Roman Catholic Diocese of Lodi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diocese of Lodi Dioecesis Laudensis
Lodi Cathedral
Location
Country	Italy
Ecclesiastical province	Milan
Statistics
Area	894 km2 (345 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2021) 285,510 271,689 (95.2%)
Parishes	123
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	4th century
Cathedral	Basilica Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Secular priests	158 (diocesan) 11 (Religious Orders) 4 Permanent Deacons
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Maurizio Malvestiti
Vicar General	Bassiano Uggè
Emeritus Bishops	Giuseppe Merisi
Map
Website
www.diocesi.lodi.it

The Diocese of Lodi (called Dioecesis Laudensis in Latin) is a special area of the Catholic Church led by a bishop. It's part of the Latin Church, which is the largest group within the Catholic Church. This diocese has been around for a very long time, since the 4th century! It works closely with the Archdiocese of Milan.

History of the Diocese of Lodi

The exact start of the Diocese of Lodi is a bit unclear. Some people believe St. Bassianus was the first bishop. He is the patron saint of Lodi and was definitely a bishop there by the year 378.

Lodi faced many challenges over the centuries. In May 1191, the city was captured by forces from Milan. Later, in 1252, Pope Innocent IV officially brought the Diocese of Lodi back after it had been stopped for a while by Pope Gregory IX.

In 1298, Bishop Berardus Talente became the first bishop of Lodi to also be called a Count. This showed how important the bishop was in the region. The main building for the bishop, called the episcopal palace, was built in the 1730s.

What are Synods?

A synod is an important meeting where the bishop of a diocese gathers with his clergy (priests and deacons). These meetings happen from time to time. Their main goals are to share new rules from the bishop, discuss and agree on important decisions, and announce new laws from the diocese, the larger church area (province), or the Pope.

Important Synods in Lodi

Many bishops of Lodi have held synods over the years to guide their diocese. For example, Bishop Paolo Cadamosto held a synod in 1364 to help protect the church's laws. Later, in 1591, Bishop Ludovico Taverna led another important synod.

More recently, in January 2020, the fourteenth diocesan synod took place. This meeting focused on spreading the Christian message, following ideas from Pope Francis. Bishop Maurizio Malvestiti led this important event.

The Cathedral and its Chapter

After the city of Lodi was destroyed in 1111, a new main church, called a cathedral, started being built on August 3, 1158. This new cathedral was mostly finished by 1163. The remains of Bishop Bassianus were reburied there. The cathedral was first dedicated to St. Bassianus, but later it was dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

The cathedral has a group of priests called a Chapter. In 1617, this Chapter had five main leaders and nineteen Canons (priests who serve the cathedral). By 1817, the Chapter was smaller, with one main leader and eight Canons.

Bishops of Lodi

The Diocese of Lodi has had many bishops throughout its long history. Here are some of the notable ones:

Early Bishops (to 1200)

Bishops from 1200 to 1500

Bishops from 1500 to 1800

Bishops since 1819

Parishes

The Diocese of Lodi has changed how it is organized inside. It now has 123 parishes, which are local church communities.