Ancient Diocese of Saintes

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The former French diocese of Saintes existed from the sixth century, to the French Revolution. Its see was at Saintes in western France, in the modern department of Charente-Maritime. After the Concordat of 1801, its territory passed mainly to the diocese of La Rochelle.

1 History
2 Councils
3 Bishops
4 Notes

[edit] History

Saintes has numerous Roman monuments. The oldest bishop of known date is Peter, who took part in the Council of Orléans (511).

The first bishop, however, is St. Eutropius. Venantius Fortunatus, in a poem written in the second half of the sixth century, makes explicit mention of him in connexion with Saintes. Eutropius was said to be a Persian of royal descent, ordained and sent to Gaul by St. Clement; at Saintes he converted to Christianity the governor's daughter, St. Eustelle, and like her suffered martyrdom. This tradition is noted by Gregory of Tours, with a cautious ut fertur; Saintes is thus the only church of Gaul which Gregory traces back to the first century. This evidence is much weakened, says Louis Duchesne, by Gregory's remark to the effect that no one knew the history of St. Eutropius before the removal of his relics by Bishop Palladius, which took place about 590. At this tardy date seems to have arisen the account of Eutropius as a martyr.

Among the bishops of Saintes are mentioned:

St. Vivianus (119-52?), once Count of Saintes, later a monk
St. Trojanus, died about 532
St. Concordius (middle of the sixth century)
St. Pallais (Palladius), about 580, to whom Gregory the Great recommended St. Augustine on way to England
St. Leontius, bishop in 625
Cardinal Raimond Perauld (1503-05), an ecclesiastical writer, several times nuncio, legate for a crusade, against the infidels, and the re-establishment of peace between Maximilian and Louis XII
Cardinal François Soderini (1507-16), who died in Rome as dean of the Sacred College
his nephew Jules Soderini (1516-44)
Charles of Bourbon (1544-50), cardinal in 1548, afterward Archbishop of Rouen, whom Mayenne wished later to make King of France
Pierre Louis de La Rochefoucauld (1782-92), killed at Paris with his brother, the Bishop of Beauvais, 2 September, 1792.^[1]

[edit] Councils

Several councils were held at Saintes: in 562 or 563, when Bishop Emerius, illegally elected, was deposed and Heraclius appointed in his stead; other councils were held in 579, 1074 or 1075, 1080, 1081, at which last, metropolitan authority over the sees of Lower Brittany was granted to Tours as against the claims of Dol, and William VII gave the church of St. Eutropius to the monks of Cluny; also in 1083, 1088, 1089, 1097.