The former Italian Catholic diocese of Nicotera-Tropea, in Calabria, existed until 1986. In that year it was united into the diocese of Mileto, to form the diocese of Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea. It was a suffragan diocese of the archbishopric of Reggio di Calabria."Diocese of Nicotera e Tropea" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved March 23, 2016"Diocese of Nicotera" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 14, 2016

History

Nicotera, the ancient Medama, is in the Province of Catanzaro; it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1783.

Its first known bishop was Proculus, to whom, with others, a letter of Pope Gregory I was written in 599; the bishop had been absent from his diocese for some time, doing penance for various crimes and misdemeanors.Taccone-Gallucci, Regesta, p. 33 no. xxix: "Pervenit ad Nos reverendissimum fratrem et coëpiscopum nostrum Proculum ita (quod dici grave est) Ecclesiae suae vel parochiarum causas et utilitates negligere, ut non solum res aliquas vel mancipia earum, sed etiam et ministeria apud diversos esse incaute patiatur." In 596, Pope Gregory had written to the bishop of Vibo (Valentia) that the bishop of Nicotera had been ordered to do penance, and that the bishop of Vibo should appoint a priest to conduct a formal visitation of the diocese of Nicotera.Kehr X, pp. 45-46, nos. 1–3. The pope also wrote in 599, to the subdeacon Sabinus, his Regionarius, that Bishop Proculus, having done his penance, had returned.Taccone-Gallucci, Regesta, p. 33 no. xxviii: "Quare venerabilis frater noster Proculus Episcopus ab Ecclesia sua diu abfuerit, experientia tua non ignorat. Ad quam quoniam Deo propitio, habita nunc ut oportuit satisfactionis purgatione, reversus est."

The Diatyposis of the Emperor Leo VI (c. 900) lists the Greek Metropolitan of Reggio and his suffragans: the dioceses of Vibona, Tauriana, Locri, Rossano, Squillace, Tropea, Amantea, Cotrone, Cosenza, Nicotera, Bisignano, Nicastro and Cassano.

In 1304, Nicotera was deprived of its bishopric, because of the murder of its bishop, and the cathedral was reduced to the status of a parish church.Taccone-Gallucci also states, p. 362, that the cathedral became a collegiate church under the title of S. Maria de Romania. Its diocesan territory was handed over to the diocese of Mileto.Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 362; 188: "Sane praesentata Nobis ex parte tua petitio continebat, quod cum nonnulli laici de castro Nicoterae, Miletensis dioecesis...." On 16 August 1392, Pope Boniface IX issued a bull which reestablished the diocese of Nicotera.Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 217.

In 1565, Archbishop Gaspare del Fosso held a provincial synod in Reggio. Among the suffragans in attendance was Bishop Giulio Cesare de Gennaro (1542–1573) of Nicotera.Domenico Spanò Bolani, Storia di Reggio di Calabria Vol. 2 (Napoli: Del Fibreno 1857), p. 139. Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 415.

Under Bishop Luca Antonio Resta (1578–1582), the diocese of Nicotera held its first diocesan synod.Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 416.

In 1638, under Bishop Carlo Pinto (1616–1644), the city was pillaged by the Ottoman Turks.Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 416.

Bishop Pinto, however, held a diocesan synod. Bishop Antonio Mansi (1703–1713) held a diocesan synod. In 1772, Bishop Francesco Franco (1745–1777) presided over a diocesan synod.Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 416.

The seminary of the diocese of Nicotera was established by Bishop Ercole Coppola (1651–1658)Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 416.

Bishop Domenico Taccone-Gallucci (1889-1908) was a distinguished researcher, author, and historian of the churches of Calabria.

Post-Napoleonic restoration Following the extinction of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, the Congress of Vienna authorized the restoration of the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. Since the French occupation had seen the abolition of many Church institutions in the Kingdom, as well as the confiscation of most Church property and resources, it was imperative that Pope Pius VII and King Ferdinand IV reach agreement on restoration and restitution. Ferdinand, however, was not prepared to accept the pre-Napoleonic situation, in which Naples was a feudal subject of the papacy. Neither was he prepared to accept the large number of small dioceses in his kingdom; following French intentions, he demanded the suppression of fifty dioceses. Lengthy, detailed, and acrimonious negotiations ensued.F. Artaud de Montor, Histoire du Pape Pie VII Vol. II, second edition (Paris: Adrien Leclerc 1837), pp. 507-509. On 17 July 1816, King Ferdinand issued a decree, in which he forbade the reception of any papal document, including without prior reception of the royal exequatur. This meant that prelates could not receive bulls of appointment, consecration, or installation without the king's permission.Vito Giliberti (1845), Polizia ecclesiastica del regno delle due Sicilie , (Napoli: F. Azzolini), pp. 399-400.

