Bishopric of Geneva
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| Bishopric of Geneva Évêché de Genève Bistum Genf | |
| |
| c. 400 - (1532) 1819 | |
| Capital Circle Bench | Geneva Upper Rhenish Council of Princes |
| Established | c. 400 |
| Prince of the Empire | 1154 |
| Annexed to Geneva | 1532 |
| United with Fribourg as Lausanne & Geneva | 1819 |
The Bishopric of Geneva was a Roman Catholic diocese based in Geneva in the Canton of the same name in Switzerland.
The Bishopric of Geneva
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There are several legends regarding the Christianisation of the city and the founding of the diocese based there. According to one legend, the city was Christianised by two of the seventy-two disciples, Dionysius Areopagita and Paracodus. During the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, Dionysius Areopagita moved to Paris while Paracodus is supposedly ordained as the first bishop. Another legend holds that St Lazarus was the first bishop, following a confusion between the names of the cities of Geneva and Genoa. Yet another legend names St Diogenus as the first bishop. It is fairly certain that St Isaac was the first bishop, being mentioned in c. 400. Little is known of the succeeding bishops. From its founding, the diocese at Geneva was suffragan to the Archbishopric of Vienne.
In 1154 the Bishops were made "Princes of the Empire", and had to work tirelessly to protect themselves from their guardians, the [{County of Geneva|Counts of Geneva]] and later the Counts and Dukes of Savoy. In 1290 the Genevese counts obtained the right of naming the vice-dominus of the see, the official which was the bishop's representative to the city. In 1387 Bishop Adhémar Fabri (1385 - 1388) granted the city of Geneva its charter, making it an Free City in the Holy Roman Empire. All succeeding bishops were expected to confirm the charter on their accession. After the Savoiards inherited the County of Geneva in 1394, they sought by all means to acquire the city of Geneva including getting members of the ducal family made bishops. The city responded by joining the Swiss Confederation and allying with Berne and Fribourg.
The Reformation brought new challenges to the diocese. Under Bernese pressure, Protestant preachers were granted liberty to convert the population whilst Catholic Fribourg cancelled their alliance with the city. In 1332 the Bishops were forced to flee abroad, first to Gex and then Annecy in 1536. In 1536 John Calvin arrived in Geneva and forced the remaining Catholic population to convert. By the efforts of Bishop St Francis de Sales (1602 - 1622), Catholicism returned to some of the civilians.
In 1802 the bishopric was united with the Bishopric of Chambéry. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna further enlarged the diocese with the addition of 15 Savoiard and 6 French parishes with a Catholic population of 16,000. In 1819 Pope Pius VII united the Swiss portion of the diocese with the Bishopric of Fribourg to make the Bishopric of Lausanne and Geneva while the remaining portions were given to the new Bishopric of Annecy.
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