Roman Catholic Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi

Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi Dioecesis Melphictensis-Rubensis-Iuvenacensis-Terlitiensis
Cathedral in Molfetta
Location
Country	Italy
Ecclesiastical province	Bari-Bitonto
Statistics
Area	442 km^2 (171 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2013) 133,530 132,513 (99.2%)
Parishes	36
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	12th Century
Cathedral	Cattedrale di S. Maria Assunta
Co-cathedral	Concattedrale di S. Maria Assunta (Ruvo) Concattedrale di S. Maria Assunta (Giovinazzo) Concattedrale di S. Michele Arcangelo (Terlizzi)
Secular priests	103
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Domenico Cornacchia
Website
www.webdiocesi.chiesacattolica.it

The diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi (Latin: Dioecesis Melphictensis-Rubensis-Iuvenacensis-Terlitiensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Apulia, southern Italy, which was established in 1986, when the diocese of Molfetta-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi was united with the diocese of Ruvo. The historical diocese of Molfetta was expanded in 1818. The current diocese is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Bari-Bitonto.^[1][2]

History

The first bishop of Molfetta of whom there is any record was John, whose incumbency is referred to the year 1136. The see was at first suffragan of Bari, but in 1484 it became immediately dependent upon Rome. In 1818, it was enlarged with the territory of the suppressed diocese of Giovinazzo and diocese of Terlizzi, which were re-established in 1835, remaining united, œque principaliter.^[3]

Ordinaries

Diocese of Molfetta

Latin Name: Melphictensis
Erected: 12th Century

• Pietro Piczus (18 Jul 1421 - 1427 Died)

...

• Giovanni Battista Cibo (16 Sep 1472 - 29 Aug 1484 Elected, Pope (Rome))
• Angelo Lacerti (15 Sep 1484 - 1508 Died)
• Alessio Celadoni di Celadonia (7 Jun 1508 - 1517 Died)^[4]
• Ferdinando Ponzetti (Poncetti) (20 Apr 1517 - 12 Jul 1518 Resigned)
• Giacomo Ponzetti (Poncetti) (12 Jul 1518 - 1553 Resigned)
• Nicola Maggiorani (Majorano) (15 Dec 1553 - 13 Mar 1566 Resigned)
• Maggiorano Maggiorani (Majorano) (13 Mar 1566 - 31 Jul 1597 Died)
• Offredo de Offredi (18 May 1598 - Jun 1606 Died)
• Juan Antonio Bovio, O. Carm. (29 Jan 1607 - 12 Aug 1622 Died)
• Giacinto Petroni, O.P. (5 Sep 1622 - Sep 1648 Died)
• Giovanni Tommaso Pinelli, C.R. (18 May 1648 - 29 Mar 1666 Appointed, Bishop of Albenga)
• Francesco de' Marini (29 Mar 1666 - 6 Oct 1670 Resigned)
• Carlo Loffredo, C.R. (6 Oct 1670 - 26 Nov 1691 Appointed, Archbishop of Bari (-Canosa))
• Pietro Vecchia, O.S.B. (19 Dec 1691 - Jul 1695 Died)
• Domenico Belisario de Bellis (23 Jan 1696 - 17 Jan 1701 Died)
• Giovanni degli Effetti (18 Jul 1701 - 1712 Died)
• Fabrizio Antonio Salerni (17 Sep 1714 - 14 Apr 1754 Died)
• Celestino (Pietro Antonio) Orlandi, O.S.B. (16 Sep 1754 - 8 Jul 1775 Died)
• Gennaro Antonucci (13 Nov 1775 - 21 Mar 1804 Died)
• Domenico Antonio Cimaglia (2 Oct 1818 Confirmed - Jul 1819 Died)
• Filippo Giudice Caracciolo, C.O. (21 Feb 1820 Confirmed - 15 Apr 1833 Confirmed, Archbishop of Naples)

Diocese of Molfetta-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi

Latin Name: Melphictensis-Iuvenacensis-Terlitiensis
United: 4 March 1836 with Diocese of Giovinazzo e Terlizzi
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Bari (-Canosa)

• Giovanni Constantini (19 May 1837 - 19 Jan 1852 Died)
• Niccola Maria Guida (27 Sep 1852 - 6 Dec 1862 Died)
• Gaetano Rossini (27 Mar 1867 - 4 Jan 1890 Died)
• Pasquale Corrado (2 Jan 1890 - 6 Dec 1894 Died)
• Pasquale Picone (18 Mar 1895 - 5 Sep 1917 Died)
• Giovanni Iacono (2 Jul 1918 - 18 Mar 1921 Appointed, Bishop of Caltanissetta)
• Pasquale Gioia, C.R.S. (30 Sep 1921 - 2 Apr 1935 Died)
• Achille Salvucci (17 Oct 1935 - 18 Mar 1978 Died)
• Aldo Garzia (18 Mar 1978 - 15 Jun 1982 Appointed, Coadjutor Bishop of Nardò)
• Antonio Bello (10 Aug 1982 - 20 Apr 1993 Died)

Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi

Latin Name: Melphictensis-Rubensis-Iuvenacensis-Terlitiensis
United: 30 September 1986 with Diocese of Ruvo
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Bari-Bitonto

• Donato Negro (22 Dec 1993 - 29 Apr 2000 Appointed, Archbishop of Otranto)
• Luigi Martella (13 Dec 2000 - 6 Jul 2015 Died)
• Domenico Cornacchia (15 Jan 2016 - )

Co-cathedrals

Co-cathedrals: Co-cathedral in Ruvo (left) Co-cathedral in Giovinazzo (center) Co-cathedral in Terlizzi (right)

Notes

1. "Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved September 25, 2016
2. "Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved September 25, 2016
3. Catholic Encyclopedia article, Diocese of Molfetta, Terlizzi, and Giovinazzo
4. "Bishop Alessio Celadoni di Celadonia" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved September 5, 2016

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "^{article name needed}". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton.

Coordinates: 41°12′00″N 16°36′00″E / 41.2000°N 16.6000°E