Roman Catholic Diocese of Vic facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Diocese of VicDioecesis Vicensis Diócesis de Vich (es) Diòcesi de Vic (ca) |
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| Location | |
| Country | Spain |
| Ecclesiastical province | Tarragona |
| Metropolitan | Tarragona |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 3,964 km2 (1,531 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 386,000 408,000 (94.6%) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Established | 5th Century |
| Cathedral | Cathedral Basilica of St Peter in Vic |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Romà Casanova Casanova |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Jaume Pujol Balcells |
| Map | |
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| Website | |
| Website of the Diocese | |
The Diocese of Vic is a special area of the Catholic Church based in the city of Vic, in Catalonia, Spain. It's part of a larger church region called the ecclesiastical province of Tarragona. The main church for the diocese is the Vic Cathedral, which is a very important church called a basilica, dedicated to Saint Peter.
Contents
History of the Diocese
A diocese is like a church district led by a bishop. The Diocese of Vic was first created a very long time ago, in the 400s. But after the Islamic armies took over Spain in 711, the diocese was no longer active.
The area around Vic was settled again starting in 878. Soon after, in 886, the diocese was brought back to life. Some people think that a count named Sunyer II and a bishop named Teuter helped restart it. They might have wanted to spread their power. However, it's more likely that Wifred I, who was a powerful count in the area, supported its return. He asked the church leaders in Narbonne to accept Vic as a new diocese under their authority.
Even though Vic was the main city of the County of Osona, the diocese and the county didn't cover the exact same area. For example, the important Santa Maria de Ripoll monastery was part of the diocese but in a different county. Over time, the bishops of Vic became very powerful in the city. They blended church power with public and private control.
In 889, a king named King Odo gave the bishop of Vic a fortress called Artés. He also gave the bishop one-third of the money collected by the government in the county. By 911, the bishop was already the most powerful person in the county, even more so than the local ruler called a viscount. The bishops continued to gain more rights, including control over making coins. They even started keeping all the money from the mints for the church by 957.
Throughout the 900s, the counts of Osona wanted to settle and protect the western border of their county. To do this, they gave many castles on the frontier to the bishop to control. This shows how much trust and power the bishops had.
Important Churches
These are some other important churches in the Diocese of Vic:
- Basilica of Santa Maria, in Igualada
- Basilica of Santa Maria de la Seu, in Manresa
Bishops of Vic
A bishop is a high-ranking leader in the Catholic Church who oversees a diocese. Here are some of the bishops who have led the Diocese of Vic throughout history:
Early Bishops
- 886–899 Gotmar, the first bishop when the diocese was restarted
- 899–914 Idalguer
- 914–947 Jordi
- 948–957 Guadamir
- 957–971 Ató
- 972–993 Frujà
- 993–1010 Arnulf
- 1010–1017 Borrell
- 1017–1046 Oliba
Recent Bishops
- Bishop Josep Maria Guix Ferreres (1983–2003)
- Bishop Romà Casanova Casanova (since 2003)
Churches
- Sant Jaume de Vallverd
Images for kids
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Map of the Diocese around 1900
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