Parishes 54 | Area 456 km² Bishop Carlo Bresciani | |
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Population- Total- Catholics (as of 2010)137,135130,696 (95.3%) Established 1 August 1571 (445 years ago) Ecclesiastical province | ||
The Italian Catholic Diocese of San Benedetto del Tronto-Ripatransone-Montalto (Latin: Dioecesis Sancti Benedicti ad Truentum-Ripanus-Montis Alti) in the Marche, has existed in its current form since 1986. In that year the Diocese of Montalto was united into the Diocese of Ripatransone-San Benedetto del Tronto, which was the renamed historical Diocese of Ripatransone (as of 1983). The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Benedetto del Tronto-Ripatransone-Montalto is a suffragan see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Fermo.
History
Ripatransone is on a hill called Cuprae Mons ("Mountain of Cupra", an ancient deity) in the past, and was a Picene settlement. The modern name comes probably from Ripa Trasonis, "Hill of Traso", from the name of the first feudal lord. The castle was erected there in the early Middle Ages, and enlarged later by the bishops of Fermo, who had several conflicts with the people.
In 1571 Pope Pius V made it an episcopal see, naming as its first bishop Cardinal Lucio Sassi or Sasso and including in its jurisdiction small portions of the surrounding diocese of Fermo, diocese of Ascoli Piceno, and diocese of Teramo.
Other bishops were:
On Monday, November 4, 2013, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Gervasio Gestori in accordance with Canon 401.1 of the Latin-rite Code of Canon Law, upon having reached the age of 75 at which Bishops must offer to retire. He will be succeeded by Bishop-elect Reverend Monsignor Carlo Bresciani, who up until now had been serving as a member of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brescia, where he was Rector of the Diocesan Seminary.
The diocese, at first directly subject to the Holy See, has been a suffragan see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Fermo since 1680.