Diocese of Leon

Localization

The diocese of Leon extended until 1790 on the septentrional area from the department from the Finistere, of Conquet with Morlaix with Landerneau for southern limit. The Pays of Leon currently adds up 112 communes on 2 019 km ² and counted 405 082 inhabitants with the census of 1999.

Arrival of Holy pol. Aurélien in Armorique

At the 6th century the Armorique becomes Brittany by the massive arrival of Breton emigrants come from the Wales and the British Domnonée, mainly of the area of Cornouailles.

Procope de Césarée writes in 550 that the Francs enable them to live the part of their territory which they estimate to be most deserted .

Were the Leon (and the Cornwall) already christianized on arrival of the Breton ones? One can think that the evangelization had not reached the Western part of the peninsula seriously yet: the châton of ring and the Christian grafitte of Locmaria are only archaeological testimonys exhumed to date.

The Vies of the Saints make arrive the Breton ones in groups under the control of chiefs, monk or civilians. Those which occupied the north of the Armorique had come under control from a tiern named Riwall. During the reign of his/her son Deroch, the Armorican Domnonée accepted new immigrants, and among them, Saint Tugdual. Unloaded on the coast in the West of the Leon, it establishes there a lann close to the Conquet. It began with évangéliser the country of Leon, whom it left with pol.-Aurélien, itself from going away towards the east, formant of the monasteries, in particular with Tréguier

Pol., Paulinannus, or Paullinus, come from Wales where he was school-fellow of Samson, Gildas, and David at the monastic school of Iltud saint. It leaves its country with a group of disciples and crosses British Cornwall where it stops a time on the injunction of king Marc, alias Conomor.

It arrives then at Ushant with 12 priests and as many laymen linked with him by family ties, ones nephews, other cousins , and a sufficient number slaves. Being given the clannish character of the old Breton company, any door to believe that the emigrants gathered according to family ties and ethnic. There it establishes the monastery of Lampaul. His/her companions are known: Tégonnec (Saint-Thégonnec and Plogonnec), Goeznou (Gouesnou and Gouézec), Laouénan (Tréflaouénan) Jaoua ((Saint-Jaoua in Plouvien), Winiau (Plouigneau), Séo' (Holy-Sap).

Pol. establishes other monasteries with Lampaul-Plouarzel, Lampaul-Ploudalmézeau, Lampaul-Guimiliau, with the Île of Batz where Withur gives the évangéliaire and the bell, badges of the Abbot to him, and, finally, with the oppidum which will become Saint-Pol.-of-Leon.

Pol. Aurélien, first bishop of Leon

According to a biography written at the 9th century, pol. would have been charged by the tiern Withur, or Wizur, which resided at the Île of Batz, of a mission near the frank king Childebert. Actually, Withur requested Mérovingien to use of its authority to oblige pol. to accept the episcopate.

By the will of Withur (or Wizur) and of Childebert, it will thus be devoted bishop , bishop-abbot of one monastery to the Celtic manner. Its radiation, and that of its disciples, reached most of the Domnonée. Its apostolate in Brittany is between 530 and 580 approximately.

In its old age, pol. would have left the administration of sound " diocèse" for three auxiliaries and would have reserved the government of the abbey which it had founded. The cathedral of Saint-Pol.-of-Leon still preserves his monastic small bell, curious specimen of the Breton art of this time.

the concept of diocese with final limits where the authority of the bishop is exerted, if it existed well at the Gallo-Roman S and the Francs, was undoubtedly foreign with the Chrétiens come from On the other side of the channel which had kept their customs and habits. Besides the Breton monasteries observed the rule of the monks (the such Celtic tonsure, the date of Easter) of Great Britain or Ireland. The bishop-abbot exerted his jurisdiction on the abbey-mother, then on the other monasteries, the " plou" , " ple" , " plo" , " lann" , " loc" around whose agglomerations were formed which were going to become Breton parishes. This irrefutable fact lasted until the moment of the constitution of the kingdom of Brittany.

In 567, with the Council of Turns, the prelates gallo-francs defended to order in Armorique a bishop without the assent of the subway (which was in Tours). The Breton ones did not hold any account of it. This attachment with their particular discipline was to make them suspect to Rome and the Carolingians.

Subdivisions

Évêché of Leon 3 comprised archidiaconés which, from their size, would have been called in others évêchés Breton deaneries:

Leon
Kemenet-Ily
Ac' H

as well as a Minihy:

the Minihy Paul

Evolution

In 919 took place the great invasion of the Norman ones. All Brittany was invaded and ransacked, and of many sold or expelled inhabitants. The counts, tierns, the merchants, the monks, the priests and all those which had something to lose exiled.

About the year 1000, following the reforms required by Rome, the province of Brittany is placed under the jurisdiction of the metropolis of Tours (it will be necessary to wait still a long time before there is an archbishop with Rennes!).

The geography of the dioceses is fixed definitively at the end of the 11th century, like that of the Archidiaconé S (Leon, Kemenet and Ach for the diocese of Leon. The basic unit that is the Paroisse reinforces then, partly thanks to the demography, which makes it possible to square the territory diocesan completely.

As with Quimper, the construction of the cathedral of Saint-Pol.-of-Leon begins at the 13th century, on the site of a Romance building of which remain of the sections of wall. The nave is set up out of calcareous stone, in the Norman style, then the vaults by the bishop Guillaume Rochefort, at the next century. The transept and the chorus are built at the 15th century: one finds the weapons of the bishops Jean there Prigent (1436/1439) and Guillaume Ferron (1439/1472). Under Prigent, the large rosette is built.

