Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gaeta

The Archdiocese of Gaeta (Latin: Archidioecesis Caietana) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in southern Italy, with its episcopal see in the city of Gaeta, in the Lazio region. The diocese is suffragan of the Diocese of Rome.^[1][2]

History

It dates from 846, when Constantine, Bishop of Formiæ, fled there and established his residence. The see of Formia, abandoned since the end of the sixth century, was thereafter united to diocese of Minturno (Minturnæ). In or soon after 999 Bishop Bernard annexed the see of Traetto.

In 1818 Pius VII merged the diocese of Gaeta with the very ancient see of Fondi. Once a suffragan of the archdiocese of Capua, the diocese was subsequently exempted (i.e. directly subjected to the Pope).

On December 31, 1848, Pius IX raised it to archiepiscopal rank, but without suffragans.

Among its bishops of note were: Francesco Patrizio (1460), friend of Pius II, author of a work in nine books, De Regno et De Institutione Regis, dedicated to Alfonso, Duke of Calabria; and Tommaso de Vio, better known as the famous Thomas Cajetan, a Dominican theologian and Papal diplomat.

The current archbishop is monsignor Pier Luigi Mazzoni.

Territory and parishes

The diocese, which includes the Pontine Islands, as well as a part of mainland Lazio, covers a surface of 603 km², with a population of 159,315 (as of 2004).

Presently it is divided into four districts called foranie which are centred on Gaeta itself, and the former sees of Fondi, Formia and Minturno.

Bishops

• Marino Merula (1404–)

...

• Felice Fajadelli, O.P. (1441–1444 Resigned)

...

• Paolo Odierna (1494–1506 Died)^[3]
• Fernando Herrera (bishop) (1506–1518 Died)^[4]
• Tommaso De Vio (Jacopo De Vio) , O.P. (1519–1534 Died)
• Esteban Gabriel Merino (1535–1535 Died)
• Pedro Flores (bishop) (1537–1540 Died)
• Antonio Lunello (1541–1565 Died)
• Pietro Lunello (1566–1587 Died)
• Alfonso Laso Sedeño (1587–1596 Appointed, Archbishop of Cagliari)^[5][6]
• Giovanni de Gantes (1598–1604 Appointed, Bishop of Mazara del Vallo)
• Domingo de Oña (Pedro de Oña), O. de M. (1605–1626 Died)^[7]
• Jacinto del Cerro, O.P. (1634–1635 Died)
• Jerónimo Domín Funes, O. Carm. (1637–1650 Died)
• Gabriel Ortiz de Orbé (1651–1661 Died)
• Juan de Paredes, C.R.S.A. (1662–1662 Died)
• Baltasar Valdés y Noriega (1665–1667 Died)
• Martín Ibáñez y Villanueva, O.SS.T. (1670–1675 Appointed, Archbishop of Reggio Calabria)
• Antonio del Río Colmenares (1676–1678 Appointed, Archbishop of Acerenza e Matera)
• Lorenzo Mayers Caramuel, O. de M. (1678–1683 Died)
• José Sanz de Villaragut, O.F.M. (1683–1693 Appointed, Bishop of Pozzuoli)
• José Guerrero de Torres, O.E.S.A. (1693–1720 Died)
• Carlo Pignatelli, C.R. (1722–1730 Died)
• Santiago Piñaque, O. Carm. (1730–1737 Died)
• Francesco Lanfreschi (1737–1738 Appointed, Archbishop of Acerenza e Matera)
• Gennaro Carmignani, C.R. (1738–1770 Died)
• Carlo Pergamo (1771–1785 Died)
• Gennaro Clemente Francone (1792–1797 Confirmed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Troia)
• Riccardo Capece Minutolo, O.S.B. (1797–1801 Died)
• Michele Sanseverino (1805–1812 Died)
• Francesco Saverino Buonomo (1818–1827 Died)
• Luigi Maria Parisio (Canisio) (1827–1854 Died)

Archbishops

• Filippo Cammarota (1854–1876 Died)
• Nicola (Francisco Saverio) Contieri, O.Bas. (1876–1891 Resigned)
• Francesco Niola (1891–1920 Died)
• Pasquale Berardi (1921–1925 Resigned)
• Dionigio Casaroli (1926–1966 Died)
• Lorenzo Gargiulo (1966–1973 Resigned)
• Luigi Maria Carli (1973–1986 Died)
• Vincenzo Maria Farano (1986–1997 Retired)
• Pier Luigi Mazzoni (1997–2007 Retired)
• Bernardo Fabio D'Onorio, O.S.B. (2007–2016 Retired)
• Luigi Vari (2016–)

References

Sources and external links

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "^{article name needed}". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton. 
• Official website (Italian)
• List of bishops and archbishops