Jump to content

Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell

Coordinates:42°21′29″N1°27′43″E/ 42.358°N 1.462°E/42.358; 1.462
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diocese of Urgell

Diœcesis Urgellensis

Diòcesi d'Urgell (ca)
Diocèsi d'Urgelh (oc)
Diócesis de Urgel (es)
Cathedral of Santa Maria d'Urgell,Urgell
Location
CountrySpain
Andorra
Ecclesiastical provinceTarragona
MetropolitanTarragona
Statistics
Area7,630 km2(2,950 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2014)
216,337
208,486 (96.4%)
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iurischurchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established4th Century
CathedralCathedral of St Mary in La Seu d'Urgell
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopJoan Enric Vives i Sicília
Metropolitan ArchbishopJaume Pujol i Balcells
CoadjutorJosep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat[1]
Map
Website
bisbaturgell.org

TheDiocese of Urgell(Catalan pronunciation:[uɾˈ(d)ʒeʎ];Latin:Diœcesis Urgellensis) is aLatin Churchdioceseof theCatholic ChurchinCatalonia(Spain) andAndorrain the historicalCounty of Urgell,[2][3]with origins in the fifth century AD or possibly earlier. It is based in the region of the historicalCatalanCounty of Urgell, though it has different borders. The seat andCathedralof the bishop are situated inla Seu d'Urgelltown. The state of Andorra is a part of this diocese.

Among its most notable events areBishop Felix'sadoptionist revolt, the coup of Bishop Esclua and the overthrowing of the bishop by members of aristocratic families (namely Salla i Ermengol del Conflent, Eribau i Folcs dels Cardona, Guillem Guifré de Cerdanya and Ot de Pallars) between the years 981 and 1122.

Also important is the diocese's patronage of Andorra, with the bishop holding the role ofex officioCo-Princeof Andorra jointly with thePresident of France(and formerly, the King of France or King/Emperor of the French). Andorra was ceded to theBishop of Urgellby theCount Ermengol VI of Urgellin 1133.[4]

Description of the diocesan territory[edit]

TheCatholic Churchcontrols themetropolitan churchofTarragona,with itsseeor capital of the Seu d'Urgell (Urgell See). It contains 7630 km2and a population of 200,761 according to the 2000censusand is the largest bishopric of the eight that have a see in Catalonia. In contrast, it is the most sparsely populated. The diocese borders the bishoprics ofVic,Solsona,Lleida,Barbastro-Monzón,Toulouse,PamiersandPerpignan.It has been deeply linked for many years to the regions that constituted the counties ofUrgell,PallarsandCerdanyaduring theMiddle Ages,with which it identifies and forms a historical and geographic unit maintained up to the present day. The diocese totally or partially occupies theRipollès,Cerdanya,Alt Urgell,Segarra,Urgell,Pla d'Urgell,Noguera,Pallars Jussà,Pallars Sobirà,Alta Ribagorça,Andorra,and theVall d'Aranregions.

The bishopric's jurisdiction extends to 408 parishes, although today some have a very reduced population. Almost all of the parishes come from distant times, as the verytitularsaints of their churches. The most common areSaint Mary(in 90 parochial churches, as well as thecathedral),Saint Peter(35),Saint Martin(29),Saint Saturninus(24),Saint Steven(23),Saint Michael(19),Saint Andrew(17),Saint Julian(12),Saint Eulalia(11),Saint VincentandSaint Felix(10). Many churches of thebishopric,parochial or not, conserve elements of great architectural interest, and thirty-six of them are considered cultural goods ofnational interestinSpain.

Amongst all Catalan bishoprics, the Diocese of Urgell has been that which has experienced the most border-related changes throughout its existence, mainly for political reasons: the loss ofRibagorça(9th century), to the benefit of theDiocese of Roda,and the cession of 144 parishes of theBerguedà,theSolsonèsand a part of the Segarra, to the benefit of the new diocese of Solsona (1593-1623); later, it was necessary to adapt the territory to the borders between states, and thus in 1803, the 24 parishes ofFrench Cerdagne,which had been ceded to France from the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, also passed ecclesiastically to that country; and in 1804, the 28 from theAran Valley,a territory circumscribed byFranceyet united fully to the Catalan-Aragonese territories at least since the 12th century, were annexed to the diocese of Urgell, coming from the eliminatedGascondiocese of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges.In 1874 the sixty-odd towns that formed the erstwhile exempt jurisdictions ofGerri de la Sal,Mur,Montodó-Bonrepòs,the order ofSaint John of JerusalemandMeiàwere annexed to the diocese. Finally, in 1956, the diocese gained the seven parishes of theArtesa de Segreenclave and gave up the 19 of theFranja de Ponent[Western Strip] toLleidaandBarbastre,grouped into three enclaves.

