secolo terzo della nostra èra una Chiesa decorata del titolo di S. Pietro , retta da un abate con propria giuridizione, contuttociò è nella tradizione della città, di non esservi staio posto il vescovato che nel quinto secolo."
  4. Bianca Valentini (2017), in: The Church of Santa Maria Assunta at Polignano a mare, p. 14, citing: F. F. Favale, Polignano. La sua diocesi. I suoi pastori, Monopoli 1986, ed. Fasano 1992, pp. 156-157. Valenti appears to give the reference of Favale no credence, since she goes on immediately, "The most accredited evidence in this regard is that Polignano might have been an Episcopal See since the seventh century, given the fact that around the year 672 one may find the first mention of a bishop in Polignano, namely, Pietro I."
  5. Philippus Jaffe, Regesta pontificum Romanorum, Vol. 1, second edition (Leipzig: Veit 1885), pp. 111-112, registers three. Kehr IX, p. 369: "Archivi capitularis pars in civitatem Monopolitanam translata est (cf. Praitano p. 65), pars adhuc Poliniani adservatur (cf. Gott. Nachr. 1898, p. 241). Neque hie neque illic documenta sive pontificum sive regum antiquiora ad res Polinianenses spectantia invenimus."
  6. F. Ughelli, Italia sacra Tomus VII, first edition (Rome: V. Mascardi 1659), pp. 1015-1019. He treats the text as though it were a historical document.
  7. Lanzoni, pp. 320-321.
  8. Valentini (2017), in: The Church of Santa Maria Assunta at Polignano a mare, p. 14.
  9. Lanzoni, p. 321: "L'autore della Passione dei ss. Vito, Modesto e Orescenzia sottopose i suoi eroi ai più fieri tormenti in Roma, perchè in Roma compose il suo scritto, precisamente presso il titolo diaconale di s. Vito in Macello, e trasferì s. Vito per mezzo di celesti spiriti in Lucania, perchè sapeva bene che il titolare di questa chiesa urbana non era sepolto in Eoma, bensì presso il Tanagro e il Sele nella Lucania, ove era morto." The "Passio" is a different document from the "Translatio".
  10. There is no reference to a bishop of Cann(a)e between 496 and 963, and there is no Bishop Petrus until the second half of the 13th century: Cappelletti XXI, p. 67.
  11. Ughelli VII, first edition, p. 1019: "Locus enim ipse Marianus erat de iurisdictione predicti Antistitis Canusini. Tunc ad eundem locum regulari institutione benedicentes cum gratiarum actione devenerunt ad construendum Ecclesias ad honorem Dei, & Sanctorum Martyrum assignarunt".
  12. The text of the "Translatio" says it was the year 801, but Ughelli (VII, p. 1020) pointed out that Venerable Bede, who died in 735, already knew about the translation. The date of 672 is conjectural: "quo verò anno, in obscuro est, nisi divinare velimus ex quadam probabili coniectura illam evenisse anno 672, quo Resurrectionis Dominicæ festum incidit die 25. Aprilis vt idem testatur Beda de temporum ratione in trigesimo sexto circulo novennali...." Also, Valentini (2017), in: The Church of Santa Maria Assunta at Polignano a mare, p. 63, note 9.
  13. Valentini (2017), in: The Church of Santa Maria Assunta at Polignano a mare, p. 14. There is no reference to a bishop of Cann(a)e between 496 and 963, and there is no Bishop Petrus until the second half of the 13th century: Cappelletti XXI, p. 67. Klewitz, pp. 57-58.
  14. Klewitz, pp. 34-37. Kehr IX, pp. 318-323, nos. 4, 7, 13, 15.
  15. Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 319, note 1.
  16. Valentini (2017), in: The Church of Santa Maria Assunta at Polignano a mare, p. 34.
  17. Valentini (2017), p. 38. Santos (2017), in: The Church of Santa Maria Assunta at Polignano a mare, p. 73.
  18. Valenti (2017), pp. 41-42.
  19. Francesco Scaduto (1887). Stato e chiesa nelle due Sicilie dai Normanni ai giorni nostri (in Italian). Palermo: A. Amenta. pp. 42–58, 74–78.
  20. F. Artaud de Montor, Histoire du Pape Pie VII (in French) Vol. II, second edition (Paris: Adrien Leclerc 1837), pp. 507-509.
  21. Vito Giliberti (1845), Polizia ecclesiastica del regno delle due Sicilie (in Italian), (Napoli: F. Azzolini), pp. 399-400.
