Diocese of Nicosia, Sicily: Difference between revisions

 

Line 58: Line 58:

As early as 1815, King [[Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies]] had written to the pope, pointing out that the island of Sicily had only nine bishops, and that the extent of these dioceses was too extensive for the bishops to oversee them adequately. The population of the island exceeded 1.5 million, and the diocese of Messina alone had 130,000. The pope consulted with the apostolic delegate the archbishop of Palermo and members of the College of Cardinals in the Consistorial Congregation.<ref>Beritelli, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKJXAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA114 pp. 114-134].</ref>

As early as 1815, King [[Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies]] had written to the pope, pointing out that the island of Sicily had only nine bishops, and that the extent of these dioceses was too extensive for the bishops to oversee them adequately. The population of the island exceeded 1.5 million, and the diocese of Messina alone had 130,000. The pope consulted with the apostolic delegate the archbishop of Palermo and members of the College of Cardinals in the Consistorial Congregation.<ref>Beritelli, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKJXAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA114 pp. 114-134].</ref>

Finally, on 17 March 1817, [[Pope Pius VII]] issued the bull “Superaddita Diei”, establishing the diocese of Nicosia (”Herbitensis”).<ref>Pius VII, “Superaddita Diei””, 17 March 1817, in: ”Bullarii Romani continuatio” {{in lang|la}}, Vol. 7 (Romae: Typographia Reverendae Camerae Apostolicae 1852), [https://books.google.com/books?id=lJLuOWFDQRUC&pg=PA1428 pp. 1428-1442]. Gabriel Chow, ”GCatholic.org” [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/nico1.htm “Diocese of Nicosia, Italy”]; accessed 8 May 2024.{{Self-published source|date=November 2025}}</ref>

Finally, on 17 March 1817, [[Pope Pius VII]] issued the bull “Superaddita Diei”, establishing the diocese of Nicosia (”Herbitensis”).<ref>Pius VII, “Superaddita Diei””, 17 March 1817, in: ”Bullarii Romani continuatio” {{in lang|la}}, Vol. 7 (Romae: Typographia Reverendae Camerae Apostolicae 1852), [https://books.google.com/books?id=lJLuOWFDQRUC&pg=PA1428 pp. 1428-1442]. Gabriel Chow, ”GCatholic.org” [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/nico1.htm “Diocese of Nicosia, Italy”]; accessed 8 May 2024.{{Self-published source|date=November 2025}}</ref>

Within the diocese is the ancient city of [[Troina]], which was briefly an episcopal see from 1087 to 1090.<ref>Gordon S. Brown, ”The Norman Conquest of Southern Italy and Sicily” (London: McFarland 2003), pp. 116-118. Donald Matthew, ”The Norman Kingdom of Sicily” (Cambridge: CUP 1992), pp. 17-18; 27-28. Rocco Pirro, ”Sicilia Sacra” {{in lang|la}} vol. 1 (3rd ed., ed. Antonino Mongitore), (Palermo: P. Coppola 1733), pp. 494-498.</ref>

Within the diocese is the ancient city of [[Troina]], which was briefly an episcopal see from 1087 to 1090.<ref>Gordon S. Brown, ”The Norman Conquest of Southern Italy and Sicily” (London: McFarland 2003), pp. 116-118. Donald Matthew, ”The Norman Kingdom of Sicily” (Cambridge: CUP 1992), pp. 17-18; 27-28. Rocco Pirro, ”Sicilia Sacra” {{in lang|la}} vol. 1 (3rd ed., ed. Antonino Mongitore), (Palermo: P. Coppola 1733), pp. 494-498.</ref>

Line 65: Line 65:

==Bishops==

==Bishops==

{{more citations|date=6 November 2025}}

{{more citations|date=6 November 2025}}

*Gaetano Maria Avarna (1818–1841 Died)<ref>A native of Messina, Avarna was appointed titular bishop of Zama (Tunisia) on 23 February 1801, and named auxiliary bishop of Messina. He was nominated the first bishop of Nicosia by Ferdinand I on 22 May 1818, and confirmed by Pius VII on 26 June. He died on 10 November 1841. Ritzler & Sefrin, ”Hierarchia catholica” VII, pp. 283, 401.</ref>

