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Diocese of Prato

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Diocese of Prato
Dioecesis Pratensis
Diocesi di Prato
Prato Cathedral
Prato Cathedral
Location
Country Italy
Ecclesiastical province Florence
Metropolitan Archdiocese of Florence
Statistics
Area 287 km2 (111 sq mi)
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2021)
213,937
198,700 (guess)
Parishes 84
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Rite Roman Rite
Established 25 January 1954
(72 years ago)
Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of St Stephen in Prato
Patron saint Saint Stephen
Secular priests 104 (diocesan)
16 (religious orders)
23 Permanent Deacons
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Bishop Giovanni Nerbini
Bishops emeritus Franco Agostinelli
Map
Website
www.diocesiprato.it

The Diocese of Prato (Latin: Dioecesis Pratensis) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Tuscany, Italy, that has existed as an independent entity since 1954. Its see is Prato Cathedral, some 10 miles (17 km) northwest of Florence, on the Bisenzio River. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Florence.

History

The earliest reference to the place occurs in a diploma of the Emperor Otto III in 998, but the earliest use of the word "Prato" occurs in a bull of the bishop of Pistoia, dated 1035.[1]

The church of S. Stefano del borgo Cornio in Prato was already in existence by the 10th century, and was the easternmost parish in the diocese of Pistoia, bordering on the diocese of Florence.[2] It had become a collegiate church, ruled by a provost and a college of canons, by the beginning of the 11th century. Its relationship to the bishops of Pistoia was always difficult.[3]

On 21 May 1123, Pope Innocent II issued a bull in which the papacy took the church of S. Stefano de Prato under its protection, and granted it various privileges, including the right to the 10% income, the privilege of not having any other church inside its boundaries, the right of burial of its parishioners, and the right not to be subjected to interdict or excommunication without just and reasonable cause.[4] The pope did, however, emphasize in a letter of 21 December 1133 that the collegiate church was still subject to the bishop of Pistoia, and owed him obedience and reverence, their privileges notwithstanding.[5]

Pope Celestine III, following the example of his predecessors Pope Innocent II and Pope Lucius III, on 31 August 1191 took the provostship of S. Stefano under the protection of the papacy. The fee was 1 aureus per annum.[6]

In 1239, the community of Prato, which had been staunchly Guelph in consideration of the many favors obtained from the popes, among them a measure of protection from both Pistoia and Florence, experienced a Ghibbeline revolution and joined the party of the Emperor Frederick II.[7] In 1351, Florence acquired the territory of Prato, and built a new and much larger fortress over that of Frederick.[8]

Pope Alexander V was resident in Prato from the end of October 1409 until January 1410, and apparently had in mind to create new dioceses at Prato and at San Miniato. His death in Bologna on 3 May 1410 put an end to his plans.[9]

On 3 September 1460, Pope Pius II removed the Provostship of S. Stefano from the diocese of Pistoria and made it nullius dioecesis (not belonging to any diocese), directly dependent on the Holy See.[10]

Carlo de' Medici, son of Cosimo de' Medici, became the first territorial prelate of Prato.

Creation of diocese

The diocese of Prato was created on 22 September 1653, by Pope Innocent X in the bull "Redemptoris Nostri". It was permanently attached, aeque personaliter, to the diocese of Pistoia.[11] The collegiate church of S. Stefano became the Cathedral of the new diocese and its Chapter of Canons became a Cathedral chapter, consisting of the Provost, five dignities (the Primicerius, the Archpriest, the Archdeacon, the Dean, and the Treasurer) and nineteen canons.[12] The motive forces behind the promotion were Cardinal Carlo de'Medici, Bishop of Ostia, Dean of the College of Cardinals, and Provost Commendatory of S. Stefano di Prato; and his nephew, Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.[13] Duke Ferdinand raised the oppidum of Prato to the rank of civitas in recognition of its greater importance.[14]

The diocese became independent when the Diocese of Pistoia e Prato was split by Pope Pius XII on 25 January 1954.[15] The seat of the bishop was to be in the cathedral of S. Stefano, which had been a cathedral since 1653.[16] The cathedral was named a minor basilica on 31 July 1996, by Pope John Paul II.[17]