  22. F. Torelli (1848), La chiave del concordato dell'anno 1818 I, second edition (Naples: Fibreno 1848), pp. 1-19.
  23. Pius VII, Bullarii Romani Continuatio Tomus 25 (Rome 1853), p. 59 § 25: "Supprimimus insuper episcopalem ecclesiam Polisnanensem, atque illius civitatem ac dioecesim episcopali ecclesiae Monopolitanae perpetuo adnectimus et adjungimus..."
  24. Cappelletti XXI, p. 389. A collegiate church is administered by a college of Canons.
  25. Acta Apostolicae Sedis 60 (Città del Vaticano 1968), p. 581.
  26. Klewitz, p. 58. Unattested.
  27. Milo: Klewitz, p. 58. Kehr IX, p. 379.
  28. Bishop Arpinus took part in the Third Lateran Council of Pope Alexander III in March 1179. Kamp. pp. 648-649. Kehr IX, pp. 369-370, nos. 1-3.
  29. Bishop Boetius took part in the Fourth Lateran Council of Pope Innocent III in 1215. Kamp, p. 650.
  30. Guilelmus probably died towards the end of 1329. His successor was appointed in Avignon on 19 January 1330. Ughelli VII, p. 754. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica I, p. 405.
  31. Following the death of Bishop Guilelmus, Pope John XXII exercised his reservation of the bishopric of Polignano, and provided (appointed) Matthaeus, the bishop of Avlona (Aulon, Dalmatia), on 19 January 1330. G. Mollat, Jean XXII. Lettres communes, Tome IX (Paris: E. De Boccard ), p. 174, no. 48171. Cappelletti XXI, p. 390. Eubel I, p. 405.
  32. On 15 March 1333, following the death of Bishop Matthaeus, Pope John XXII employed his special reservation of the appointment of the next bishop of Polignano, and provided Bonajuncta de Boscolis, who was only in minor orders at the time of his appointment. Bonajuncta was, however, a canon of the cathedral of Teramo. G. Mollat, Jean XXII. Lettres communes, Tome XII (Paris: E. de Boccard 1935), p. 115, no. 59807. Eubel I, p. 405.
  33. Nicolaus da Bari was appointed on 16 February 1344 by Pope Clement VI. He died in 1363. Eubel I, p. 405.
  34. Nicholas was a canon of the cathedral of Parenzo (Istria), and a papal chaplain. He was appointed bishop of Polignano on 28 February 1364, by Pope Urban V. He was transferred to the diocese of Molfetta on 8 January 1375, by Pope Gregory XI, from which post he was removed as a follower of Benedict XIII of the Avignon Obedience. Eubel I, pp. 335 with note 5; 405.
  35. Pavo (Paulus) had been a canon of Salerno. He was appointed bishop of Polignano by Pope Gregory XI on 8 January 1375. In the Western Schism he joined Urban VI (Roman Obedience). In July 1378, Pavo was sent as a nuncio from Urban VI to Wenceslaus, King of the Romans, with a viva voce message. On 19 April 1380, Urban ordered him to collect money owed to the papal treasury, and to send an inventory of the goods left by Archbishop John of Prague in his Testament. On 1 October 1381, Urban acknowledged receipt of a payment to the papal treasury. On 2 June 1390, Pavo received a general quittance from Pope Boniface IX for all the funds he had handled for Urban VI in his missions in Bohemia, Germany, Italy, and other locations. Kamil Krofta (1903), Acta Urbani VI. et Bonifatii IX., pontificum romanorum Vol. V, part 1, 1378–1396 (Prague: Typis Gregerianis 1903), pp. 32 no. 27; 49 no 52; 57 no. 64. He was deposed from the diocese of Polignano by Pope Clement VII, and replaced on 26 March 1379 by Pascalis (Pasquale), the archdeacon of Lucera. Eubel I, p. 405.
  36. Pasquale was appointed by Pope Clement VII on 26 March 1379. His successor was appointed on 27 October 1382. Eubel I, p. 405.
  37. Angelo da Conversano was appointed by Pope Clement VII on 27 October 1382. He was transferred to the diocese of Conversano by Pope Clement on 12 July 1393. Eubel I, pp. 218, 405.
  38. Angelo had been Cantor in the cathedral chapter of Bitonto. He was appointed bishop of Polignano by Clement VII on 4 May 1394, but Clement died on 16 September, before he had been consecrated; he was reappointed by Pope Benedict XIII on 12 October 1394, and was still bishop-elect on 7 August 1398. Eubel I, p. 405 with note 4.
