Roman Catholic Diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia
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Diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia Dioecesis Arianensis Hirpinus-Laquedoniensis |
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| Location | |
| Country | Italy |
| Ecclesiastical province | Benevento |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 781 km2 (302 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2006) 74,200 73,524 (99.1%) |
| Parishes | 43 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 11th Century |
| Cathedral | Ariano Irpino Cathedral (Basilica Cattedrale di S. Maria Assunta di Ariano Irpino) |
| Co-cathedral | Lacedonia Cathedral (Concattedrale di S. Maria Assunta di Lacedonia) |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Sergio Melillo |
The Italian Catholic Diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia (Latin: Dioecesis Arianensis Hirpinus-Laquedoniensis) is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Benevento. In 1986 the Diocese of Ariano was united with the Diocese of Lacedonia to form the current diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia.
It comprised seven towns in the province of Avellino, four in that of Beneventum, and one in the province of Foggia. Ariano, a very ancient town of the Hirpini, is built on the hills, fifteen miles from Beneventum. Its name is of pagan origin: Ora Jani. There are no documents that fix the time of its conversion to Christianity.
Beneventum, at the beginning of the fourth century, had a bishop, and the Gospel may have reached Ariano from that city. The Bishop of Beneventum was one of the nineteen prelates who were present at the Synod of Rome, held in the year 313.
Ariano was an episcopal city from the tenth century and perhaps before that time. It is first mentioned in the Bull of Pope John XIII (965-972) to establish the Archdiocese of Beneventum; it is named as a suffragan see.
The first bishop known to have occupied this see was Menardus, a native not of Padua, Ferdinando Ughelli believed, but of Poitiers, which Vitale has shown. In 1070, he erected in his cathedral a marble baptistery on the walls of which verses were inscribed. In the following year Menardus was at the consecration of the church of Monte Cassino by Pope Alexander III. Tradition has a whole series of bishops prior to him as is proved by a declaration of 1080 made in favour of the monastery of St. Sofia in Beneventum.
Erected: 11th Century
Latin Name: Arianensis Hirpinus
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Benevento
United on 30 September 1986 with the Diocese of Lacedonia
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