The year 1237 sees the creation of a convent the Dominican ones in Morlaix.

The Reform, launched in 1517 in Germany by Martin Luther, does not reach the Brittany. However, some demonstrations of Réformés are known with Morlaix as of 1530. The Calvinisme remains disseminated and weak. Besides a relative tolerance seems to settle in Brittany. The edict of Nantes grants freedom of worship, but notes the absence of the places of worship resulting from the Réforme in the Leon. A Temple is known for the 17th century with Morlaix, but the Protestantisme does not manage to conquer the rural masses nor the parochial clergy.

After the Concile of Thirty (1545 - 1563) the Catholic church sets up its Reform aiming at correcting the many abuses clarified by the Protestants. A new clergy is set up gradually, worthier than the old one. The clergy, during the 17th century has from now on the obligation of residence in the parish, which was not the case in the past. Many convents are then created: in fifty years, six convents open with Morlaix.

In 1580, a college is established with Saint-pol., is held by the clergy diocesan.

In 1687 is created the great seminar.

At XVIe and XVIIe centuries the artistic request of the parishes appears. The increase in the receipts of the factories causes the blossoming of new works, of which the parochial Enclos. It is the case of the High-Leon where the prosperity of the Juloded allows the construction of many buildings.

The last specific bishop of Leon is Mgr Jean-François of Walk, starting from 1772. He includes a section of small seminar to the college of Saint-pol. Concerned of economic realities, he answers the great investigation requested by Turgot in 1774 and introduced the culture of the Potato. The Revolution the constrained one to exile itself with London where he dies in 1806. In its absence, the diocese is directed by the Abbé Michel Henry.

In 1788 Louis XVI having convened the General states in Versailles, of the local assemblies meets in order to designate the delegates. The Clergé of the Leon was entitled to 2 deputies. The assembly indicates, in August 1788 Dom Verguet, prior of the Relecq, and Louis-Alexandre Expilly of Poipe, vice-chancellor of Saint-Martin-of-Fields.

The November 2nd 1789 the Constituent vote the decree placing the properties of the Church at the disposal of the Nation.

The February 13rd 1790, it removes the religious orders (except the hospital ones and teachers).

The July 12th 1790, following work of a commission chaired by léonard Louis-Alexandre Expilly of Poipe, it promulgates the civil Constitution of the clergy which reorganizes the Church of France creating a diocese by department .

The September 30th 1790 dies the bishop of Cornwall. For the first time in France, the new law is applied: the Electorate of Finistere, established in 1790, is convened with the cathedral of Quimper for on November 1st, in spite of the sling of the Chapitre which, in accordance with the canonical right, compensates the bishop during the vacancy of the seat. With the third turn, Louis-Alexandre Expilly of Poipe obtains 233 votes out of 380 voters (whereas Mgr Jean-François of the Walk, which is not candidate, joins together 125 of them). Expilly, proclaimed elected bishop of Finistere is the first bishop constitutional of France . He is crowned in Paris by Talleyrand. Stopped in 1793, It is guillotine the May 22nd 1794. The episcopal see remains vacant then during 4 years.

In what becomes the old diocese of Leon, 338 priests out of 395 refuse to lend oath. 57 lend it. Seven of them will retract thereafter.

At the end of the 18th century, the Leon counts 2000 km ² and 200.000 inhabitants (double population density of that of the Cornouailles). Its parochial network is denser: 87 parishes and 37 Trier.

Famous characters of the diocese

Santig Of the

It is towards 1279 that, according to the tradition, is born with Saint-Vougay Jean Discalceat, Exposed Jean the , or, into Breton " Yann Divoutou" i.e. without shoe , more known under the name of Santig Of the, Monk Franciscain of the Order of the minor brothers, the Cordeliers… Indeed, the disciples of François d' Assise (1181 - 1226) is very numerous in Brittany.

Salaün Ar Fol

In 1310 is born Salaün. Simple of spirit, begging its bread for farm in farm by repeating inlassablement " Ave Maria " , he lives in a clearing of the forest close to Lesneven. He is called " The insane one of the bois" , (rear Fol it hoad). Salaün Ar Fol dies in the indifference in 1358. A little later one discovers on his tomb a lily on which is written in gold letters: " AVE MARIA ". By opening his tomb, one notes that the lily takes root in its mouth. The miracle attracts crowd quickly. One builds a vault with the place from now on called Folgoët, which will be set up in Collégiale by Jean V in 1423.

Dom Michel Nobletz

In 1577 is born with the manor from Kerodern, in Plouguerneau, Michel Nobletz, atypical and isolated character who marks his time. It is formed at the Jésuites. With Bordeaux, he studies the Théologie. With Paris, its director is the Coton father, confessor of Henri IV. Returned in Leon, he refuses the traditional career which opens with him, a station with comfortable benefit, for a life dedicated to the evangelization. After a passage at the Dominican of Morlaix, it missionne in Leon, while passing by Ushant, Molène. It settles during twenty years with Douarnenez, in Cornwall, from where it is driven out to return in 1639 in Leon, with the Conquet where it dies in 1652. It chose itself for successor the father Julien Maunoir, which will be béatifié by Pie XII in 1951.

Internal bonds

List of the bishops of Leon
List of the bishops of Quimper and Leon since 1802 Holy
pol. Aurélien

External bonds

Salaün and Folgoët

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