Establishment Documents

• Diocese of Atlanta

• Archdiocese of Atlanta

Diocese of Atlanta

The Diocese of Atlanta was established by Pope Pius XII on July 2, 1956.

The following three documents are English translations of the Apostolic letters of the erection of the Diocese of Atlanta and of the nomination of the first Bishop of Atlanta, Most Reverend Francis E. Hyland, D.D., J.CD.

DOCUMENT I

We, who ever since the day on which the merciful God committed to Us the government of the universal Christian family have striven mightily to make more secure for all Our children the way of eternal salvation and to provide them with every benefit of the Holy Catholic Religion, firmly believe that it is Our duty to partition very extensive dioceses and to determine for them more suitable boundaries. When, therefore, We learned that Our venerable Brother, Gerald Patrick O'Hara, Archbishop-Bishop of Savannah-Atlanta, desiring to provide in a more satisfactory manner for the needs of his vast diocese, begged of this Holy Roman See that the aforesaid diocese, which comprises the entire State of Georgia, be partitioned and that a new and more suitable diocese be established, We willingly acceded to his petition.

Consequently, having asked the opinion of Our venerable Brother, Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, Titular Archbishop of Laodicea in Phrygia and Apostolic Delegate to the United States of America; having taken counsel of Our venerable Brothers, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, members of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation, with the consent likewise of those who have any right in the partition, We, by Our supreme authority, decree the following.

We separate from the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta the entire northern portion of the territory, which extends to the south as far as the northern boundary lines of the Counties of Richmond, Jefferson, Glascock, Washington, Wilkinson, Twiggs, Bibb, Crawford, Taylor, Talbot and Harris. In the territory circumscribed by these boundaries, We erect a new diocese, which We desire to be called ATLANTA from the city of that name, the capital of Georgia. In this city the Bishop shall establish his see and domicile, and shall have the chair of his pastoral authority in the sacred edifice dedicated to Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, which hitherto has enjoyed the dignity of a co-cathedral. Consequently, to the sacred edifice, to the city and to the diocese of which We speak, We grant all the honors and privileges which other churches, cities and dioceses of equal rank enjoy. We invest the Bishop with the rights, powers, privileges, honors and insignia and bind him to the duties and obligations which proceed from the episcopal dignity. We constitute the new Diocese of Atlanta a suffragan See of the Province of Baltimore, to whose Archbishop We wish the Bishop of Atlanta and his successors to be subject.

Since, therefore, after this division of territory, the extent of the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta shall be restricted and confined on the north to the northern boundary lines of those counties which We have mentioned above, We decree that the said diocese, together with its cathedral church of St. John the Baptist, shall hereafter be called simply SAVANNAH, after the city of Savannah, in which the episcopal see and cathedral are already established; and the same is to be said of the Bishop of the diocese.

In order that divine worship may be conducted in the cathedral church of Atlanta in solemn and proper manner, and that the Bishop may avail himself of the counsel and experience of men who are preeminent for their gifts of mind and character, We wish that a college of canons be instituted; until this can be accomplished, We permit the appointment of diocesan consultors in place of canons. Moreover, the government and administration of the new diocese, the establishment of the episcopal fund, the election sede vacante (when the See is vacant) of the vicar capitular, and all other similar matters are to be regulated by the prescriptions of the Code of Canon Law.

We command also that, as soon as the erection of the See of Atlanta shall have been effected, the clergy are to be considered as being ascribed to that Diocese in whose territory they lawfully reside; and that documents and deeds which pertain in any way whatsoever to the new diocese are to be transmitted as soon as possible by the Curia of Savannah to the Curia of Atlanta, to be preserved in its archives.

To execute what We have decreed by these Letters, We designate Our aforesaid venerable Brother, Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, or whoever at the time these decrees are to be put into effect holds the office of Apostolic Delegate in the United States of America; the one who executes this mandate shall enjoy all the necessary faculties, including that of subdelegating any other ecclesiastical dignitary, and he shall have the duty of preparing the documents relating to the fulfillment of this mandate and of transmitting authentic copies thereof without delay to the Sacred Consistorial Congregation.

We desire that these Letters be effective now and in the future; that what is decreed by these Letters be observed religiously by those whom they concern and that these Letters attain the purpose for which they are issued. That the efficacy of these Letters may not be obstructed by contrary prescriptions of any kind, we abrogate all such prescriptions by these Letters. Therefore, if anyone, no matter what his authority, shall either knowingly or unknowingly act contrary to what We have decreed, We command that such acts be considered entirely null and void. Moreover, no one may lawfully efface or destroy these documents of Our will; indeed, to copies of these Letters and extracts therefrom, which bear the seal of an ecclesiastical dignitary and the signature of a public notary, there is to be accorded the very same credence that would be given to these Letters themselves if they were exhibited. Should anyone contemn or in any whatsoever detract from these Letters, let him know that he thereby subjects himself to the penalties established by law for those who do not fulfill the commands of the Sovereign Pontiffs.

Given at Rome, in St. Peter's, on the second day of July, in the year of Our Lord nineteen hundred fifty-six, in the eighteenth year of Our Pontificate.

(c)Adeodato Giovanni Cardinal Piazza,
Secretary of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation

(s) Celso Cardinal Costantini,
Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church

(s) Alfonso Carinci, Archbishop of Seleucia,
Dean of the Apostolic Prothonotaries

(s)Amleto Tondini,
Regent of the Apostolic Chancery

(s) Silvio Sericano,
Prothonotary Apostolic

DOCUMENT II

EXECUTORY DECREE

AMLETO GIOVANNI CICOGNANI,

by the Grace of God and the Apostolic See, Titular Archbishop of Laodicea in Phrygia and Apostolic Delegate to the United States of America.

