Autun

The Diocese of Autun

The Diocese of Autun, officially the Diocese of Autun (–Chalon-sur-Saône–Mâcon–Cluny), is a Latin Church diocese within the Catholic Church, located in France. Its territory encompasses the entirety of the Department of Saône-et-Loire, situated in the Bourgogne region. Historically, the diocese was suffragan to the Archdiocese of Lyon during the Ancien Régime. Following the French Revolution, and through the Concordat signed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII, the bishoprics of Chalon-sur-Saône and Mâcon were united with Autun. For a brief period between 1802 and 1822, the enlarged diocese was suffragan to the Archbishop of Besançon, before reverting to its subjection under the Archbishop of Lyon. Since December 8, 2002, Autun has been suffragan to the Archbishop of Dijon.

History and Significance

Evidence suggests that Christian teaching reached Autun at a very early stage, with a 3rd-century funeral inscription providing a key piece of historical evidence. Local traditions recount the arrival of priests and deacons assigned by St. Polycarp, though early accounts do not consistently identify Autun as an episcopal see during the time of St. Irenaeus. Another tradition names St. Amator as the first bishop, placing his episcopacy around 250 AD. The first bishop confirmed by historical records is Reticius, who was an ecclesiastical writer and a contemporary of Emperor Constantine I.

During the 5th century, Bishop Euphronius is credited with founding the first monastic house in Autun in 421, the Priory of S. Symphorien. He also observed a comet in 452 and described it to Count Agrippinus. Euphronius, along with Bishop Patiens, was commended by Sidonius Apollinaris for their upright conduct in electing a bishop for Chalon. From 599 onwards, the Bishop of Autun held the significant privilege of wearing the pallium of a metropolitan bishop, a right granted by Pope Gregory I to Bishop Syagrius and his See. This privilege positioned Autun as a metropolis within its region, holding second place in Gaul after Lugdunum.

The Merovingian era saw Autun as a politically important diocese, with bishops like Syagrius and Leodegar (St. Léger) playing prominent roles in political affairs. Leodegar, bishop from 663 to 680, famously clashed with Ebroin, the Mayor of the Palace of Neustria, and was eventually put to death. The Abbey of St. Martin, founded in 602 by Queen Brunhilda, was a significant religious foundation, though it ceased to operate by the mid-10th century and was later reformed by monks from Cluny. The abbey was destroyed in 1793, with Brunhilda's sarcophagus now housed in the Musée Lapidaire in Avignon.

Autun has been the site of several important church councils. The first, held in the 7th century under Bishop Leodegarius, focused on regulating the discipline of Benedictine monasteries and mandating the learning of the Apostles' Creed and Athanasian Creed. Later councils, such as those in 1065, 1077, and 1094, addressed issues including reconciliations between secular and ecclesiastical powers, the deposition of bishops for simony, and the excommunication of secular rulers. A notable dispute over jurisdiction between Bishop Henri de Bourgogne and Abbot Reginald of Flavigny in the 1150s eventually required royal intervention.

During the Great Schism, bishops of Autun were appointed by the Avignon popes. After the Concordat of 1516, the King of France gained the right to appoint bishops, a practice that continued until the French Revolution. Gabriel de Roquette, bishop from 1666 to 1702, is noted as the model for the character "Tartuffe" in Molière's play. The region also became a center for the devotion to the Sacred Heart, originating in the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial.

Revolution and Beyond

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, a future diplomat, served as Bishop of Autun from 1788 to 1791. He participated in revolutionary events and swore allegiance to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, though his actions led to his dismissal by Pope Pius VI. The period saw significant upheaval, with the election and subsequent execution of Jean-Louis Gouttes as the Constitutional Bishop of Saône-et-Loire in 1794.

The diocese was reorganized under Napoleon's Concordat in 1801, suppressing the bishopric of Mâcon. Gabriel-François Moreau was appointed Bishop of Autun in 1802. In the 19th century, Adolphe-Louis-Albert Perraud served as Bishop of Autun, later becoming a Cardinal and a member of the French Academy. The Diocese of Autun still contains remains of significant abbeys, including Tournus and Cluny, the latter of which was once the head of 2,000 monasteries. In 1962, the title of the defunct territorial Abbey of Cluny was granted to the Bishop of Autun.