Diocesi di Chichester

Diocesi di Chichester; Dioecesis Cicestrensis; Chiesa anglicana
Suffraganea dell'	Arcidiocesi di Canterbury
Vescovo	vacante
Ausiliari	2
Presbiteri	?
Abitanti	1.600.000
Superficie	3783 km²
Parrocchie	365 (21 vicariati)
Erezione	681 a Selsey; 1070 a Chichester; (la sede cattolica fu riformata fra il 1536 e il 1558)
Rito	rito anglicano
Cattedrale	Cattedrale di Chichester
Sito web	chichester.anglican.org
	Manuale

La diocesi di Chichester (in latino Dioecesis Cicestrensis) è una delle più antiche tra le diocesi della Chiesa anglicana, in particolare parte della Provincia ecclesiastica di Canterbury in Inghilterra.

Storia

L'opera di evangelizzazione del regno del Sussex è stata tardiva rispetto al resto dei regni anglosassoni.^[1] Fu iniziata attorno al 680 dal vescovo Vilfrido, che si era rifugiato nel sud dell'Inghilterra dopo che era stato deposto dalla sua sede di York; fondò un monastero a Selsey dove stabilì una sede episcopale e la cattedrale dedicata a san Pietro; percorse il regno per annunciare la fede cristiana ed amministrare il battesimo, ed organizzò il clero diocesano.

Nel 685 Cadwalla, re del Wessex, invase e occupò il Sussex e lo annesse al suo regno; anche la diocesi fu soppressa ed unita a quella di Dorchester. Quando nel 709 il Sussex ottenne l'indipendenza, fu ristabilita anche la diocesi di Selsey con il vescovo Eadbeorht.

Dopo l'arrivo di Guglielmo il Conquistatore la sede episcopale fu trasferita da Selsey a Chichester, come stabilito dal concilio di Londra del 1075, che aveva deciso il trasferimento delle sedi episcopali dai piccoli centri di campagna nelle grandi e importanti città del regno, meglio controllate dai padroni Normanni. Il trasferimento della sede episcopale a Chichester avvenne in un'epoca imprecisata tra il 1075 ed il 1085, durante l'episcopato del vescovo Stigand.

Con Stigand e soprattutto con il vescovo Ralph de Luffa, la diocesi conobbe il suo massimo splendore; Ralph organizzò la diocesi, fondò la cattedrale, istituì il capitolo dei canonici, visitò più volte il territorio e beneficiò largamente i parroci nelle campagne. La sua opera di organizzazione materiale e spirituale fu continuata dai suoi successori, in particolare Seffrid II, che consacrò la cattedrale nel 1199, e soprattutto san Riccardo di Chichester, il titolare più illustre e meglio conosciuto di Chichester. Gilbert di Saint-Leonard convocò nel 1289 un sinodo diocesano allo scopo di riformare la vita religiosa e sacerdotale della diocesi.

Verso la fine del XIV secolo fecero la loro apparizione in diocesi i lollardi (i poor preachers), legati alle idee riformiste di John Wycliffe, ma considerati, come il loro fondatore, degli eretici. Nel 1401, con lo statuto De haeretico comburendo, il re Enrico IV li condannò alla pena del rogo. Si conosce un solo caso di condanna al rogo nella diocesi di Chichester, quella di Thomas Bageley nel 1432.^[2] Nella foga contro gli eretici, a farne le spese fu lo stesso vescovo Reginald Peacock; infatti nelle sue opere contro i lollardi, The Repressor of overmuch blaming of the clergy (1455) e The Book of faith (1456), finì per cadere lui stesso in posizioni eterodosse, e per questo venne deposto nel 1457.

Quando Enrico VIII si attribuì il titolo di Capo della chiesa d'Inghilterra, il vescovo Robert Sherborne si lasciò convincere dalle nuove idee a tal punto da predicare dal pulpito (1535) l'opportunità e la necessità della supremazia regia sulla Chiesa inglese. Alla sua morte nel 1536, gli successe il vescovo anglicano Richard Sampson; durante il suo episcopato vennero chiuse le principali abbazie e monasteri della diocesi e nel 1538 venne distrutta la cassa d'argento che conteneva le reliquie di san Riccardo di Chichester. Il suo successore George Day si rifiutò tuttavia di distruggere tutti gli altari delle chiese diocesane, come deciso da un'ordinanza del 1550; questo gli costò la perdita dell'episcopato e la prigione. Durante la restaurazione cattolica operata dalla regina Maria Tudor, George Day fu liberato e riprese il suo posto sulla cattedra di Chichester; a lui succedette l'ultimo vescovo in comunione con la sede di Roma, John Christopherson, eletto nel maggio 1557 e morto nel dicembre 1558.

