Titular see of Bethlehem

Bethlehem also Bethleem ( Italian: Betlemme ) is a titular of the Roman Catholic Church.

It is one of the first Titularbistümer the Roman Catholic Church which has been established since the expulsion of the Crusaders from the Holy Land in Palestine. It was assigned to the Ecclesiastical Province of Caesarea Maritima.

First took the first, consecrated on this seat titular bishops who still hoped for a return to the Holy Land, residence at " Hôpital de Panténor " in the Burgundian city Clamecy ( now the Department of Nièvre) and acquired there a exemte position for the suburb in which the hospital was located. Over time, this exemption was reduced to the immediate area of the hospital, whose jurisdiction owner always bore the title of Bishop of Bethleem until it was finally abolished entirely in the course of church persecution of the French Revolution. The titular see was then vacant for several decades.

Since 1840 this title was always assigned to the most recent past to the exemten abbot of Saint- Maurice ( Switzerland, Canton of Valais). This practice, however, was not observed for the last two Abbots. Since 1987, the titular therefore vacant.