  39. Pavo de Grifis was transferred to the diocese of Tropea, and Lupulo del Lago was appointed bishop of Polignano by Pope Boniface IX on 10 November 1390. His successor was appointed on 7 September 1391. Ughelli (VII, p. 755) remarks that perhaps he died in that same year, or perhaps he was transferred to another dignity. It is also possible he was not able to take possession of the diocese. Eubel I, p. 405, 500.
  40. Afflitti was appointed bishop by Boniface IX on 7 September 1391. He was also made Apostolic Visitor of the abbey of Subiaco. He appointed a Vicar at Polignano, Abbot Vito of the monastery of S. Vitus in Polignano. He was transferred to the diocese of Anagni on 14 December 1401, by Boniface IX. He died at the end of 1417 or the beginning of 1418. Ughelli VII, p. 755. Eubel I, pp. 87, 405.
  41. Bishop Cristoforo was transferred by Boniface IX from the diocese of Scutari on 14 December 1401. Eubel I, p. 405.
  42. Nicolaus is mentioned by Gams, p. 913. There is no evidence with regard to him. He could have been appointed by Gregory XII (of the Roman Obedience, who had been deposed by the Council of Pisa for heresy and schism), by Benedict XIII (Avignon Obedience, who had also been deposed), or by John XXIII (Pisan Obedience, who was reckoned as the legitimate pope, until 1958).
  43. Paulus de Alfitatis was appointed by Pope Martin V on 3 July 1420. He was transferred to the diocese of Bitonto on 14 June 1423. According to Eubel, on 10 November 1423 he received the privilege of being consecrated by whichever bishop he wanted; this would indicate that he was only bishop-elect of Polignano. Eubel I, pp. 143 with note 8; 405.
  44. Rao (Raone) Castromediano in civilian life, Paulus was a Franciscan doctor of theology. He was appointed bishop of Polignano by Pope Martin V on 12 April 1424. He died in 1460. Ughelli VII, p. 755. Eubel I, p. 405; II, p. 218.
  45. Claudius was appointed (provided) on 15 October 1460, by Pope Pius II. Eubel II, p. 218.
  46. Cardinal Orsini administered the diocese of Polignano through a Vicar General. Ughelli, p. 756. Eubel II, p. 218, note 1.
  47. Toraldi was appointed by Pope Sixtus IV on 8 January 1473. His successor was appointed on 2 March 1506, by Pope Julius II. Eubel II, p. 218.
  48. Eubel II, p. 218.
  49. Michele Claudio held the degree of Doctor in utroque iure. He was Vice-Chamberlain of the Apostolic Camera and Governor of Rome in 1505. He was appointed bishop of Polignano by Pope Julius II, on 2 March 1506, though Eubel appears to indicate that he was not consecrated during his term. He was named Bishop of Monopoli on 7 February 1508. He died in 1513. Ughelli VII, p. 756. Gaetano Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica Vol. 32 (Venice: Tip. Emiliana 1845), p. 39. Eubel III, pp. 248, 277.
  50. Cristoforo was appointed bishop by Pope Julius II on 7 February 1508. He was present at the Fifth Lateran Council, both under Julius II and Leo X. Ughelli, p. 756. Eubel III, p. 277.
  51. A native of Giovenazzo, Framarini was appointed by Pope Leo X on 21 August 1517. He resigned the diocese in 1540, and died in 1569. Eubel III, p. 477.
  52. Casamassima: Eubel III, p. 277 with notes 6, 7.
  53. Pietro Casamassima, nephew of Rosmano: Eubel III, p. 277 with note 8.
  54. Gauchat, Patritius (Patrice) (1930). Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Vol. IV. p. 284. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011.
  55. "Bishop Girolamo Parisani" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved December 13, 2016
  56. De Martinis: Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 319 with note 3.
  57. Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 319 with note 4. Carmine Di Giuseppe (2014), "Fra Ignazio Maria Fiume. Vescovo di Polignano. Appunti per una biografia," Studi storici e religiosi Nuova serie, Anno VI, no. 1 (Gennaio–Aprile 2014) (Luciano Editore 2014), pp. 81-90.
  58. Capilupi: Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 319 with note 5.
  59. Pini: Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 319 with note 6.
  60. Venditti: Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 343 with note 2.
  61. Broccoli: Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 343 with note 3.
  62. Santoro: Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 343 with note 4.
  63. The diocese, during the vacancy, was governed by a Vicar Capitular. D'Avino, Cenni storici, p. 351, column 1.

Books

Reference Works

Studies

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