Archdiocese of Foggia–Bovino


The Archdiocese of Foggia-Bovino is a Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Apulia, southern Italy, created by promoting the bishopric of Foggia in 1979, and merging with the bishopric of Bovina in 1986, whose name was included in its title.
WWW diocesifoggiabovino.itFB Arcidiocesi-di-Foggia-Bov...

History

In March 1731, the territory of Foggia was the victim of a major earthquake. A third of the city was destroyed, and the ecclesiastical infrastructure suffered major damage. The major church was ruined, the monastery of the Annunziata and the monastery of Santa Chiara were partially destroyed, the convent of the Capuchins was heavily damaged, as was that of the Pentite. The palace of the bishop of Troia was damaged. The number of dead exceeded 500. It also suffered in the earthquakes of 1866 and 1882.
The Diocese of Foggia was established by Pope Pius IX on 25 June 1855, in the bull Ex hoc Summi Pontificis, on territory split off from the Diocese of Troia. The diocese, like the diocese of Troia, was exempt, i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See, not part of any ecclesiastical province. Troia was 30 km or 19 mi from Foggia, a point remarked on by Pope Pius.
The collegiate church of S. Maria in Foggia was raised to the dignity of a cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Body of the Virgin Mary into Heaven. It was administered by a corporate body called the Chapter, composed of four dignities and eighteen canons. There were also six beneficed "mansionarii", who saw to the daily routine of religious services. The cathedral was also a parish church, whose parishioners were under the care of the Archpriest. The city had four other churches, one of which contained a wonder-working statue of the Sorrowful Virgin Mary; five convents of mendicant friars, and three establishments of monks.
On 14 December 1974, Pope Paul VI appointed Giuseppe Lenotti, the Bishop of Foggia, to be at the same time Bishop of Bovino, aeque personaliter. On the same day, he was then also named Bishop of Troia. On 4 April 1981, Pope John Paul II appointed as successor to Bishop Lenotti, Bishop Salvatore De Giorgi, with the title of metropolitan archbishop of Foggia, Bovino, and Troia.
On 30 April 1979, the diocese was promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Foggia. It was assigned as suffragan dioceses: Siponto, Troia, Asculum et Cerinola, Bovino, Lucera, and S. Severo.

Reorganization of 1986

The Second Vatican Council, in order to ensure that all Catholics received proper spiritual attention, decreed the reorganization of the diocesan structure of Italy and the consolidation of small and struggling dioceses.
On 18 February 1984, the Vatican and the Italian State signed a . Based on the revisions, a set of Normae was issued on 15 November 1984, which was accompanied in the next year, on 3 June 1985, by enabling legislation. According to the agreement, the practice of having one bishop govern two separate dioceses at the same time, aeque personaliter, was abolished. Instead, the Vatican continued consultations which had begun under Pope John XXIII for the merging of small dioceses, especially those with personnel and financial problems, into one combined diocese.
On 30 September 1986, Pope John Paul II ordered that the dioceses of Foggio e Bovino be merged into one diocese with one bishop, with the Latin title Archidioecesis Fodiana-Bovinensis. The seat of the diocese was to be in Foggia, and the cathedral of Foggia was to serve as the cathedral of the merged dioceses. The cathedral in Bovino was to become a co-cathedral, and the cathedral Chapter was to be a Capitulum Concathedralis. There was to be only one diocesan Tribunal, in Foggia, and likewise one seminary, one College of Consultors, and one Priests' Council. The territory of the new diocese was to include the territory of the former diocese of Bovino. Foggia also gained territory from the Archdiocese of Manfredonia.
The Chapter of the cathedral of Foggia currently consists of a president and four canons.

Ecclesiastical province

Since 1986, the metropolitan archdiocese of Foggia-Bovino has had the following Suffragan sees:

Bishops and archbishops

Bishops of Foggia

  • Bernardino Maria Frascolla
  • Geremia Cosenza, O.F.M.
  • Domenico Marinangeli
  • Carlo Mola, C.O.
  • Salvatore Bella
  • Pietro Pomares y Morant
  • Fortunato Maria Farina
  • Giuseppe Amici
  • Paolo Carta
  • Giuseppe Lenotti

Metropolitan Archbishops of Foggia

Metropolitan Archbishops of Foggia-Bovino