The
Gesta pontificum Autissiodorensium, written about 875 by the
canons Rainogala and Alagus, and later continued up to 1278, gives a list of bishops of Auxerre.
Louis Duchesne regards the list as mostly accurate, but very arbitrary in its dates prior to the 7th century. Auxerre is remarkable among French churches for the number of its bishops who have come to be regarded as saints.
Bishops of the original Gesta Peregrine of Auxerre (Pélérin 'pilgrim') was the founder of the See of Auxerre; according to the legend, he was sent by Pope
Sixtus II and was martyred under Emperor
Diocletian in 303 or 304.) •
Actherius •
Aunacharius (Aunaire; 573–603), uncle of
Lupus,
Archbishop of Sens who held the
Council of Auxerre which illustrated the customs among both the newly converted
Teutonic tribes and their
Gallo-Roman neighbours •
Desiderius (Didier) •
Palladius, who assisted at several councils in 627, 650 and 654 •
Vigilius, who was assassinated about 684 •
Tetricius (692–707) •
Savaric (710–715) •
Aidulf (perhaps 751–766) •
Maurin (perhaps 766–794) •
Aaron (perhaps 794–807) •
Angelelmus (807–828) •
Heribaldus (829–857), first chaplain of
Louis the Pious, and several times given ambassadorial charges •
Abbo (857–869) •
Christian (860–871)
Later bishops •
Wala (872–879) •
Wibaldus (879–887) • (887–909) • St
Géran (909–914) • St
Betto (933–961) • Guy (933–961) • Heribert I (971-996) • John (996–999) •
Hugh of Chalon (999–1030) • Heribert II (1039-1052) • Geoffrey of Champallemand (1052-1076) • Robert of Nevers (1076-1092) •
Humbaud (1095–1114), drowned on the way to Jerusalem • St
Hugues de Montaigu (1116–1136), a friend of St. Bernard •
Hugues de Mâcon (1137–1151), Abbot of
Pontigny, often charged by
Pope Eugenius III with adjusting differences and re-establishing order in monasteries •
Alanus (1152–1167), author of a life of
St. Bernard •
Guillaume de Toucy (1167–1181), the first French bishop who went to Rome to acknowledge the authority of
Pope Alexander III. •
Hugues de Noyers (1183–1206), known as the "hammer of heretics" for the vigour with which he sought out in his diocese the sects of the
Albigenses and the "Caputiés" (mainly in Sens) •
Guillaume de Seignelay (1207–1220), who took part in the war against the Albigenses and in 1220 became the
bishop of Paris •
Henry of Villeneuve (1220–1235) •
Bernard de Sully (1235–1244) •
Guy de Mello (1247–1270), who was
Apostolic delegate in the crusade of
Charles of Anjou against
Manfred •
Gerard de Lessines (1271-1278), Cardinal-bishop of Palestrina •
Guillaume III de Grez (1278-1295) •
Pierre de Mornay (1296–1306), who negotiated between
Pope Boniface VIII and king
Philip IV and in 1304 became
chancellor of France •
Pierre de Cros (1349–1351), cardinal in 1350 • (1361–1362) •
Pierre de Longueil (1449–1474) •
Enguerrand Signart (1474–1477) •
John III Baillet (1477–1513) •
François de Dinteville (1513–1530) •
François de Dinteville II (1530–1554) •
Robert de Lenoncourt (1554–1560), cardinal in 1538 •
Philippe de Lenoncourt (1560–1562), cardinal in 1586 •
Philibert Babou de la Bourdaisière (1562–1570), cardinal in 1561 •
Jacques Amyot the scholar (1571–1593), translator of the works of
Plutarch and
Diodorus Siculus,
tutor of Charles IX,
grand almoner of kings
Charles IX and
Henry III •
François de Donadieu (1599–1625) •
Gilles de Souvré (1625–1631) •
Dominique Séguier (1631–1637) •
Pierre de Broc (1640–1671) •
Nicolas Colbert (1672–1676) •
André Colbert (1676–1704) •
Charles de Caylus (1704–1754), who made his diocese a centre of
Jansenism and whose published works in four volumes were condemned by Rome in 1754. On November 29, 1801, the diocese of Auxerre was suppressed. On October 7, 1817, it was restored, but in 1821 it was suppressed again. On June 3, 1823, it was united once more to the diocese of Sens. The newly united diocese soon became an archdiocese, but after many years, in 2006, which in turn lost its Metropolitan status in 2006 and became a suffragan see of the Ecclesiastical Province of the
Dijon. The
Cathedral of Auxerre, completed in 1178, contains numerous sculptures in the Byzantine style. ==See also==