A traditional story, intended to connect the Church of Cassano with the apostolic generation, points out that
Paul the Apostle (Saul of Tarsus) stopped at Malta, Syracuse, and Reggio Calabria ("Acts of the Apostles," ch. 28), on his way to be araigned for trial in Rome. His travelling companion, Stephen of Nicaea (died 74), was appointed the first bishop of Reggio and commissioned to spread the Christian faith in Calabria. It was presumed that Paul left the same orders as he had given to Titus when he left him in Crete (Paul, "Epistle to Titus" 1:5), commissioning him to appoint presbyters, which is taken to mean bishops. It is not known when Cassano became an episcopal See. In 859 Cassano and Cosenza were the headquarters of the
Gastaldates of the Lombards of the Duchy of Benevento. In their turn the Lombards were attacked again and again, as were the Greeks in south Italy, by the Saracens (Arabs and Moors). The Greeks were able to drive the Saracens away, and reorganized Calabria as part of the Greek Empire and the Greek Church of Constantinople. Cassano was established around this time as a suffragan diocese of the Greek Metropolitan of Reggio Calabria. In 1059 mention is made of a bishop of Cassano, whose name is not reported. He was engaged, along with the Provost of Gerace, in resisting the advance of the Normans, led by Robert Guiscard and his brothers. A battle took place against Count Roger at San Martino in Valle Salinarum, in which the Greeks, led by the bishop of Cassano, were defeated. In 1096, a bishop of Cassano known as Saxo (Sassone) was a Vicar of Pope Urban II and Pope Paschal II in the region. In the 11th century, the diocese became a
suffragan of
Reggio Calabria. On 20 October 1144, King
Roger II of Sicily confirmed the privileges of the Church of Cassano.
Fra Marco d'Assisi Fra Marco of Assissi had already been chosen and installed as bishop of Cassano before 14 January 1268, perhaps earlier than 12–14 December 1267 Before 28 April 1268, he discovered, however, that his approval and consecration were uncanonical, violating a new rule that no member of the Friars Minor (Franciscans) could accept a higher post without the permission of the Minister General or the Minister Provincial. Bishop Marco informed
Pope Clement IV of his circumstances, but the pope was under pressure from the Franciscan Master General for a more widespread investigation, and for a suspension from all offices and benefices of those who had transgressed the law. On 28 April 1268, the pope wrote to Cardinal Raoul Grosparmi, his legate, ordering a general investigation as to whether any permission was given to any Franciscan. But the pope also authorized him, if the election was otherwise in order, since it was the Cardinal Legate who had arranged for Fra Marco to be consecrated, to specially dispense the bishop in the name of the Holy See, in consideration of his praiseworthy life of virtue and good will. Fra Marco was to continue as the legitimate bishop of Cassano. Three days later, on 1 May, Clement wrote again to Cardinal Grosparmi, summoning him to Viterbo for consultations as soon as possible about Charles of Anjou, King of Sicily.
Abuses In a petition of 1566, the citizens of Cassano complained to
Pope Pius V (1566–1572) that, for more than fifty years, their bishops had not resided in the city or diocese of Cassano, and had not been carrying out their episcopal functions or administrative duties, but only taking their episcopal income. The casual attitude toward residence and duties spread to the cathedral Chapter and the clergy as well. It was noted that the popes had had to provide the bishops of Cassano since the local church was unable to offer adequate candidates.