Origin of the Urgell diocese[edit]

Frontal from La Seu d'Urgell or of The Apostles,now conserved atMNAC Barcelona.

The diocese, without excluding the possibility of a more remote origin, was already constituted at the beginning of the 6th century. The first known bishop,Saint Justus,figures among the participants of thecouncils of Toledo(531),LleidaandValencia(546). His successors also took part regularly in the Toledo councils celebrated throughout the 7th century. The Episcopal succession, despite the uncertainty of names and chronology, seems to not be interrupted by theSaraceninvasion of 714.

Monasticismmust have been introduced into the diocese during theVisigothicperiod. The monasteries ofTavèrnoles,Gerri,Codinet,andTrespontsare probably anterior to the Saracen invasion. These foundations and the later ones--la Vedella,Elins,Bagà,la Portella,les Maleses,Villanega,Oveix,Bellera,el Burgal,Lavaix,Alaó,Escales,Ovarra,Taverna,Gualter,etc.—often adopted the Benedictine observance from the 9th century on, following the example of the majority of the coenobitic monasteries then extant in theMarca Hispanica.This became the norm for monastic life in the following century. These monasteries, alongside the parochial and canonical organization (the Urgell Diocese,Solsona,Cardona,Organyà,Ponts,Ager,Mur,Tremp) would greatly influence the Christianization of the country and its human, cultural and economic development.

Thecanonicalmonasteries derived into colleges as a result of theirsecularization(1592), and due to their corruption, the 1851 concord eliminated them, along with the other preexisting ones (Castellbò,Guissona,Balaguer). Mur and Àger were without a doubt the most famous Catalan canonical colleges, exempt from episcopal jurisdiction

Early Middle Ages[edit]

Apse from La Seu d'Urgell.

On the first decade of theUmayyad conquest of Hispania,Berber troops set up garrisons on the northernmost hilly regions and towns.Uthman ibn Naissasettled down inCerdanya,killed the bishop of Urgell, and rebelled against central Cordovan rule in 730. The Berber lord was killed in 731, and the region subdued byAbd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi.

During theepiscopacyof the BishopFelix(781–799), who was accused ofadoptionismby theCarolingiantheologians and for this motive deposed and confined toLyon,the city of Urgell and its church were completely destroyed by the Arabs around 793. With the founding of theMarca Hispanica,the diocese, like the others recently restored, became part of theecclesiastical province of Narbonneuntil the recreation of themetropolitan see of Tarragonain 1091. TheFrankishkings intervened effectively in the country's reconstruction, promoting theReconquestlaying the foundations of its government. The territory now being free, mainly, from theMoors' power, with the help of the firstCatalan Counts,they promoted the construction of a new cathedral, completed in the second part of the 9th century, to which were assigned 289 towns or villages — all the northwestern area of thePyrenees.

At the same time, the Urgell church, ruled for more than two centuries (914-1122) by members of the Counts' families, fully entered the ring of the feudal system, which allowed it to shape for itself an extensive seigniorial patrimony, which among other cities and territories included the city of Urgell, the valleys ofAndorra,theVall de la Llosa,theVall d'Arquesand theRibera Salada,the villages ofSanaüja,Guissona,and, from 1257 onwards,Tremp.This, however, forced it into a certain dependence on the superior power of the Counts. Also, theGregorian Reform,introduced to the County of Urgell during the last years of the 11th century, preceded by the change of theVisigothic ritefor theRoman rite,reduced those interventions of thelaymenin ecclesiastical affairs and achieved the complete freedom of the Church in the spiritual and temporal domains. Moreover, the maintenance of those possessions originated constant tension and fighting throughout the Middle Ages with the Viscounts ofCastellbóand his heirs, the Counts ofFoix.

List of Bishops of Urgell[edit]

1During asede vacante.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"From Secretariat of State to Spain: Msgr Serrano named Coadjutor Bishop of Urgell".Vatican News.July 12, 2024.RetrievedJuly 13,2024.
  2. ^"Diocese of Urgell"Catholic-Hierarchy.org.Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  3. ^"Diocese of Urgell",GCatholic.org. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  4. ^Bueno Salinas, Santiago; Pérez-Madrid, Francisca."Religion and the Secular State in Andorra"(PDF).International Center for Law and Religion Studies. p. 58.Retrieved16 August2015.
  5. ^"Archbishop Antonio Pérez, O.S.B.",Catholic-Hierarchy.org.Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  6. ^From 28 July 1817 to 27 September 1824."Andorra: Co-Rulers (Urgell)".archontology.org.Retrieved15 January2015.

External links[edit]

42°21′29″N1°27′43″E/ 42.358°N 1.462°E/42.358; 1.462

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Urgell&oldid=1234228642"