Roman-rite bishops belonging to the Maronite line

There have been two changes among the thirteen Roman-rite bishops who belong to the Maronite line.

On 19 October 2017, the resignation of Archbishop Joseph Everard Harris, C.S.Sp., of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, was accepted by Pope Francis.

On this same day, Pope Francis promoted Bishop Charles Jason Gordon of Bridgetown, Barbados, to the Metropolitan See of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Here is the list of the thirteen bishops:

*Kelvin Edward Felix, Cardinal and Archbishop emeritus of Castries

*Edward Joseph Gilbert, C.Ss.R., Archbishop emeritus of Port of Spain

*Patrick Christopher Punder, Archbishop of Nassau

*Joseph Everard Harris, C.S.Sp., Archbishop emeritus of Port of Spain

*Charles Jason Gordon, Archbishop of Port of Spain

*Gabriel Malzaire, Bishop of Roseau

*Francis Dean Alleyne, O.S.B., Bishop of Georgetown

*Ernest Mesmin Lucien Cabo, Bishop emeritus of Basse Terre et Pointe-à-Pitre

*Robert Anthony Llanos, Titular Bishop of Casae nigrae, Auxiliary of Port of Spain

*Gerard Maximin County, C.S.Sp., Bishop of Kingstown

*Joseph Effiong Ekuwem, Archbishop of Calabar

*Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Bishop of Umuahia

*Donatus Edet Akpan, Bishop of Ogoja

A death in the d’Estouteville line

The d’Estouteville line lost one of its senior French members on 27 September 2017.  Bishop Edmond-Marie Henri Abelé, emeritus of Digne and previously of Monaco, died at Cournanel, a small commune in the Diocese of Carcassonne et Narbonne.  He was buried in the Co-cathedral of Saint-Jérôme, in Digne. May he rest in eternal peace.

My thanks to m. Alexandre Jore for the information concerning the places of Bishop Abelé’s death and burial.

Bishop Abelé’s death reduces the number of living members of the d’Estouteville line to fifty-four. 

Here is the updated list:

Mariadas Kagithapu, M.S.F.S., Archbishop emeritus of Visakhapatnam

Michael Augustine, Archbishop emeritus of Pondicherry and Cuddalore

Malayappan Chinnappa, S.D.B., Archbishop emeritus of Madras and Mylapore

Francis Kallarakal, Archbishop emeritus of Verapoly

Maria Callist Soosa Packiam, Archbishop of Triandrum of the Latins

Antony Ananadarayar, Archbishop of Pondicherry and Cuddalore

Vincent Louis Marie Landel, S.C.J. de Beth., Archbishop of Rabat

Pierre Antoine Jean Bach, M.E.P., Titular Bishop of Tituli in Proconsulari and former Vicar

  Apostolic of Savannakhet, Laos

George Yod Phimphisan, C.Ss.R., Bishop emeritus of Udon Thani, Thailand

Joseph Luechai Thatwisai, Bishop of Udon Thani, Thailand

Philip Banchong Chaiyara, C.Ss.R., Bishop of Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

Sebastian Thekethecheril, Bishop of Vijayapuram

Selvister Ponnumuthan, Bishop of Punalur

Christudas Rajappan, Titular Bishop of Avitta Bibba, Auxiliary of Trivandrum of the Latins

Mathew Cheriannkunnel, P.I.M.E., Bishop emeritus of Kurnool

Innayya Chinna Addagatla, Bishop of Srikakulam

Paul Maipan, Bishop of Khammam

Singaroyan Sebastianappan, Bishop of Salem

Edward Francis, Bishop of Sivagangai

Peter Remigius, Bishop emeritus of Kottar

Jerome Das Varuvel, S.D.B., Bishop of Kuzhithurai

Amalraj Arulappan, Bishop of Ootacamund

Soundaraj Periyanayagam, S.D.B., Bishop of Vellore

Antonysamy Francis, Bishop of Kumbakonam

Joseph Anthony Irudayaraj, S.D.B., Bishop emeritus of Dharamapuri

Devadoss Ambrose Mariadoss, Bishop of Tanjore

Antony Devotta, Bishop of Tiruchirapalli

Nazarene Soosai, Bishop of Kottar

*Bernard Aubertin, O.Cist., Archbishop of Tours
*Armand Maillard, Archbishop of Bourges
*Guy Thomazeau, Archbishop emeritus of Montpellier
*Laurent Ulrich, Archbishop of Lille
*Pierre Plateau, Archbishop emeritus of Bourges
*Hubert Barbier, Archbishop emeritus of Bourges
*Jean-Christophe Lagleize, Bishop of Metz
*Jean-Marie Le Vert, Bishop emeritus of Quimper
*Gilbert Louis, Bishop emeritus of Châlons
*Michel Pansard, Bishop of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes
*Alain Planet, Bishop of Carcassonne et Narbonne
*Yves Boivineau, Bishop of Annecy
*Bernard Housset, Bishop emeritus of La Rochelle
*François Jacolin, M.D.P., Bishop of Mende
*Gérard Coliche, Titular Bishop of Alet and former Auxiliary of Lille