A concordat was finally signed on 16 February 1818, and ratified by Pius VII on 25 February 1818. Ferdinand issued the concordat as a law on 21 March 1818.F. Torelli (1848), La chiave del concordato dell'anno 1818 I, second edition (Naples: Fibreno 1848), pp. 1-19. The re-erection of the dioceses of the kingdom and the ecclesiastical provinces took more than three years. The right of the king to nominate the candidate for a vacant bishopric was recognized, as in the Concordat of 1741, subject to papal confirmation (preconisation).Torelli I, p. 9. On 27 June 1818, Pius VII issued the bull De Ulteriore in which the metropolitan archdiocese of Reggio Calabria was restored, and among its suffragans were included the dioceses of Nicotera and Tropea.Bullarii Romani Continuatio Tomus decimus quintus (Vol. 15) (Rome 1853), p. 58, § 19: "Ecclesia archiepiscopalis Rheginensis suffraganeas habebit episcopales ecclesias Hyeracensem, Bovensem, Oppidensem, Cathacensem, Cotronensem, Tropiensem, Nicoterensem, Squillacensem, Neocastrensem, et Cassanensem." The dioceses of Nicotera and Tropea, however, were united aeque personaliter, with the bishop of the two separate dioceses to reside in Tropea.Torelli I, pp. 117-118. Bullarii Romani Continuatio Tomus decimus quintus (Vol. 15) (Rome 1853), p. 59, § 19: "Episcopalem autem ecclesiam Nicoterensem, concathedralem declarantes, antedictae episcopali ecclesiae Tropiensi aeque princicipaliter perpetuo unimus atque aggregamus."

Diocesan reorganization The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), in order to ensure that all Catholics received proper spiritual attention, decreed the reorganization of the diocesan structure of Italy and the consolidation of small and struggling dioceses. It also recommended the abolition of anomalous units such as exempt territorial prelatures.In its decree Christus Dominus, section 22, it stated: "Concerning diocesan boundaries, therefore, this sacred synod decrees that, to the extent required by the good of souls, a fitting revision of diocesan boundaries be undertaken prudently and as soon as possible. This can be done by dividing dismembering or uniting them, or by changing their boundaries, or by determining a better place for the episcopal see or, finally, especially in the case of dioceses having larger cities, by providing them with a new internal organization.... At the same time the natural population units of people, together with the civil jurisdictions and social institutions that compose their organic structure, should be preserved as far as possible as units. For this reason, obviously, the territory of each diocese should be continuous." These considerations applied to Mileto and to Nicotero e Tropea.

On 18 February 1984, the Vatican and the Italian State signed a new and revised concordat. Based on the revisions, a set of Normae was issued on 15 November 1984, which was accompanied in the next year, on 3 June 1985, by enabling legislation. According to the agreement, the practice of having one bishop govern two separate dioceses at the same time, aeque personaliter, was abolished. Instead, the Vatican continued consultations which had begun under Pope John XXIII for the merging of small dioceses, especially those with personnel and financial problems, into one combined diocese. On 30 September 1986, Pope John Paul II ordered that the dioceses of Mileto, Nicotero and Tropea be merged into one diocese with one bishop, with the Latin title Dioecesis Miletensis-Nicotriensis-Tropiensis. The seat of the diocese was to be in Mileto, and the cathedral of Mileto was to serve as the cathedral of the merged dioceses. The cathedrals in Nicotero and Tropea were to become co-cathedrals, and the cathedral Chapters were each to be a Capitulum Concathedralis. There was to be only one diocesan Tribunal, in Mileto, and likewise one seminary, one College of Consultors, and one Priests' Council. The territory of the new diocese was to include the territory of the former dioceses of Mileto, Nicotero and Tropea.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 79 (Città del Vaticano 1987), pp. 744–746.

Bishops of Nicotera Erected: 6th Century Latin Name: Nicotriensis Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Reggio Calabria

to 1500

Proclus (attested 596)Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 415. ... Sergius (attested 787)Bishop Sergius was present at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. J.D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XIII (Florence: A. Zatta 1767), p. 543. Cappelletti XXI, p. 214. Ughelli IX, p. 413. ... Caesareus (attested 884)Bishop Caesarius was killed by the Saracens in 884. Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 316. ... Pellegrinus (attested 1173)Pellegrinus: Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 362. ... [Anonymous] (attested 1304)In 1304, Nicotera was deprived of its bishopric, because of the murder of its bishop, and the cathedral was reduced to the status of a parish church. Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 362. Diocese suppressed (1304–1392) Jacobus d'Ursa da S. Angelo (attested 1392–1405)Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 415. Eubel I, p. 366. Petrus (attested c. 1415) Clemente da Napoli, O.Carm. (1415–1423)Clemente was appointed bishop of Nicotera by Pope John XXIII. Eubel I, p. 366. Floridassius Suprandus (Seriprando) (1423–1443/1444)Floridassius: Eubel I, p. 366; II, p. 203. Giovanni (1444–1452)Giovanni (Franciscus?), Giovanni De Brancha: Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 415. Eubel I, p. 366; II, p. 203. Francesco Brancia, O.Cist. (14 Jun 1452–c.1479)Francesco Scattaretica had been a canon of the cathedral of Amalfi. Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 415. Eubel II, p. 203. Pietro Barbo (1462)A Venetian, related to Pope Paul II (Barbo), Petrus was named Bishop of Tropea on 27 December 1465. Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 415. Eubel II, pp. 203, note 1; 257. Nicolaus Guidiccioni (1479–1487)Guidiccioni had been Archdeacon of Lucca. Taccone-Gallucci (1902), Regesta pontificum, p. 415. Antonius Sicardus (Lucido) (1487–1490)Bishop Antonio was transferred to the diocese of Nicastro on 8 February 1490, by Pope Innocent VIII. Eubel II, pp. 201, 203. Arduino Pantaleoni (1490–c.1517)Arduinus Santaleoni had been a canon of the cathedral of Capua. He was appointed bishop of Nicotera on 8 February 1490 by Pope Innocent VIII. On 2 December 1517, at the age of 75, he was assigned a coadjutor bishop with right of succession, Giulio Cesare di Gennaro, by Pope Leo X. Eubel II, p. 203 with note 2; III, p. 258.

1500 to 1818