*Gaetano Maria Avarna (1818–1841 Died)<ref>A native of Messina, Avarna was appointed titular bishop of Zama (Tunisia) on 23 February 1801, and named auxiliary bishop of Messina. He was nominated the first bishop of Nicosia by Ferdinand I on 22 May 1818, and confirmed by Pius VII on 26 June. He died on 10 November 1841. Ritzler & Sefrin, ”Hierarchia catholica” VII, pp. 283, 401.</ref>

:”Sede vacante” (1841–1844)

:”Sede vacante” (1841–1844)

Roman Catholic diocese in Italy

The Diocese of Nicosia (Latin: Dioecesis Nicosiensis seu Herbitensis) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Sicily. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela.^[1]

Nicosia had been placed under the patronage of S. Nicholas of Myra by Pope Benedict XIV.^[2]

As early as 1815, King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies had written to the pope, pointing out that the island of Sicily had only nine bishops, and that the extent of these dioceses was too extensive for the bishops to oversee them adequately. The population of the island exceeded 1.5 million, and the diocese of Messina alone had 130,000. The pope consulted with the apostolic delegate the archbishop of Palermo and members of the College of Cardinals in the Consistorial Congregation.^[3]

Finally, on 17 March 1817, Pope Pius VII issued the bull “Superaddita Diei”, establishing the diocese of Nicosia (Herbitensis).^[4]

Within the diocese is the ancient city of Troina, which was briefly an episcopal see from 1087 to 1090.^[5]

Its first bishop was Gaetano Maria Avarna, the Vicar-general and Auxiliary Bishop of Messina, transferred from the titular bishopric of Zama by Pope Pius VII, on 26 June 1818.^[6]

• Gaetano Maria Avarna (1818–1841 Died)^[7]

Sede vacante (1841–1844)

• Rosario Vincenzo Benza (1844–1847 Died)
• Camillo Milana (1851–1858 Died)
• Melchiorre Lo Piccolo (1858–1881 Died)
• Bernardo Cozzucli (Cozzuoli) (1881–1902 Died)
• Ferdinando Fiandaca (1903–1912 Appointed, Bishop of Patti)
• Felice Agostino Addeo, O.S.A. (1913–1942 Resigned)
• Pio Giardina (1942–1953 Died)
• Clemente Gaddi (1953–1962 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Siracusa)
• Costantino Trapani, O.F.M. (1962–1976 Appointed, Coadjutor Bishop of Mazara del Vallo)
• Salvatore Di Salvo (1976–1984 Resigned)

Pio Vittorio Vigo (1984–1985), Apostolic Administrator

• Beritelli e la Vita, Giuseppe; Alessio Narbone (1852) Notizie storiche di Nicosia (in Italian). Palermo: Giuseppe Perdone 1852.
• Cappelletti, Giuseppe (1870). Le chiese d’Italia dalla loro origine sino ai nostri giorni (in Italian). Vol. vigesimoprimo (21). Venezia: Antonelli. pp. 579–581.
• D’Avino, Vincenzio (1848). Cenni storici sulle chiese arcivescovili, vescovili, e prelatizie (nullius) del regno delle due Sicilie (in Italian). Naples: dalle stampe di Ranucci. p. 472.
• Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1968). Hierarchia Catholica medii et recentioris aevi (in Latin). Vol. 7 (1800–1846). Monasterii: Libr. Regensburgiana.
• Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1978). Hierarchia catholica Medii et recentioris aevi (in Latin). Vol. 8 (1846–1903). Il Messaggero di S. Antonio.
• Pięta, Zenon (2002). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentioris aevi (in Latin). Vol. 9 (1903–1922). Padua: Messagero di San Antonio. ISBN 978-88-250-1000-8.

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

37°45′00″N 14°24′00″E / 37.7500°N 14.4000°E / 37.7500; 14.4000