The Bishop of Coutances is a suffragan of the Archbishop of Rouen. The Diocese of Coutances (Constantiensis) comprises the entire department of La Manche. It was enlarged in 1802 by the addition of the former Diocese of Avranches and of two archdeaconries from the Diocese of Bayeux. Since 1854 its bishops have held the title of Bishop of Coutances and Avranches.

The bishop of Coutances exercised ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Channel Islands until the Reformation, despite the secular division of Normandy in 1204. The final rupture occurred definitively in 1569.

History

Bishops of Coutances

• St. Ereptiolus (fourth century)
• St. Exuperatus (fourth century)
• Leontianus, first bishop historically known, attended the First Council of Orléans (511).
• St. Lô (Lautro) (sixth century)
• St. Rumpharius (d. about 586)
• St. Frémond (Frodemundus) (fl. 679)
• Blessed Geoffroy de Monthray (from 1049-1093)
• Hugues de Morville (from 1202-1238)
• Gilles Deschamps
• Philibert de Montjeu (from 1424-1439)
• Giuliano della Rovere (from 1476-1478), afterwards Pope Julius II.

Bishops of Avranches

• Nepos, the first bishop known to history, assisted at the First Council of Orléans in 511.
• St. Pair, or Paternus (d. 565)
• St. Leodovaldus (second half of sixth century)
• St. Ragertrannus (about 682)
• St. Aubert
• Robert Ceneau (1533-1569)
• Pierre-Daniel Huet (1689-1699)

Bishops of Bishop of Coutances and Avranches

Sources

• Coutances from the Catholic Encyclopedia

Roman Catholic bishops by diocese | Roman Catholic dioceses in France | Religion in France