Archdiocese of Besançon
Bisuntin(us)
Metropolitan see · Latin Church · Besançon, France
The Archdiocese of Besancon is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese in the Franche-Comte region of eastern France, an ancient see elevated to metropolitan rank in the 4th century. It covers the Doubs and Haute-Saone departments and the Territoire de Belfort area is its historic province. Its seat is the Cathedral of St. John in Besancon.
The see
- Rank
- Metropolitan see
- Tradition
- Latin Church
- Latin
- Bisuntin(us)
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception
- Annuario code
- 001000893
The see in figures
- Catholics
- 569,000
- Population
- 617,000
- Catholic share
- 92.2%
- Priests
- 117
- Catholics per priest
- 4,863
- Extent
- 9,732 km²
- Catholics per km²
- 58
of the people living within its bounds
Figures as recorded in the register, from the Annuario Pontificio and the see's own published statements. Shares and ratios are computed from the two figures shown beside them.
The bishop
- Archbishop
- Jean-Luc Bouilleret
- Born
- 28 October 1953
- Birthplace
- Arbois
A see whose chair stands empty is recorded as vacant rather than filled with a guess. On what a bishop is, see the bishop.
The cathedral
Cathedral of St. John, Besancon stands in Besançon, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.
On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.
The province of Besancon
This see is the metropolitan of its province.
The sees of this province:
- Diocese of Belfort–MontbéliardBelfort–Montbéliard
- Diocese of NancyNancy
- Diocese of Saint-ClaudeSaint-Claude
- Diocese of Saint-DiéSaint-Dié
- Diocese of VerdunVerdun
On how the Church is ordered into provinces, see the diocese.
History
The Archdiocese of Besançon (Latin: Archidiœcesis Bisuntina; French: Archidiocèse de Besançon), a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France, takes in the département of Doubs, apart from Montbéliard, and the département of Haute-Saône, apart from the canton of Héricourt. Between 1034 and 1184 its archbishop also held civil authority within the Holy Roman Empire as the prince-archbishop of Besançon.
What is kept by invitation
The record above is published because it is public: what this see is, when it was erected, who holds its chair, and where it stands among its neighbours.
The working record is not. The chancery's address, telephone and email, the clergy of the see, and the hours of Mass, confession and adoration in the parishes within it are kept for members, and a person reads every request.
Sources
The see's own website · Wikipedia
This record is compiled from the published statements of the see and the references of the Holy See, among them the Annuario Pontificio. On the method, see the keeping of the record. Whoever finds an error is asked, in charity, to write: [email protected].