Roman Catholic Diocese of Macerata-Tolentino-Recanati-Cingoli-Treia


The Diocese of Macerata-Tolentino-Recanati-Cingoli-Treia is a Roman Catholic diocese in Italy. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Fermo.

History

In the 13th century the territory and city of Recanati became heavily involved in the struggles between Guelphs and Ghibbelines. On 27 July 1263 the diocese was completely suppressed by Pope Urban IV in the Bull Cives Recanatensis, due to its support of Manfred, who claimed the Kingdom of Sicily. It was not restored until 1289. By the beginning of the 14th century the anti-papalist Ghibbelines were in control, and rejected papal control through the Rector of the Marches. In order to bring Recanati into submission, Pope John XXII embarked upon a program of punishment which included the reduction of Recanati's civil status and the removal of the bishopric. The Diocese of Recanati suppressed in 1320, and did not regain its episcopal status until 1356.
The Diocese of Macerata was established by Pope John XXII on 18 November 1320, in the Bull Sicut ex debito, which also suppressed the diocese of Recanati. The castrum Maceratae was raised to the status of a city, and its territory, which was partly in the diocese of Camerino and partly in the diocese of Fermo, was detached from those two dioceses and included in the new diocese of Macerata. The parish church of S. Giuliano in Macerata was elevated to the status of a cathedral, and the seat of the bishop of Macerata installed in it. Bishop Fridericus of Recanati was transferred to the new See of Macerata, with all the powers, rights, and privileges which he had enjoyed when Bishop of Recanati. The cathedral Chapter of Recanata was also transferred to the Cathedral of S. Giuliano in Macerata, with the same dignities, grades, numbers, and income as they had enjoyed at Recanati.
In 1698, the cathedral Chapter of Macerata had one dignity, the Archdeacon, and seventeen Canons.
On 17 March 1586, Pope Sixtus V, in the Bull Pro excellenti, raised the town of Loreto to the status of a bishopric. To provide territory to support the apparatus of a diocese, the already existing diocese of Recanati was suppressed, and its territory was transferred to the new diocese of Loreto. The cathedral of Recanati was demoted to the status of collegiate church. Bishop Galeazzo Moroni, the Bishop of Recanati who was also Bishop of Macerata, was released from his connection to the diocese of Recanati. To compensate the diocese of Macerata for the loss of Recanati, it was united with the newly created Diocese of Tolentino on 10 December 1586.
The diocese, in its current configuration, was established in order to conform to Italian civil law which was embodied in the Concordat between the Vatican and the Italian Republic of 18 February 1984. After extensive consultations, Pope John Paul II decreed that the status of the bishop governing several dioceses aeque personaliter was abolished, and that the Diocese of Macerata-Tolentino was merged with the Diocese of Osimo e Cingoli, the Diocese of Recanati and the Diocese of San Severino to form a single diocese, albeit with a long name. The changes were embodied in a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Bishops in the Roman Curia, promulgated on 30 September 1986. The seat of the merged dioceses was to be in Macerata. All of the cathedrals except Macerata were to have the status of co-cathedral. The diocesan offices was to be in Macerata, as was the diocesan tribunal, the diocesan seminary, the College of Consultors, the Priests' Council, unless otherwise directed by the bishop.
On 17 April 1772, the city of Macerata witnessed the marriage of Charles Edward Stuart and Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern, performed by Bishop Carlo Augusto Peruzzini of Macerata.

Synods

A diocesan synod was an irregularly held, but important, meeting of the bishop of a diocese and his clergy. Its purpose was to proclaim generally the various decrees already issued by the bishop; to discuss and ratify measures on which the bishop chose to consult with his clergy; to publish statutes and decrees of the diocesan synod, of the provincial synod, and of the Holy See.
Bishop Papirio Silvestri held a diocesan synod in Macerata on 12 September 1651. In 1663, Bishop Francesco Cini presided over a diocesan synod in Macerata. In 1687 Bishop Fabrizio Paolucci had his Synodial Constitutions published, but it is uncertain when he held his synod.
In 1728, Bishop Alessandro Carlo Gaetano Varano held a diocesan synod. Bishop Domenico Spinucci held a diocesan synod in Macerata on 9–11 May 1784, and another at Tolentino on 23–25 May. Bishop Francesco Ansaldo Teloni held a diocesan synod in Macerata from 8 to 10 August 1830, and another in Tolentino from 22 to 24 August 1830. The decisions were published in 1832.

Bishops

Diocese of Macerata

Latin Name: Maceratensis et Tolentina
United: 10 December 1586 with the Diocese of Tolentino
United: 25 January 1985 with the territory of the former Diocese of Treia, the Diocese of Macerata e Tolentino, the Diocese of Osimo e Cingoli, and the Diocese of Recanati