Organizzazione

La diocesi di Winchester è oggi suddivisa in 365 parrocchie raggruppate in ventun decanati. Ci sono anche alcune luoghi di culto secondari per un totale di 410 chiese.

Secondo l’uso anglicano, il vescovo si aiuta con due ausiliari che hanno il titolo onorifico di Vescovo di Horsham e di Vescovo di Lewes. Concretamente invece, la diocesi ha un arcidiaconato a Brighton, uno a Hastings e uno a Horsham.

Vescovi di Chichester

La lista dei 103 vescovi, di cui 77 in sede, è la seguente:^[3]

Vescovi di Selsey
Da	A	Vescovo	Note
? 681	? 685	San Wilfrid	Founder of the see; status as bishop of this see disputed; previously ejected from York; later Bishop of Leicester then of Hexham.
ca. 685	ca. 706	See absorbed by Winchester diocese, after Wessex conquered Sussex under Cædwalla.
? betw. 706–716	betw. 716–731	Eadberht	Also recorded as Eadbeorht, Eadbertus; previously Abbot of Selsey Abbey; often deemed first bishop of this see; died in office.
betw. 716–731	betw. 716–731	Eolla	Died in office.
betw. 716–731	733	See vacant
733	betw. 747–765	Sigeferth	Also recorded as Sigelmus, Sigfridus, Sigga, Siggca, Sicgga; died in office.
betw. 747–765	betw. 772–780	Aluberht	Also recorded as Ealabeorht, Alubrithus, Alubertus; died in office.
betw. 747–765	betw. 772–780	Oswald	Also recorded as Osweald, Osa; died in office.
betw. 772–780	betw. 781–787	Gislhere	Also recorded as Giselherus; died in office.
betw. 781–787	betw. 786–789	Tota	Died in office.
betw. 787–789	betw. 805–811	Wihthun	Died in office.
betw. 805–811	betw. 816–824	Æthelwulf	Also recorded as Ethelulphus; died in office.
betw. 816–824	betw. 839–845	Cynered	Also recorded as Coenred, Coenredus; died in office.
betw. 839–845	aft. 860	Guthheard	Also recorded as Guthard, Guðheard; left office.
aft. 860	bef. 900	See possibly vacant
bef. 900	ca. 909, or betw. 909–925	Wighelm	Died in office.
ca. 909, or betw. 909–925	930 or 931	Beornheah	Also recorded as Beornegus; died in office; in Heylyn is placed between Ethelulphus and Coenredus.
930 or 931	betw. 940–943	Wulfhun	Omitted in Heylyn; died in office.
betw. 940–943	betw. 953–956	Ælfred	Also recorded as Alfredus; died in office.
betw. 953–956	betw. 956–963	Brihthelm	Sometimes identified with Beorhthelm of Winchester; either died in office or translated to Winchester.
betw. 956–963	979 or 980	Eadhelm	Died in office.
980	988	Æthelgar	Translated to Canterbury.
betw. 988–990	betw. 1007–1009	Ordbriht	Died in office.
betw. 1007–1011	1031 or 1032	Ælfmær	Died in office.
1032 or 1033	1038	Æthelric (I)	Died in office.
1039	1047	Grimketel	Also recorded as Grimcytel (also Grimkell in Scandinavian sources); listed as Bishop of Elmham for 1043 as well; died in office.
1047	1057	Heca	Died in office.
1058	1070	Æthelric (II)	Also recorded as Ethelric; deposed and imprisoned by William the Conqueror.
1070	ca. 1075	Stigand	See moved to Chichester by decree of the Council of London (1075), Stigand was the last Bishop of Selsey and first Bishop of Chichester.
Vescovi di Chichester
Da	A	Vescovo	Note
ca. 1075	1087	Stigand of Selsey	Hitherto Bishop of Selsey; died in office.
1088	1088	Godfrey	Some sources cite William as bishop.^[4] Godfrey; died in office.
1091	1123	Ralph de Luffa	Radulphus; died in office.
1125	1145	Seffrid (I)	Seffridus Pelochin; also Abbot of Glastonbury; deprived.
1147	1169	Hilary	Date of consecration sometimes given as 1133; previously unsuccessfully nominated for York; died in office.
1169	1173	See vacant
1173	1180	John of Greenford	John de Greenford; previously Dean of Chichester; died in office.
1180	1204	Seffrid (II)	Seffridus; died in office.
1204	1207	Simon of Wells	Simon Sutwell, Simon FitzRobert, Simon de Camera; died in office.
1209	1214	Nicholas de Aquila	Gilbert de l'Aigle; Dean of Chichester; election quashed.
1215	1217	Richard Poore	Previously Dean of Salisbury; translated to Salisbury then Durham.
1217	1222	Ranulf of Wareham	Ralph de Warham; previously Prior of Norwich; died in office.
1224	1244	Ralph Neville	Also Lord Chancellor; elected to Canterbury but rejected by Pope Innocent IV; also unsuccessfully elected to Winchester; died in office.
1244		Robert Passelewe	Archdeacon of Lewes; Henry III's favoured candidate; election declared void by Pope Innocent IV.
1244	1253	Saint Richard	Richard de Wych; Archbishop Boniface's favoured candidate; election confirmed by Pope Innocent IV; died in office.
1253	1262	John Climping	John of Arundel; previously Chancellor of Chichester; died in office.
1262	1287	Stephen Bersted	Stephen of Pagham; died in office.
1288	1305	Gilbert of St Leonard	Gilbert de Sancto Leofardo; previously Treasurer of Chichester; died in office.
1305	1337	John Langton	Also Lord Chancellor; previous election to Ely quashed; died in office.
1337	1362	Robert de Stratford	Previously Archdeacon of Canterbury; also Lord Chancellor and Chancellor of Oxford; died in office.
1362	1368	William Lenn	William Lullimore; previously Dean of Chichester; translated to Worcester.
1369	1385	William Reade	Previously Archdeacon of Rochester; died in office.
