Diocese of Metz

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Diocese of Metz
*Dioecesis Metensis*
Statistics
Country:	France
Metropolitan:	Immediately Subject to the Holy See
Rite:	Latin
Area:	6,226 km²
Population: Total: Catholics:	1,023,447 (2004) 829,000 (81%)
Cathedral:	Metz Cathedral
Patron saint:	Saint Clement of Metz
Ordinaries
Bishop:	Pierre René Ferdinand Raffin, O.P.

The (Roman Catholic) Diocese of Metz is a territorial subdivision of the Catholic church in France.

1 History
2 Historical Population
3 Bishops
- 3.1 Bishops since 1900
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

Metz was definitely a bishopric by 535, but may date much earlier than that.^[1]

Originally the diocese was under the metropolitan of Trier. After the French Revolution, the last prince bishop, Cardinal Louis de Montmorency-Laval (1761-1802) fled and the old organization of the diocese was broken up. With the Concordat of 1801 the diocese was re-established covering the departments of Moselle, Ardennes, and Forêts, and was put under the Archdiocese of Besançon. In 1817 the parts of the diocese which became Prussian territory were slip off. In 1871 the whole diocese became part of Germany, and in 1874 became Immediately Subject to the Holy See. After World War I it was returned to France.In 1940,after the French defeat, it became German again till 1944 when it became French again.The bishop of this see is appointed by the French government.

[edit] Historical Population

As of 1910 there were about 533,000 Catholics living in Metz.

[edit] Bishops

Main article: List of bishops of Metz

According to the traditional list of bishops, the current bishop Pierre René Ferdinand Raffin is already the 105th bishop of Metz. According to this list, the first bishop was Saint Clement, allegedly sent by Saint Peter himself to Metz. The first fully authenticated bishop however is Sperus or Hesperus, who was bishop in 535. Many of the bishops were declared holy or blessed, like Saint Arnulf (611-627), Saint Chrodegang (742-766) or Saint Agilram (768-791). Adelbero was bishop of Metz in 933 AD.