Roman Catholic Diocese of Würzburg

The Diocese of Würzburg (Latin: Dioecesis Herbipolensis) is a Latin Church diocese of Catholic Church in Germany. The diocese is located in Lower Franconia, around the city of Würzburg, and the bishop is seated at Würzburg Cathedral. Founded in 741, the diocese lost all temporal power after the Napoleonic wars.

Diocese of Würzburg

Dioecesis Herbipolensis

Bistum Würzburg
Location
CountryGermany
Ecclesiastical provinceBamberg
Statistics
Area8,532 km2 (3,294 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2010)
1,334,000
826,504 (62%)
Parishes619
Information
RiteRoman Rite
Established741
CathedralCathedral of Saints Killian, Colonat, and Totnan
(Dom Ss. Killian, Kolonat und Totnan)
Current leadership
BishopFranz Jung
Auxiliary BishopsUlrich Boom
Bishops emeritus
  • Helmut Bauer
  • Friedhelm Hofmann
Map
Diocese of Würzburg
Diocese of Würzburg

See Bishopric of Würzburg for more information about the history of the diocese.

History

The first Apostle of Christianity for the territory now included in the Diocese of Würzburg was the Irish missionary, Saint Kilian, the Apostle of Franconia. who converted Gozbert the Frankish duke of Thuringia.[1] In his castle above Würzburg, Gozbert's son Hedan II built the first church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin; on this account the castle received the name of Marienberg.[2] The first mention of Würzburg is in 704, when it is called Castellum Virtebuch.[3] A diocese was established in Würzburg by Saint Boniface, who in 741 consecrated his friend Saint Burchard as bishop;[4] In 742 Pope Zachary confirmed the selection of Burchard. Burchard (741-53) built the first cathedral church, and buried there the bodies of St. Kilian and his companions; he connected with the church a monastery which followed the Rule of St. Benedict. [5]

Carloman (mayor of the palace) gave great gifts of land to the bishopric. In 752 or 753 the church of Würzburg was granted immunity for all its possessions, also secular jurisdiction, whereby the foundation was laid for the future secular authority of the bishops. Like the majority of his successors, Burchard lived at the Marienburg, which he had received from the last duke in exchange for another fortified castle. His successor, Megingoz (753-85), did much towards Christianizing Saxony.[6] Bishop Bernwelf (785-800) replaced the Benedictine secular clergy at the cathedral by the Brothers of St. Kilian, who led a common life after the rule of Chrodegang of Metz. Arno (855-92) rebuilt the cathedral, which had been destroyed by lightning, on the site of the present cathedral.

List of bishops

References

  1. Lauchert, Friedrich. "St. Kilian." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 27 December 2022 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. Fremdenverkehrsamt der Stadt Würzburg (1969). Würzburg - Amtlicher Führer (German). Stürtz Verlag. p. 21.
  3. Norbert Wagner, 'Uburzis-Wirziburg "Würzburg"'
  4. Kirsch, Johann Peter. "St. Burchard of Würzurg." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 27 December 2022 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. Lins, Joseph. "Diocese of Würzburg." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 27 December 2022 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. Palmer, James. "The 'Vigorous Rule' of Bishop Lull: Between Bonifatian Mission and Carolingian Church Control". Early Medieval Europe. 2005, 13 (3): 249–76. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0254.2005.00158.x

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Würzburg". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

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