*Antoine Henry Pierre Marie Hérouard, Titular Bishop of Maillezais and Auxiliary of Lille
*Claude-Joseph Azéma, Titular Bishop of Murcona and Auxiliary of Montpellier
*Jacques David, Bishop emeritus of Evreux
*Jean-Charles Thomas, Bishop emeritus of Versailles
*François-Mathurin Gourvès, Bishop emeritus of Vannes
*Yves Bescond, Titular Bishop of Aquae Thibilitane and former Auxiliary of Meaux
*Alphonse Georger, Bishop emeritus of Oran

**Raphaël Dabiré Kusiélé, Bishop of Diébougou

**Paul Eusebius Mea Kaiuea, M.S.C., Bishop of Tarawa

**Paul Zinghtung Grawng, Archbishop emeritus of Mandalay

**Jean Baptiste Kpiéle Somé, Bishop emeritus of Diébougou

The bishops with an * are the original d'Estouteville group plus additions to their number since the combination of other lineages.  The bishops with ** are those who were previously known as the Ravizza line. 

A NEW BOOK:

HUNGARIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL

While searching for information on a nineteenth century Hungarian bishop, I came upon a preview of a book on the participation of Hungarian bishops at the Second Vatican Council: Pressed by a Double Loyalty – Hungarian Attendance at the Second Vatican Council – 1959 – 1965 by András Fejérdy. 

I read several snippets from the book, found them interesting, and purchased the book. This work provides a comprehensive and dispassionate view of the Hungarian episcopate at the Council, the motives and actions of the Hungarian government in allowing a controlled participation by certain bishops in the four sessions of the Council, including information on their escorts appointed by the Hungarian government, and the Holy See’s negotiations with the government and the part which the negotiations played in the larger Ostpolitik pursued by the Holy See.

The author includes a chronology for the period 1945 - 1975 as well as three annexes concerning the various bishops, periti, and escorts and the contributions of individual bishops to the work of the Council. 

This is the first English language work on a Central or Eastern European episcopate’s participation in the Second Vatican Council of which I am aware.  I found this to be a fascinating account of a special period in the history of the Catholic Church in Hungary and I am grateful to Dr. Fejérdy for his excellent scholarship which is so evident throughout this book. I highly recommend this book.

Roman-rite bishops belonging to the Maronite line

In the past four years, there have been several changes to the list of Roman-rite bishops who are members of the Maronite line.  Bishop Vincent Valentine Ezeonyia, C.S.Sp., of Aba, Nigeria, died in 2015.  Three new bishops – two in the Caribbean and one in Nigeria – have been ordained: Bishop Robert Anthony Llanos, Auxiliary of Port of Spain (2013), Bishop Gerard Maximin County, C.S.Sp., of Kingstown (2016), and Bishop Donatus Edet Akpan of Ogoja (2017). At present, there are thirteen Roman-rite bishops who belong to the Maronite line.  They are:

*Kelvin Edward Felix, Cardinal and Archbishop emeritus of Castries

*Edward Joseph Gilbert, C.Ss.R., Archbishop emeritus of Port of Spain

*Patrick Christopher Punder, Archbishop of Nassau

*Joseph Everard Harris, C.S.Sp., Archbishop of Port of Spain

*Gabriel Malzaire, Bishop of Roseau

*Francis Dean Alleyne, O.S.B., Bishop of Georgetown

*Charles Jason Gordon, Bishop of Bridgetown

*Ernest Mesmin Lucien Cabo, Bishop emeritus of Basse Terre et Pointe-à-Pitre

*Robert Anthony Llanos, Titular Bishop of Casae nigrae, Auxiliary of Port of Spain

*Gerard Maximin County, C.S.Sp., Bishop of Kingstown

*Joseph Effiong Ekuwem, Archbishop of Calabar

*Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Bishop of Umuahia

*Donatus Edet Akpan, Bishop of Ogoja

Another new member of the d’Estouteville line

The d’Estouteville line gained yet another new member on June 29, 2017 with the episcopal ordination of Bishop Nazarene Soosai of Kottar, India. His principal ordaining bishop was Bishop Peter Remigius, Bishop emeritus of Kottar who was assisted by Archbishop Antony Pappusamy of Madurai and Bishop Eugene Joseph of Varnasi.  

