Roman Catholic Diocese of Sion
Diocese of Sion Dioecesis Sedunensis Bistum Sitten ( Catholic | |
---|---|
Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | 4th century |
Cathedral | Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Glarier |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Jean-Marie Lovey |
Bishops emeritus | Norbert Brunner |
Map | |
Map of the modern diocese of Sion within Switzerland | |
Website | |
Website of the Diocese |
The Diocese of Sion (
History
Early history
The see was established at Octodurum, now called
In 589 the bishop, St. Heliodorus, transferred the see to Sion, leaving the low-lying, flood-prone site of Octodurum, where the
Prince-bishops
About 999, the last king of
The medieval bishops of Sion were generally appointed from the younger sons of noble families of Savoy and Valais and often drew the resources of the see into the feuds of these families. Moreover, the bishops were vigorously opposed, as a matter of principle, by the petty feudal nobles of Valais, each in their fortified castle on rocky heights, seeking to evade the supremacy of the bishop who was at the same time count and prefect of the
The bishops of Sion minted their own money from earliest times, possibly from as early as the
Sion and the district of the Valais were constantly drawn into wider struggles. Walter II of Supersaxo (1457-1482) had taken part in the battles of the Swiss against
Reformation
The new doctrines of the Reformation found little acceptance in Valais, although preachers were sent into the canton from
Impact of the French Revolution
The secular power of the bishops was brought to an end by the French Revolution. In 1798 Valais, after a struggle against the supremacy of France, was incorporated into the
19th century
In 1814 Valais threw off French supremacy, when the Allies entered the territory; in 1815 it joined Switzerland as one of the cantons. As partial compensation for the loss of his secular power, the bishop received a post of honour in the Diet of the canton and the right to four votes. Disputes often arose as the Constitution of 1815 of the canton gave Upper Valais political predominance in the cantonal government, notwithstanding the fact that its population was smaller than that of Lower Valais. This led in 1840 to a civil war with Lower Valais, where the "Young Swiss" party, hostile to the Church, were in control. The party friendly to the Church conquered, it is true, and the influence of the Church over teaching was, at first, preserved, but on account of the defeat of the
Recent history
In modern times the bishop and the government have been on friendly terms, under the Constitution of 1907 that, while it declared the Catholic religion to be the religion of the canton, forbade any union of spiritual and secular functions.
Library of the cathedral chapter
The library of Sion is known above all for its 120 medieval codices, dating from the mid-9th century to the late 15th century, some richly illuminated, published by Josef Leisibach and Albert Jörger. The library was in the care of the sacristan of the cathedral chapter of canons. He also was responsible for the security of the treasury. From the 12th century, the chapter was responsible for the Bishop's chancelry and kept the archives; doubtless there was a modest scriptorium. The library was enriched by donations from canons and in the 15th century from bishops: Guillaume VI de Rarogne (1437-1451), Jost de Silenen (1482-1496) and above all Walter Supersaxo (1457-1482) who possessed a rich library of canon law.[2]
See also
- List of Bishops of Sion
- Prince-Bishopric of Basel
- Prince-Bishopric of Chur
- Prince-Bishopric of Lausanne
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienne
- Duchy of Savoy
- History of the Valais
References
- ^ Gottlieb Emanuel von Haller, Beschreibung der eydgenößischen Schau- und Denkmünzen nach den Kantonen und zugewandten Orten vol. 2, Berne (1795), 357ff.
- ^ [1]
External links
- Sion in the Catholic Encyclopaedia
- The Beggar and the Professor, by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie — excerpt evocatively describes Thomas Platter's tour to Sion in 1563
- Cathédrale de Sion (link dead, as at[update] July 24, 2007)
- Kirsten Groß-Albenhausen (1996). "Theodor (Theodolus, Theodulus, St. Joder, Jodern, frz. Théodule, rätoroman. Sogn Gioder), Bischof von Octodurus (Martigny, Martinach)". In Bautz, Traugott (ed.). Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) (in German). Vol. 11. Herzberg: Bautz. cols. 881–884. ISBN 3-88309-064-6.
- [2]