Diocese of Limoges

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Bishop(s) Christophe Dufour, Bishop Léon-Raymond Soulier, Bishop Emeritus

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Erected: 1st Century Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Poitiers Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: France Square Kilometers: 11,085 (4,281 Square Miles) Conference Region: Sud-Ouest Official Web Site: http://catholique-limoges.cef.fr/ Mailing Address: 3 rue de la Cathedrale, B.P. 93, 87003 Limoges CEDEX, France Telephone: 5.55.34.16.15 Fax: 5.55.32.73.37

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Antoine de Charpin de Genetines † (13 Sep 1706 Appointed - 21 Jun 1739 Died)
• Louis-Charles du Plessis d'Argentré † (3 Sep 1758 Appointed - 28 Mar 1808 Died)
• Marie-Jean-Philippe Dubourg † (29 Apr 1802 Appointed - 31 Jan 1822 Died)
• Jean-Paul-Gaston de Pins † (15 Feb 1822 Appointed - 3 May 1824 Appointed, Titular Archbishop of Amasea)
• Prosper de Tournefort † (13 Oct 1824 Appointed - 7 Mar 1844 Died)
• Bernard Buissas † (21 Apr 1844 Appointed - 24 Dec 1856 Died)
• Florian-Jules-Félix Desprez † (4 Feb 1857 Appointed - 30 Jul 1859 Appointed, Archbishop of Toulouse (-Narbonne))
• Félix-Pierre Fruchaud † (30 Jul 1859 Appointed - 30 Sep 1871 Appointed, Archbishop of Tours)
• Alfred Duquesnay † (16 Oct 1871 Appointed - 17 Feb 1881 Appointed, Archbishop of Cambrai)
• Pierre Henri Lamazou † (17 Feb 1881 Appointed - 3 Jul 1883 Appointed, Bishop of Amiens)
• François-Benjamin-Joseph Blanger † (3 Jul 1883 Appointed - 11 Dec 1887 Died)
• Firmin-Léon-Joseph Renouard † (28 Feb 1888 Appointed - 30 Nov 1913 Died)
• Hector-Raphaël Quilliet † (24 Dec 1913 Appointed - 18 Jun 1920 Appointed, Bishop of Lille)
• Alfred Flocard † (16 Dec 1920 Appointed - 3 Mar 1938 Died)
• Louis-Paul Rastouil † (21 Oct 1938 Appointed - 7 Apr 1966 Died)
• Henri Gufflet † (7 Apr 1966 Succeeded - 13 Jul 1988 Retired)
• Léon-Raymond Soulier (13 Jul 1988 Succeeded - 24 Oct 2000 Retired)
• Christophe Dufour (24 Oct 2000 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
1st Century	Erected		Diocese of Limoges (erected)
11 July 1317	Territory Lost	Diocese of Limoges	Diocese of Tulle (erected)
29 November 1801	Territory Added	Diocese of Tulle (suppressed)	Diocese of Limoges
6 October 1822	Territory Lost	Diocese of Limoges	Diocese of Tulle
16 December 2002	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Limoges (from Bourges)

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1950	475,000	522,442	90.9%	355	17	372	1,276		17	610	480	ap1951
1970		500,438	.0%	264	25	289	0		25	524	481	ap1971
1978	424,000	505,000	84.0%	208	74	282	1,503	1	94	614	481	ap1981
1990	432,000	506,000	85.4%	174	43	217	1,990	2	58	405	117	ap1991
1999	434,000	512,000	84.8%	123	33	156	2,782	8	41	292	106	ap2000
2000	437,000	516,000	84.7%	119	33	152	2,875	7	43	257	106	ap2001
2001	405,000	478,400	84.7%	110	28	138	2,934	7	36	243	106	ap2002
2002	404,800	478,100	84.7%	107	28	135	2,998	7	36	226	97	ap2003
2003	465,650	475,350	98.0%	91	22	113	4,120	6	23	212	97	ap2004
2004	382,690	478,363	80.0%	104	22	126	3,037	6	23	214	97	ap2005

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Christophe Dufour (Bishop: 24 Oct 2000 - )
• Léon-Raymond Soulier (Coadjutor Bishop: 9 Jul 1987; Bishop: 13 Jul 1988 to 24 Oct 2000)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• François-Benjamin-Joseph Blanger † (Bishop: 3 Jul 1883 to 11 Dec 1887)
• Bernard Buissas † (Bishop: 21 Apr 1844 to 24 Dec 1856)
• Antoine de Charpin de Genetines † (Bishop: 13 Sep 1706 to 21 Jun 1739)
• Florian-Jules-Félix Desprez † (Bishop: 4 Feb 1857 to 30 Jul 1859)
• Marie-Jean-Philippe Dubourg † (Bishop: 29 Apr 1802 to 31 Jan 1822)
• Louis-Charles du Plessis d'Argentré † (Bishop: 3 Sep 1758 to 28 Mar 1808)
• Alfred Duquesnay † (Bishop: 16 Oct 1871 to 17 Feb 1881)
• Alfred Flocard † (Bishop: 16 Dec 1920 to 3 Mar 1938)
• Félix-Pierre Fruchaud † (Bishop: 30 Jul 1859 to 30 Sep 1871)
• Henri Gufflet † (Coadjutor Bishop: 16 Dec 1959; Bishop: 7 Apr 1966 to 13 Jul 1988)
• Pierre Henri Lamazou † (Bishop: 17 Feb 1881 to 3 Jul 1883)
• Jean-Paul-Gaston de Pins † (Bishop: 15 Feb 1822 to 3 May 1824)
• Hector-Raphaël Quilliet † (Bishop: 24 Dec 1913 to 18 Jun 1920)
• Louis-Paul Rastouil † (Bishop: 21 Oct 1938 to 7 Apr 1966)
• Firmin-Léon-Joseph Renouard † (Bishop: 28 Feb 1888 to 30 Nov 1913)
• Charles-Antoine de la Roche-Aymon † (Auxiliary Bishop: 11 Jun 1725 to 27 Dec 1729)
• Pierre-Eugène Rougerie † (Priest: 7 Oct 1855 to 17 Feb 1881)
• Prosper de Tournefort † (Bishop: 13 Oct 1824 to 7 Mar 1844)