Ancient Diocese of Toul

The Diocese of Toul was a bishopric in Lorraine. It existed from the middle of the 4th century until the abolition 1801. Cathedral was Saint -Étienne de Toul. The secular dominion of the bishops was the Bishopric of Toul. It belonged to the early modern period to the Holy Roman Empire and subsequently fell to France. In 1817 a new diocese of Toul was built and with the Diocese of Nancy united to the diocese of Nancy- Toul.

History

Around the middle of the 4th century the diocese was founded as a suffragan of Trier. The diocese covered the area from the Vosges to the vicinity of the Marne. The diocese comprised six Archidiakonate 1402, 23 deaneries and 680 parishes in total.

The secular territory of the later Hochstift began to develop around since the 7th century. It eventually included six advocacies. Characteristic was the big difference between the right great spiritual territory of the diocese and of the small secular dominion of the High Monastery at first with the city as a center of Toul.

From 925 the diocese belonged as part of the Duchy of Lorraine Holy Roman Empire. Like the other two bishoprics in Lorraine, Metz and Verdun, Toul was at the expense of the Duchy of Lorraine newly formed richly endowed. The three Lorraine bishoprics were also referred to as Trois- Évêchés.

Since Bishop Gerard I ( 963-994 ) until the beginning of the 12th century, most bishops came from the Reich. Bishop Bruno of Toul, who was a cousin of Conrad II, was as Leo IX. elected in 1049 to the Pope. The emperor tried to take hardly any influence on the episcopal elections by the cathedral chapter. The diocese was involved in the national politics of the Ottonian and Salian. However, the relatively small Hochstift had only a relatively low own weight.

Spiritually, the diocese in the 10th and 11th centuries was particularly under Bishop Brun a center of church reform movement. Since the mid-11th century, many of the Benedictine priories were established especially by aristocrats. Since the end of the century saw reform monasteries. This was accompanied by a strengthening of the spiritual activities of the bishops in the diocese.

Since the beginning of the 12th century to the mid 13th century the cathedral chapter elected bishops mainly from the ranks of the nobility of Lorraine. Since the 12th century there was a growing territorial competition between the high pin and the Dukes of Lorraine. To protect the Burgort Liverdun was developed into a major episcopal base from 1178.

When it came in the 13th century repeatedly to contested elections, transferred Pope Nicholas III. the diocese in 1278 to the coming of Tübingen Franciscan Konrad Probus. This has transferred the screen bailiwick to the Duke of Lorraine. Thus the secular sovereign rights went largely to the Dukes. Since that time the cathedral chapter in the episcopal election played a role any more. Rather, the popes sat mostly in the Foreign Office a. After the city Toul had emancipated itself from episcopal rule, the bishops moved their residence to Liverdon.

1552, however, occupied the French King Henry II, who had agreed in the Treaty of Chambord with some Protestant princes about the cities of Metz, Toul and Verdun. Charles V failed in the following year, the reconquest of Metz, whereby the city Toul remained virtually at the French crown. The diocese remained, however, the Reich; the time of Emperor Maximilian II, the bishop recognized by the payment of dues to the kingdom whose dominion once more formally. In the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia France the possession of the city and the Bishopric of Toul was confirmed.

Since 1668 the King of France determined the candidates for the office of bishop. In 1777 were the Nancy and separated as new bishoprics St.. The diocese was abolished in 1801 as a result of the French Revolution. The secular territory of the three bishoprics of Verdun, Toul and Metz ( Trois- Évêchés ) formed until the Revolution the province of the three bishoprics.

In 1817 the diocese was rebuilt and combined with the Diocese of Nancy to the diocese of Nancy- Toul.