Albanians and Greek rites Beginning in the mid-15th century, under pressure from advancing hostile Turkish forces, numbers of Albanians and Slavs from western Greece, Epirus, and Albania migrated to Italy, all along the Adriatic coast, but especially to the Abruzzi and Calabria. For the most part they were Catholics, of the Greek (Byzantine) rite, and in communion with Rome. In Calabria, they did not assimilate, but kept to their own villages under the rule of their own chiefs, whose position was sanctioned by the kings of Naples. Unsympathetic Latin bishops, however, sought repeatedly to get the Greek rite Catholics to conform to Latin church expectations. This was particularly difficult in the matter of married Greek rite clergy, and the willingness of parishoners to cross the boundaries of rites to receive the sacraments. In the papal bull "Etsi pastoralis" of 26 May 1742,
Pope Benedict XIV attempted to remedy some of the abuses and lessen the tensions, forbidding Latin rite bishops from interfering with the use of the Greek rite. "Nor do we allow any Latin Ordinary to molest or to disturb these or any of them. And we inhibit all and any prelates or persons from blaspheming, reproving, or blaming the rites of the Greeks, which were approved in the Council of Florence or elsewhere." His measures failed to have the desired effect. After nearly two centuries of debate, dissention and disobedience in Calabria between adherents of the Latin rite and those of the Greek rite, including bishops, priests, and laity,
Pope Pius X intervened and granted Bishop
Giovanni Barcia, titular bishop of
Croia (
Croiensis), the faculties to confer holy orders on Greek rite clerics of Calabria. Barcia, however, died on 2 December 1912.
Pope Benedict XV finally felt compelled to intervene. He ordered the Sacred Congregation
de Propaganda fide pro negotiis rituum orientalium to prepare proposals for the administration and reformation of the churches of the Greek rite, and on 19 November 1917, their recommendation decision was taken to create a new diocese. On 13 February 1919, territory of four dioceses in Calabria were transferred to create the
Eparchy of Lungro for the
Italo-Albanian Catholic Church. Cassano lost the towns of Acqua Formosa, Civita, Firmo, Frascineto, Lungro, Piataci, Porcile, and S. Basile.
Seminary In accordance with the decrees of the Council of Trent, Bishop Serbelloni (1561–1579) appointed a committee to plan the creation of a seminary for the diocese of Cassano. The seminary was formally created by a decree of Bishop Carafa on 6 March 1588, and in 1593 Bishop Audoeno (Owen Lewis) fixed the number of scholars at twelve, and for the next century the number never exceeded twenty. The seminary was perpetually short of funds.
Cathedral The old cathedral was consecrated by Bishop Tomacelli on 3 May 1491. The bell tower was completed by Bishop Gaetano in 1608. The new cathedral in
Cassano all'Ionio was consecrated on 22 March 1722 by Bishop Francesco Maria Loyerio of Umbriatico. The decoration of the Choir was completed in 1750. The stucco façade of the cathedral was completed by Bishop Coppola in 1795, and the marble pulpit installed. Many of the treasures of the cathedral were stolen or damaged during the revolutionary period 1798–1806. The Cathedral was governed by a Chapter, composed (in 1752) of four dignities and eighteen Canons. The dignities were: the Archdeacon, the Dean, the Cantor and the Treasurer. In 1824, due to a fire in the episcopal palace, the archives of the diocese and the cathedral Chapter were destroyed.
Statistics In 1920, after the creation of the
Eparchy of Lungro, the diocese of Cassano claimed c. 130,300 Catholics, in 51 parishes and 37 vicariates, served by 253 secular priests and 10 priests of religious Orders. There were 200 churches or chapels. There was one convent of Capuchins, one convent of Poor Clares, and one convent of the Sisters of Reparation.
Reorganization On 8 September 1976, the Sacred Congregation of Bishops, with the approval of
Pope Paul VI, added territory to the diocese of Cassano by removing eight towns from the jurisdiction of the diocese of Anglona-Tursi. On 4 April 1979,
Pope John Paul II issued the bull "Quo aptius", which,
inter multa alia removed ten towns from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Cassano and assigned them to the diocese of San Marco-Argentano. On 30 January 2001,
Pope John Paul II, in the bull "Maiori Christifidelium," ordered the reorganization of the ecclesiastical provinces in Calabria. The diocese of Cassano had previously been a
suffragan of Reggio Calabriae, but in the new circumscription became a suffragan of Cosenza-Bisignano. ==See also==