The former FrenchRoman Catholicdiocese of Agde existed from about the 6th century[1] to the Concordat of 1801 between First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII. Agde is in the south of France, in what is now the department of Hérault. The last bishop, Charles François de Rouvroy de Saint Simon Sandricourt, was guillotined in Paris on July 25, 1794.
The diocesan seat was the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne, originally dedicated to Saint Andrew. The cathedral was served by a Chapter, consisting of twelve Canons, including the Archdeacon, the Sacristan, the Precentor and the Treasurer. There were twelve chaplains (hebdomidarii), eight for daily services and four for requiems. There were thirty-two prebendaries. The diocese had only twenty-six parishes.[2] The territory of the former diocese is now part of the diocese of Montpellier.
Bishops
To 1000
Venustus (Venuste, in French) ca. 405[3]
Beticus ca. 450?
Sophronius (Sophrone) 506
Leo 541
Pronimius (Fronime) ca. 569–ca. 585
Tigride 589
George 653
Wilesinde 673
Primus (Prime) 683
Justus (Just) 788, 791
Dagobert I. (Dagbert, Agbert) 848–872
Boson 885–897
Gerard I. 899–922
Stephan I. 922
Dagobert II. 937–948
Bernhard I. 949
Salomon I. 954–957
Bernhard II. 958
Ameil 971
Salomon II. 972–976
Armand (Arnaud) 982
Stephan II. 990–1034
1000 to 1300
Wilhelm I 1043
Gontier 1050–1064
Bérenger 1068–1098
Bernard Déodat 1098–1122
Adelbert 1123–1129
Raimond de Montredon 1130–1142 (translated to Arles)
^Georges Goyau, "Montpellier." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 10 (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911). Retrieved: 2016-07-17. ; David M. Cheney, Catholic-Hierarchy: Diocese of Agde; G-Catholic: Diocese of Agde Archived February 4, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved: 2016-07-17.
^Gallia christiana VI, p. 644.
^Duchesne, p. 317, n. 3. Gallia christiana VI, p. 665. The one and only reference to Venustus is found in a list printed in Gallia christiana Volume I, Instrumenta, p. 137, where he is one of twelve bishops killed by Crocus, king of the Alamanni. Saint-Marthe doubts the reliability of the text.
^Eubel, I, p. 121. The promotion to the titular See of Tyre in 1425 suggests that Guillot had become an important papal administrator.
^Eubel, II, p. 82.
^Fisquet, pp. 504–505. Gams, p. 478. Eubel III, p. 97 n. 2, has Jean de Vesc resign in 1504, to be succeeded by Cardinal Niccolo Fieschi as Administrator until 1525. On 11 December 1504 there was a lawsuit between Fieschi and Vesc, which was won by Fieschi; Vesc resigned; Cardinal Francesco Soderini, appointed Commissioner by Julius II, transferred the See to Fieschi in commendam. Fieschi died on 15 June 1524: Eubel III, p. 8.
^He was only twenty years old, and could not be consecrated. An Indult was issued by Pope Clement VII on 8 April 1528, granting Jean-Antoine the privilege of being consecrated when he reached 24: Eubel III, p. 97, n. 3. On 10 May 1531 Jean-Antoine was transferred to the diocese of Valence: Eubel III, p. 326.
^Fisquet, pp. 505 and 540.
^Eubel, III, p. 97. He died on 21 June 1578.
^Eubel III, p. 97. Bernard du Puy was confirmed by the Pope in Consistory on 11 May 1583.
^He was never consecrated. Hence, he was only Administrator. Eubel, III, p. 97, puts his appointment on 14 May 1618.
^Fisquet, pp. 520–522.
^Xavier Azéma (1963). Un prelat janseniste: Louis Foucquet, évêque et comte d'Agde 1656-1702 (in French). Paris: Librairie Philosophique J. Vrin.
^Théophile Berengier (1884). Notice sur Mgr Joseph-François de Cadenet de Charleval, évêque et comte d'Agde (1710-1759) (in French). Marseille: Olive.
^Charles Mariès (1894). Oraison funèbre de Monseigneur Charles-François-Siméon Vermandois de Saint-Simon Rouvroy Sandricourt, dernier évêque et comte d'Agde, 1759-1794, prononcée dans l'église-cathédrale Saint-Étienne d'Agde à l'occasion du premier centenaire de la mort glorieuse de Monseigneur de Saint-Simon (in French). Montpellier: Jean Martel aîné.
Bibliography
Reference Works
Gams, Pius Bonifatius (1873). Series episcoporum Ecclesiae catholicae: quotquot innotuerunt a beato Petro apostolo. Ratisbon: Typis et Sumptibus Georgii Josephi Manz. pp. 477–478.
Eubel, Conradus, ed. (1913). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 1 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana. (in Latin) p. 76.
Eubel, Conradus, ed. (1914). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 2 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana. (in Latin) p. 82.
Gauchat, Patritius (Patrice) (1935). Hierarchia catholica IV (1592-1667). Münster: Libraria Regensbergiana. Retrieved 2016-07-06. p. 72.
Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1952). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi V (1667-1730). Patavii: Messagero di S. Antonio. Retrieved 2016-07-06. p. 72.
Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1958). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi VI (1730-1799). Patavii: Messagero di S. Antonio. Retrieved 2016-07-06. p. 69.
Studies
Duchesne, Louis (1907). Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule: I. Provinces du Sud-Est. Paris: Fontemoing. second edition (in French)
Fisquet, Honore (1864). La France pontificale (Gallia Christiana): Montpellier (in French). Vol. Premiere partie. Paris: Etienne Repos. pp. 393–592.
Sainte-Marthe (Sammarathani), Denis de (1739). Gallia christiana in provincia ecclesiasticas distributa (in Latin). Vol. Tomus sextus (VI), Provincia Narbonensis. Paris: Typographia regia. pp. 664–728.