Roman Catholic Diocese of Patti

Diocese of Patti Dioecesis Pactensis
File:Cattedrale patti.jpg Patti Cathedral
Location
Country	Italy
Ecclesiastical province	Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela
Statistics
Area
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2004) 164,000 160,000 (84%)
Parishes	40
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	12th Century
Cathedral	Cattedrale di S. Bartolomeo
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Ignazio Zambito
Map
File:Diocesi di Patti.png
Website
www.diocesipatti.it

The Italian Catholic Diocese of Patti (Latin: Dioecesis Pactensis) is in Sicily. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela. Its patron saint is Bartholomew the Apostle.

History

Count Ruggiero founded at Patti a Benedictine abbey, and in 1131 the antipope Anacletus II made Patti an episcopal see, uniting it with the Abbey of Lipari. Pope Eugenius III in 1157 confirmed the action of the antipope, the first legitimate pastor of the see being Gilbertus. In 1206, it lost territory to establish the territorial prelature of Santa Lucia del Mela.

In 1399, Lipari and Patti were separated, and the first bishop of the separate see of Patti was Francesco Hermemir. Other notable bishops were:

• Francesco Urvio (1518), who in the course of controversies with the capitano dello spagnuolo was imprisoned; later he was transferred to the Diocese of Urgel in Catalonia (Spain);
• Bartolomeo Sebastiani (1548), who attended the Council of Trent, and was governor of Sicily for three years;
• Alfonso de los Cameros (1652), the founder of the seminary, restored later by Bishop Galletti (1727);
• Cardinal Geremia Celesia, later Archbishop of Palermo, Bishop of Patti, 1860-71.

In its cathedral is preserved the body of St. Febronia, virgin and martyr. Three of the bishops of its ancient precursor Tyndaris are known:

• Severinus (501)
• Eutychius (594), with whose zeal for the conversion of pagans St. Gregory the Great was well pleased
• Theodorus (649).

In 1827 the bishopric gained territory from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Messina. In 1844.05.20 the diocese exchanged territory with the bishopric of Cefalù.

The diocese had in the early 20th century 49 parishes, 20,000 inhabitants, 5 religious houses of men, and 15 of sisters, conducting 4 institutes for girls and several schools.

It enjoyed a papal visit by John Paul II in June 1988.

References

- GCatholic, listing the bishops

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