Diocese of Oppido Mamertina-Palmi Dioecesis Oppidensis-Palmarum |
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Oppido Mamertina Cathedral
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Location | |
Country | Italy |
Ecclesiastical province | Reggio Calabria-Bova |
Statistics | |
Area | 930 km2 (360 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2013) 187,200 (est.) 180,200 (est.) (96.3%) |
Parishes | 66 |
Information | |
Denomination | Catholic Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | 13th century |
Cathedral | Cattedrale di Maria SS. Assunta (Oppido Mamertina) |
Co-cathedral | Concattedrale di S. Nicola (Palmi) |
Secular priests | 86 (diocesan) 11 (Religious Orders0 |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Francesco Milito |
Map | |
Website | |
www.diocesimileto.it/ |
The Diocese of Oppido Mamertina-Palmi (Latin: Dioecesis Oppidensis-Palmarum) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in southern Italy, existing under that name since 1979. Historically it was the Diocese of Oppido Marmertina (Oppidensis). It is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Reggio Calabria.
Bishop Stefano (1295) is the first prelate of whom there is mention. The Chapter of the Cathedral already existed in the 13th century. The Chapter maintained its right to elect a new bishop until 1338. The Chapter was composed of six dignities (the Archdeacon, the Dean, the Cantor, the Treasurer, the Archpriest, and the Ecclesiarch-Theologian) and fourteen Canons.
In 1472 the see was united to that of Gerace, under Bishop Athanasius Calceofilo, by whom the Greek Rite was abolished, although it remained in use in a few towns.
In 1536 Oppido became again an independent see, under Bishop Pietro Andrea Ripanti; among other bishops were Antonio Cesconi (1609) and Giovanni Battista Montani (1632), who restored the cathedral and the episcopal palace; Bisanzio Fili (1696), who founded the seminary; Michele Caputo (1852), who was transferred to the See of Ariano, where it is suspected that he poisoned King Ferdinand II; eventually, he apostatized.
In 1748 the town of Oppido is estimated to have had 2,000 inhabitants. The town was heavily damaged by the earthquakes of 1783, in the first of which Oppido was at the epicenter, and the population decimated by the plague that followed.
In 2007 the town had some 5,484 inhabitants.
Erected: 13th Century
Latin Name: Oppidensis
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Reggio Calabria
10 June 1979: Name Changed
Coordinates: 38°18′00″N 15°59′00″E / 38.3000°N 15.9833°E