1386	1389	Thomas Rushhook	Thomas Rushocke; translated from Llandaff; exiled to Breifne.
1390	1395	Richard Mitford	Previously unsuccessfully elected to St David's; also Lord Treasurer of Ireland; translated to Salisbury.
1395	1396	Robert Waldby	Translated from Dublin; translated to York.
1396	1415	Robert Reed	Translated from Carlisle; died in office.
1417		Stephen Patrington	Translated from St David's; died immediately after appointment.
1418	1420	Henry Ware	Previously official to the Archbishop of Canterbury; died in office.
1421	1421	John Kemp	Translated from Rochester; translated to London.
1421	1426	Thomas Polton	Thomas Pulton; translated from Hereford; translated to Worcester.
1426	1429	John Rickingale	Chancellor of York; died in office.
1429		Thomas Brunce	Thomas Brouns; election quashed; later Bishop of Rochester then of Norwich.
1430	1438	Simon Sydenham	Simon Sidenham; died in office.
1438	1445	Richard Praty	Richard Pratty; also Chancellor of Oxford.
1446	1450	Adam Moleyns	Adam Molins; previously Dean of Salisbury; also Lord Privy Seal; died in office.
1450	1459	Reginald Pecock	Reginald Peacock; translated from St Asaph; deprived for heresy.
1459	1477	John Arundel	Previously Archdeacon of Richmond.
1478	1503	Edward Story	Translated from Carlisle.
1503	1506	Richard FitzJames	Translated from Rochester; translated to London.
1508	1536	Robert Sherborne	Robert Sherburne; translated from St David's; resigned shortly before his death.
1536	1543	Richard Sampson	Previously Dean of Lichfield; also Dean of St Paul's; translated to Lichfield & Coventry.
1543	1551	George Day	Provost of King's College, Cambridge; deprived by Edward VI.
1552	1553	John Scory	Translated from Rochester; deprived by Mary I; later Bishop of Hereford.
1553	1556	George Day (restored)	Restored by Mary I; died in office.
1557	1558	John Christopherson	Previously Dean of Norwich; died in office.
1559	1568	William Barlow	Marian exile; had resigned Bath and Wells (being married); died in office.
1570	1582	Richard Curteys	Richard Curtis; died in office.
1582	1586	See vacant
1586	1596	Thomas Bickley	Previously Warden of Merton College, Oxford.
1596	1605	Anthony Watson	Previously Lord High Almoner; also Dean of Bristol 1590–1598; died in office.
1605	1609	Lancelot Andrewes	Previously Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge; translated to Ely then Winchester.
1609	1619	Samuel Harsnett	Previously Archdeacon of Essex; translated to Norwich then York.
1619	1628	George Carleton	Translated from Llandaff; died in office.
1628	1638	Richard Montagu	Previously Archdeacon of Hereford; translated to Norwich.
1638	1641	Brian Duppa	Previously Dean of Christ Church, Oxford; translated to Salisbury.
1642	1646	Henry King	Previously Dean of Rochester; deprived of the see when the English episcopy was abolished by Parliament on 9 October 1646.
1646	1660	The see was abolished during the Commonwealth and the Protectorate.^[5]^[6]
1660	1669	Henry King (restored)	Reinstated on the restoration of the episcopacy; died in office.
1670	1675	Peter Gunning	Previously Master of St John's College, Cambridge; also Regius Professor of Divinity 1661–1674; translated to Ely.
1675	1678	Ralph Brideoake	Previously Dean of Salisbury; died in office.
1679	1685	Guy Carleton	Translated from Bristol; died in office.
1685	1689	John Lake	Translated from Bristol; deprived as a non-juror.
1689	1691	Simon Patrick	Previously Dean of Peterborough; translated to Ely.
1691	1696	Robert Grove	Previously Archdeacon of Middlesex; died in office.
1696	1709	John Williams	Died in office.
1709	1722	Thomas Manningham	Previously Dean of Windsor; died in office.
1722	1724	Thomas Bowers	Also Archdeacon of Canterbury since 1721.
1724	1731	Edward Waddington	Died in office.
1731	1740	Francis Hare	Translated from St Asaph.
1740	1754	Matthias Mawson	Translated from Llandaff; translated to Ely.
1754	1797	Sir William Ashburnham, Bt.	Previously Dean of Chichester.
1798	1824	John Buckner	Sometime Rector of St Giles, London; died in office.
1824	1831	Robert Carr	Previously Dean of Hereford; translated to Worcester.
1831	1836	Edward Maltby	Translated to Durham.
1836	1840	William Otter	Previously Principal of King's College, London; died in office.
1840	1842	Philip Shuttleworth	Previously Warden of New College, Oxford; died in office.
1842	1870	Ashurst Gilbert	Previously Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford; died in office.
1870	1895	Richard Durnford	Previously Archdeacon of Manchester; died in office.
1896	1907	Ernest Wilberforce	Translated from Newcastle; died in office.
1908	1919	Charles Ridgeway	Previously Dean of Carlisle.
1919	1929	Winfrid Burrows	Translated from Truro; died in office.
1929	1958	George Bell	Previously Dean of Canterbury; died in office.
1958	1974	Roger Wilson	Translated from Wakefield; retired.
1974	2001	Eric Kemp	Previously Dean of Worcester; retired and became "Bishop Emeritus of Chichester".
2001	2012	John Hind	Translated from Europe; retired.
2012	2026	Martin Warner	Translated from Whitby; retired.
Fonti:^[7]^[8]

