Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Fermo

Archdiocese of Fermo
Archidioecesis Firmana
Location
Country  Italy
Ecclesiastical province Fermo
Statistics
Area 1,318 km2 (509 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		 (as of 2006)
283,423
278,086 (98.1%)
Parishes 123
Information
Denomination Catholic Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established 3rd Century
Cathedral Basilica Cattedrale di Maria SS. Assunta in Cielo
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Archbishop Rocco Pennacchio
Map
Website
www.fermodiocesi.it

The Archdiocese of Fermo (Latin: Archidioecesis Firmana) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in northern Italy, with its seat in the city of Fermo, Marche. It was established as the Diocese of Fermo in the 3rd century and elevated to an archdiocese on 24 May 1589.[1][2] The archiepiscopal seat is Fermo Cathedral. The current archbishop is Rocco Pennacchio.

History

Firmo was the site of a Roman colony, established in 264 B.C. In the 8th century, Fermo, along with the Duchy of the Pentapolis, came under the temporal authority of the Holy See. In the 10th century it became the capital of the separate Marchia Firmana.[3] Under the predecessors of Pope Honorius III (1216–1227) the bishops of the city became prince-bishops, first with the secular rights of counts, and later styled princes of Fermo. In 1199 it became a free city, and remained independent until 1550, when it was annexed to the Papal States.

Local legend attributes the first preaching of the Gospel at Fermo to Saint Apollinarius and Saint Maro. Pope Boniface IX (1389–1404) established a university there. The Diocese of Macerata was established on 18 November 1320. The castle at Ripatransone was erected in the early Middle Ages, and enlarged later by the bishops of Fermo, who had several conflicts with the people. In 1571 Pope Pius V made it an episcopal see, and included in its jurisdiction a small portion of the diocese of Fermo. In 1586, the Diocese of Montalto was established on territory split off from the then Diocese of Fermo.[4]

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 284,049 Catholics (96.1% of 295,449 total) on 1,318 km² in 123 parishes and 31 missions with 226 priests (159 diocesan, 67 religious), 39 deacons, 353 lay religious (88 brothers, 265 sisters) and 10 seminarians. In 2004, it included 269,953 baptized inhabitants.

Ecclesiastical province

In 1589 it was raised to an Archdiocese. The Metropolitan has the following suffragan sees (all Latin) :

Episcopal ordinaries

(all Latin rite)

Bishops of Fermo
  • Saint Alexander (3rd century) - His martyrdom, with seventy companions, is placed in the persecution of Decius (250)
  • Saint Philip (3rd century) - His martyrdom is placed under Aurelian (270–275)
  • Alberto (1301–?)
Suffragan Bishops of Fermo
Metropolitan Archbishops of Fermo

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Archdiocese of Fermo" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved October 7, 2016
  2. ↑ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Fermo" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved October 7, 2016
  3. ↑ Ashby 1911, p. 278.
  4. ↑ Benigni, Umberto. "Archdiocese of Fermo." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 22 December 2017
  • GCatholic, with Google satellite photo - data for all sections
  • Official website (in Italian)
  •  Benigni, U. (1909). "Archdiocese of Fermo". In Herbermann, Charles. Catholic Encyclopedia. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Ashby, Thomas (1911). "Fermo". In Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 278.

Coordinates: 43°10′00″N 13°43′00″E / 43.1667°N 13.7167°E / 43.1667; 13.7167

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