The d’Estouteville line now has fifty-five members.  Here is the updated list:

Mariadas Kagithapu, M.S.F.S., Archbishop emeritus of Visakhapatnam

Michael Augustine, Archbishop emeritus of Pondicherry and Cuddalore

Malayappan Chinnappa, S.D.B., Archbishop emeritus of Madras and Mylapore

Francis Kallarakal, Archbishop emeritus of Verapoly

Maria Callist Soosa Packiam, Archbishop of Triandrum of the Latins

Antony Ananadarayar, Archbishop of Pondicherry and Cuddalore

Vincent Louis Marie Landel, S.C.J. de Beth., Archbishop of Rabat

Pierre Antoine Jean Bach, M.E.P., Titular Bishop of Tituli in Proconsulari and former Vicar

  Apostolic of Savannakhet, Laos

George Yod Phimphisan, C.Ss.R., Bishop emeritus of Udon Thani, Thailand

Joseph Luechai Thatwisai, Bishop of Udon Thani, Thailand

Philip Banchong Chaiyara, C.Ss.R., Bishop of Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

Sebastian Thekethecheril, Bishop of Vijayapuram

Selvister Ponnumuthan, Bishop of Punalur

Christudas Rajappan, Titular Bishop of Avitta Bibba, Auxiliary of Trivandrum of the Latins

Mathew Cheriannkunnel, P.I.M.E., Bishop emeritus of Kurnool

Innayya Chinna Addagatla, Bishop of Srikakulam

Paul Maipan, Bishop of Khammam

Singaroyan Sebastianappan, Bishop of Salem

Edward Francis, Bishop of Sivagangai

Peter Remigius, Bishop emeritus of Kottar

Jerome Das Varuvel, S.D.B., Bishop of Kuzhithurai

Amalraj Arulappan, Bishop of Ootacamund

Soundaraj Periyanayagam, S.D.B., Bishop of Vellore

Antonysamy Francis, Bishop of Kumbakonam

Joseph Anthony Irudayaraj, S.D.B., Bishop emeritus of Dharamapuri

Devadoss Ambrose Mariadoss, Bishop of Tanjore

Antony Devotta, Bishop of Tiruchirapalli

Nazarene Soosai, Bishop of Kottar

*Bernard Aubertin, O.Cist., Archbishop of Tours
*Armand Maillard, Archbishop of Bourges
*Guy Thomazeau, Archbishop emeritus of Montpellier
*Laurent Ulrich, Archbishop of Lille
*Pierre Plateau, Archbishop emeritus of Bourges
*Hubert Barbier, Archbishop emeritus of Bourges
*Jean-Christophe Lagleize, Bishop of Metz
*Jean-Marie Le Vert, Bishop emeritus of Quimper
*Gilbert Louis, Bishop emeritus of Châlons
*Michel Pansard, Bishop of Chartres
*Alain Planet, Bishop of Carcassonne et Narbonne
*Yves Boivineau, Bishop of Annecy
*Bernard Housset, Bishop emeritus of La Rochelle
*François Jacolin, M.D.P., Bishop of Mende
*Gérard Coliche, Titular Bishop of Alet and former Auxiliary of Lille

*Antoine Henry Pierre Marie Hérouard, Titular Bishop of Maillezais and Auxiliary of Lille
*Claude-Joseph Azéma, Titular Bishop of Murcona and Auxiliary of Montpellier
*Jacques David, Bishop emeritus of Evreux
*Jean-Charles Thomas, Bishop emeritus of Versailles
*François-Mathurin Gourvès, Bishop emeritus of Vannes
*Edmond Abelé, Bishop emeritus of Digne
*Yves Bescond, Titular Bishop of Aquae Thibilitane and former Auxiliary of Meaux
*Alphonse Georger, Bishop emeritus of Oran

**Raphaël Dabiré Kusiélé, Bishop of Diébougou

**Paul Eusebius Mea Kaiuea, M.S.C., Bishop of Tarawa

**Paul Zinghtung Grawng, Archbishop emeritus of Mandalay

**Jean Baptiste Kpiéle Somé, Bishop emeritus of Diébougou

The bishops with an * are the original d'Estouteville group plus additions to their number since the combination of other lineages.  The bishops with ** are those who were previously known as the Ravizza line. 