Note

↑ Il Sussex è l'ultimo regno anglosassone a convertirsi al cristianesimo. Termina così la missione d'Inghilterra, iniziata nel 596 con papa Gregorio Magno. Cfr. Storia della Chiesa, op. cit., vol. III, p. 214.
↑ Warrilow, op. cit., col. 669.
↑
↑ Barlow, Frank, The English Church 1066–1154, London, Longman, 1979, p. 66, ISBN 0-582-50236-5.
↑ David Plant, Episcopalians, su BCW Project, 2002. URL consultato il 25 aprile 2021 (archiviato dall'url originale il 13 novembre 2013).
↑ Peter King, The Episcopate during the Civil Wars, 1642–1649, in The English Historical Review, vol. 83, n. 328, Oxford University Press, luglio 1968, pp. 523–537, DOI:10.1093/ehr/lxxxiii.cccxxviii.523, JSTOR 564164.
↑ Fryde Greenway Porter Roy, 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd Edition, pp. 277–278.
↑ Horn, 1974, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857: Volume 3, pp. 80–83.

Bibliografia

Matthew Lewis. Medieval Britain in 100 Facts. Amberley Publishing Limited. pp. 38–. ISBN 978-1-4456-4735-7.
E. B. Fryde, D. E. reenway, S. Porter e I. Roy (a cura di), Handbook of British Chronology, 3ª ed., Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1986, ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
J. M. Horn, Bishops of Chichester, in Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857: Volume 3: Canterbury, Rochester and Winchester Dioceses, 1974.

Altri progetti

Wikimedia Commons contiene immagini o altri file su diocesi anglicana di Chichester

Collegamenti esterni

Sito ufficiale, su diochi.org.uk.

Controllo di autorità	VIAF (EN) 311329180

Portale Cristianesimo: accedi alle voci di Wikipedia che trattano di cristianesimo

[1] Il Sussex è l'ultimo regno anglosassone a convertirsi al cristianesimo. Termina così la missione d'Inghilterra, iniziata nel 596 con papa Gregorio Magno. Cfr. Storia della Chiesa, op. cit., vol. III, p. 214.

[2] Warrilow, op. cit., col. 669.

[3] ↑

[4] Barlow, Frank, The English Church 1066–1154, London, Longman, 1979, p. 66, ISBN 0-582-50236-5.

[5] David Plant, Episcopalians, su BCW Project, 2002. URL consultato il 25 aprile 2021 (archiviato dall'url originale il 13 novembre 2013).

[6] Peter King, The Episcopate during the Civil Wars, 1642–1649, in The English Historical Review, vol. 83, n. 328, Oxford University Press, luglio 1968, pp. 523–537, DOI:10.1093/ehr/lxxxiii.cccxxviii.523, JSTOR 564164.

[7] Fryde Greenway Porter Roy, 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd Edition, pp. 277–278.

[horn1974-8] Horn, 1974, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857: Volume 3, pp. 80–83.

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