Churches

Bishops

See also

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Roman Catholic Diocese of Prato is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[24]

References

  1. Back to citation Kehr III, p. 141: "Vera loci prima mentio fit in Ottonis III privilegio Antonino Pistoriensi episcopo a. 998 april. 27 (Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Diplomatum II 709 n. 284) concesso, ubi memoratur "curtis a burgo Cornio".
  2. Back to citation Cappelletti XVII, pp. 136-137.
  3. Back to citation Kehr III, p. 135: "Ecclesia s. Stephani et s. Laurentii iam saec. XI ex. a praeposito et canonicis recta, ditionem Pistoriensis episcopi semper invita tulit." Cappelletti XVII, pp. 138-140.
  4. Back to citation Kehr III, p. 136, no. 2.
  5. Back to citation Kehr III, p. 136, no. 3.
  6. Back to citation Carlesi, pp. 157-160. Kehr III, p. 135: "Ecclesiae Pratensi Lucius III, Urbanus III et Celestinus III ad indicium protectionis apostolicae censum 1 aurei annualiter persolvendum imposuerunt. Sed nulla apud Cencium huius census notitia legitur."
  7. Back to citation Lamberti, "il castello," p. 108.
  8. Back to citation Lamberti, "il castello," p. 114.
  9. Back to citation Cappelletti XVII, pp. 141-143.
  10. Back to citation Kehr III, p. 135.
  11. Back to citation Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurensis editio (in Latin). Vol. Tomus XV. Turin: A. Vecco. 1868. pp. 727–731.
  12. Back to citation Bullarum diplomatum 15, p. 729, § 3. Cappelletti XVII, pp. 150-151.
  13. Back to citation Cappelletti XVII, p. 148-149.
  14. Back to citation Cappelletti XVII, p. 150.
  15. Back to citation Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. XLVI. 1954. p. 390. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  16. Back to citation Acta Apostolicae Sedis 46 (1954), p. 391: "Episcopi vero cathedra in S. Stephani templo erit, quod ab anno millesimo sescentesimo quinquagesimo tertio cathedralis templi decore est insignitum."
  17. Back to citation Acta Apostolicae Sedis 88 (1996), p. 842.
  18. Back to citation 3 July 1939. Acta Apostolicae Sedis 31 (1939), pp. 608-609.
  19. Back to citation 30 August 1947. Acta Apostolicae Sedis 40 (1948), pp. 237-238.
  20. Back to citation Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. XLVI. 1954. p. 420. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  21. Back to citation Fiordelli was born in Città di Castello in 1916. He studied at the Roman Seminary and the Lateran University, taking degrees in theology and canon law. Back in Città di Castello he worked at the seminary and in Catholic Action. In 1945, he founded a newspaper La Voce Cattolica, which strongly opposed the communism popular among the working class. Pope Pius XII, who was a strong opponent of atheistic communism, appointed Fiordelli bishop of Prato on 7 July 1954. He retired on 7 December 1991, and died on 23 December 2004. Basilio Petrà, "Bishop Pietro Fiordelli (1916-2004) at the Council: The Bishop of Prato and the Strange Origin of the Theology of the Family as a "Domestic Church", translated by Brian McNeil from: “Mons. Pietro Fiordelli in Concilio. Il vescovo di Prato e la ‘curiosa’ nascita della teologia della famiglia come ‘chiesa domestica’” Vivens homo 24 (2013) 93-122.
  22. Back to citation occurrence 22.0 Back to citation occurrence 22.1 "Resignations and Appointments, 15.05.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  23. Back to citation Nerbini had served as parish vicar, parish priest, administrator, and moderator of the pastoral units of Diacceto and Rignano sull’Arno. He has been vicar general of the diocese of Fiesole from 2015 to 2019.
  24. Back to citation Roman Catholic Diocese of Prato, official website

Bibliography

43°52′51″N 11°05′48″E / 43.8808°N 11.0966°E

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