The completion of the details of another papal episcopal ordination

Thanks to my friend and colleague Angelo Tavazza, the details of the episcopal ordination of Camillo Cardinal Borghese, Bishop of Jesi and the future Pope Paul V, have been completed.  The names of his co-consecrators have been in doubt for some time, with some accounts including the names of two cardinals who had not themselves received episcopal ordination as co-consecrators. 

The complete details of the episcopal ordination are contained in an avviso from Rome dated 29 May 1597.  This aviso is found in a manuscript located in the Vatican Apostolic Library:  Urb.lat.1065.pt.1, c.314r.  

The details of the episcopal ordination are located in the page devoted to the episcopal lineage of Popes Clement X and Paul V:

http://apostolicsuccession-episcopallineages.blogspot.com/p/theepiscopal-lineage-of-pope-clement-x.html

A new member of the d’Estouteville line

The d’Estouteville line gained a new member on April 30, 2017 with the episcopal ordination of Bishop Antoine Henry Pierre Marie Hérouard as Titular Bishop of Maillezais and Auxiliary Bishop of Lille.  His principal ordaining bishop was Archbishop Laurent Bernard Marie Ulrich of Lille who was assisted by Bishop Jean-Paul Maurice Jaeger of Arras and Bishop Michel Marie Jacques Dubost, C.J.M., of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes. 

The d’Estouteville line now has fifty-four members. 

Another issue of the Revue des Ordinations Épiscopales on Academia.edu

Issue number 25 of the Revue des Ordinations Épiscopales has been uploaded to Academia.edu.  This issue contains the 176 episcopal ordinations conferred in the Catholic Church in 2015.

Issue number 26 is in preparation.

Plans are underway to upload the early issues of the Revue over the next several months.

The episcopal ordination of Ciriaco Cardinal Rocci

My friend and colleague Angelo M. Tavazza has found the details of the episcopal ordination of another seventeenth century prelate:  Ciriaco Cardinal Rocci, cardinal and one time Apostolic Nuncio to Switzerland and to the Holy Roman Emperor.

Ciriaco Rocci, a Roman by birth, received episcopal ordination on 2 July 1628 in Ferrara, in the Church of the Gesù, by Giulio Cesare Cardinal Sacchetti, Bishop of Fano.  This information and other biographical details of Cardinal Rocci can be found in Mr. Tavazza’s latest article, Some notes on the life of Cardinal Ciriaco Rocci published on Academia.edu.              https://www.academia.edu/31107996

With the knowledge of his consecrator, we now know that Cardinal Rocci and his line of twenty nine bishops belong to the extinct line of Tolomeo Cardinal Gallio which now increases from 122 bishops to 152 bishops.

I am impressed by the research skills and scholarship which Mr. Tavazza has brought to this article and his previous article on Bishop Francesco Ravizza and I look forward to his future contributions in this area of study. 

Another change to the d’Estouteville line:

only three minor Roman-rite lines remain

In recent days my friend and colleague Angelo M. Tavazza of Milan was researching the episcopal ordination of Bishop Francesco Ravizza, Titular Bishop of Sidon, one time Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal, and the head of what was thought to be one of the four minor Roman-rite episcopal lines, the Ravizza line.

He discovered the consecrator of Bishop Ravizza and in doing so also discovered that the Ravizza line was never an independent line, but was part of the d’Estouteville line.  Thus, there are only three minor Roman-rite lines: d’Estouteville, von Bodman, and de Bovet.

The basic details of Bishop Ravizza’s ordination as bishop are found in a letter from Marquis Torquato Montauti, chargé d’affaires of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in Rome to his “illustrious and most respected Master.”  The manuscript letter, dated Rome, 22 March 1667, is conserved in the Archivio di Stato di Firenze, Medico del Principato, envelope 3389.

In it we find that Neri Cardinal Corsini conferred episcopal ordination on Msgr. Francesco Ravizza, Titular Bishop of Sidon, on 20 March 1667 in Rome. From another source we previously knew that the ceremony took place in St. Peter’s Basilica.  Cardinal Corsini was already known to be a member of the d’Estouteville line.

The story of how Cardinal Corsini came to be the consecrator of Bishop Ravizza is fascinating and is related in an article authored by Mr. Tavazza, The episcopal consecration of Bishop Francesco Ravizza, at: https://www.academia.edu/30834735  

The d’Estouteville line now has four more living members, increasing its total from forty-nine to fifty-three.  The von Bodman and de Bovet lines each have nine members.