Ancient Diocese of Uzès

Uzès Cathedral

The Ancient Diocese of Uzès is a former Roman Catholic diocese in France. From the arrival of Christianity in the 5th century until the French Revolution the southern French city of Uzès was the seat of a bishop, a competitor to the local lords.

The first historically verified Bishop of Uzès was Constantius, who was present at the Council of Vaison in 442. Other notable bishops were the fourth, Saint Firminus (541-53), who is locally venerated as Saint Firmin and whose relics remain in Uzès Cathedral (dedicated to Saint Theodoritus (Saint Théodorit), a martyr and patron saint of the town)), and who was venerated as a patron saint against plague, and Saint Ferreol (553-81).

As the power of territorial magnates dispersed, the bishops obtained the right to strike coinage, a sure sign of their secular power, and the seigneurial right to dispense justice. In the 13th century, at the height of the see's power, the bishop was able to purchase a part of the signory of Uzès. Guillaume de Grimoard du Roure officiated as bishop of Uzès before becoming Pope Urban V.

Like many cloth-manufacturing centers (Uzès manufactues serge), the city and the surrounding countryside were strongly Protestant during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, which wreaked havoc in the Languedoc regions, and Bishop Jean de Saint Gelais (1531–60) became a Calvinist. Many of the city's churches were burned by Huguenots and only two remain.

The celebrated missionary Bridaine, (1701–67), was a native of the diocese of Uzès. For seventy days the little city was the fortified residence of Cardinal Pacca, after his confinement at Fenestrelles (1812). The town of Pont Saint Esprit, on the Rhône, owes its names to a bridge built there between 1265 and 1309 with the proceeds of a general collection made by the monks.

After the bishopric of Nîmes was re-established as a separate diocese in 1821, a Papal Brief of 27 April 1877, granted to its bishop the right to add Alais and Uzès to their bishopric, with the two dioceses being combined with that of Nîmes.

Bishops

Bishops of Uzès

Year	Name
419–462	Constantinus (Constance, Constantine)
506	Probatius (Probatien, Probace)
533–538	Roricius (Rorice)
538–553	Saint Firmin
553–581	Saint Ferréol of Uzès
581	Albinus (Albin)
581	Jovinus (Jovin)
581	Marcellus (Marcel)
659	Aurelien (Aurele)
661	Mummolus (Mummole)
773	Sigibert (Sigepert, Sigisbert)
791	Arimundus (Arimond)
823–835	Amelius I.
842	Éliphas (Éléphant, Alphant, Alphonse)
858–879	Walafrid (Wilfrid, Wilfred)
885	Asaël
886–915	Amelius II.
945	Rostaing
994–1030	Heribald (Aribald, Arbaud)
1030–1080	Hugues (Hugo)
1096–1138	Raymond I.
1139–1150	Ébrard I. (Éverard)
1150–1188	Raymond II. de Posquières
1188–1190	Bertrand I.
1190–1204	Guillaume I. de Vénéjan
1204–1208	Ébrard II.
1208–1212	Raymond III. (Rainon, Raynier)
1212–1227	Raymond IV named de Mas d'André (Mansus Andreae)
1228–1239	Berlio (Berlion, Berlionc)
1240–1249	Pons de Becmil
1249–1285	Bertrand II. Armand
1285–1307	Guillaume II. des Gardies
1315–1318	André de Frédol
1318–1344	Guillaume III. de Mandagout
1344–1346	Élias (Hélias de Saint-Yrieix)
1357–1365	Pierre I. d'Aigrefeuille
1365–1366	Pierre II. (Gérard de la Rovère)
1366–1371	Bompar (Bonuspar)
1371–1374	Bernard de Saint-Étienne
1375–1398	Martial
1400–1405	Pierre III. de Beaublé (Belbladi)
1405–1426	Géraud de Breuil (Guiraud de Broglio)
1427	Pierre IV. Soybert
1427–1441	Bertrand III. de Cadoène
1441–1442	Guillaume IV. de Champeaux
1442–1445	Alain de Coëtivy
1445–1446	Guillaume V. Soybert
1446–1448	Olivier du Châtel (Oliverius de Castro)
1448–1463	Gabriel du Châtel
1463–1483	Jean I. de Mareuil (de Marolio)
1483–1503	Nicolas I. Malgras (Maugras, Malgrassi)
1503–1531	Jacques I. de Saint-Gelais
1531–1570	Jean II. de Saint-Gelais
1570–1591	Robert de Girard
1591–1601	François I. Rousset
1601–1624	Louis de Vigne
1621–1633	Paul-Antoine de Fay de Peraut
1633–1660	Nicolas de Grillié (de Grillet)
1660–1674	Jacques II. Adhémar de Monteil de Grignan
1674–1677	Michel I. Phélypeaux de la Vrillière
1677–1728	Michel II. Poncet de la Rivière
1728–1736	François II. de Lastic de Saint-Jal
1737–1779	Bonaventure Baüyn
1779–1792	Henri Benoît Jules de Béthizy de Mézières

Source and external links

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. 
• [1],Uzès Cathedral
• St. Theodoritus