In virtue of the special faculty graciously granted Us by Our Most Holy Father, Pope Pius XII, in the Apostolic Letters "Amplissimas Ecclesias," given under seal and dated the second day of July in the year of Our Lord nineteen hundred fifty-six, We by the present decree order that all those things contained and prescribed in the above-mentioned Apostolic Letters be executed.

It is Our will and decision that this Executory Decree of Ours be given its full effect and its juridical force from the eighth day of November, nineteen hundred fifty-six, all things to the contrary notwithstanding and all other things prescribed by law being observed

In witness whereof, We have issued the present Decree signed by Our hand and sealed with Our seal.

Given in Washington, at the Apostolic Delegation, on the seventh day of October, on the feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the year nineteen hundred fifty-six.

(s)A. G. Cicognani,
Archbishop of Laodicea,
Apostolic Delegate

DOCUMENT III

PIUS, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God, to Our venerable Brother, FRANCIS E. HYLAND, hitherto Titular Bishop of Gomphi and now first Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Atlanta, greetings and Apostolic Benediction.

Since the omnipotent God has wished Us to care for all the faithful of Christ We zealously devote our energies to the end that we may, through the ministrations of dedicated Bishops, promote the welfare of new dioceses and provide for the needs of new flocks. It is with this consideration in mind that, by the apostolic power invested in Us and after consultation with Our venerable Brother, the Cardinal-Secretary of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation, We release you from the ties of the Titular See of Gomphi and appoint you Bishop of the new Diocese of Atlanta. We do this inasmuch as the cathedral See of Atlanta, which We established on the second day of the present month by the Apostolic Letters "Amplissimas Ecclesias" and declared a suffragan See of the Province of Baltimore, must be provided with its first Pastor. We hand over to you the government and the administration of the spiritual and temporal affairs of this diocese; We grant you the honors and rights and impose upon you the duties and obligations which proceed from such an office. We dispense you from the requirement of making the profession of Catholic faith as prescribed by the Code of Canon Law; but We wish you to take, according to the customary formula, in the presence of any Bishop who is united by the bonds of charity to the See of Peter, the oath of fidelity to Us and to the Roman See; and the copy of the formula of this oath, which is enclosed with these Letters, you will send as soon as possible, signed and sealed either by you or by the same Prelate, to the Sacred Consistorial Congregation. In conclusion, since the newly established Diocese of Atlanta is to be in all ways nourished with love and care, it is Our prayer that you, who are distinguished for virtue and who excel in holiness, always sustain by word and by example the faithful of your diocese.

Given at Castel Gandolfo, the seventeenth day of the month of July, in the year of Our Lord nineteen hundred fifty-six, in the eighteenth year of Our Pontificate.

(s)Celso Cardinal Costantini,
Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church

(s)Amleto Tondini,
Regent of the Apostolic Chancery

(s)Alberto Serafini,
Prothonotary Apostolic

(s)Cesare Frederici
Prothonotary Apostolic

Archdiocese of Atlanta

The Archdiocese of Atlanta was established by Pope John XXIII.

Official document establishing the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

John, Bishop and Servant of the Servants of God -- to perpetuate the memory of this act.

Following in the footsteps of our predecessors of happy memory, when the good hope arises that things pleasant and useful will arise for the Christian people from a change of boundaries, we not only accept such a change, but we make it most willingly.

In this present instance, our esteemed brother, Aegidio Vagnozzi, titular Archbishop of Mira and Apostolic Delegate to the United States of America, after seeking the advice of our esteemed brother, Lawrence Joseph Sheehan, Archbishop of Baltimore, petitioned the Holy See of Peter that the episcopal Church of Atlanta be elevated to the rank of Metropolitan and that a new ecclesiastical province be established. We ourselves received the advice of our esteemed brothers, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church who are in charge of consistorial affairs, and we considered the judgment of those who have some right or who regard themselves as having some privilege in this matter. Therefore, by our supreme apostolic power we establish and order these things which follow:

We elevate the Church of Atlanta to the rank and dignity of a Metropolitan see to which we give all rights and honors attached by common law to Churches of this kind. Likewise we honor the Bishop of Atlanta with the archiepiscopal dignity and, at the same time, with metropolitan dignity. Upon this office have been imposed the burdens and obligations which are proper to a metropolitan see, and to it, of course, have been granted the rights, privileges and insignia which are fitting to the office. Among the privileges will be these: within the boundary of his own jurisdiction he will be able both to wear the pallium -- which privilege, however, must be asked and obtained in public consistory --and to have the cross precede him in sacred ceremonies. Moreover, we establish the new ecclesiastical province, which is to he called Atlanta, which will consist of these dioceses: Charleston, Miami, Raleigh, Saint Augustine and Savannah. We remove these dioceses from the metropolitan jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Baltimore and make them subject pro tempore to the Archbishop of Atlanta. Our esteemed brother, Aegidlo Vagnozzi, about whom we have spoken, will be responsible for the necessary completion of the matters which we have ordered in this letter of ours. We have granted him all powers necessary for effecting the matter. If it should seem best to him, he may delegate these powers to any man provided that the one delegated enjoy ecclesiastical rank. After the required details have been attended to, the same person will order documents to be prepared and he will quickly send the same documents with true copies to the Sacred Consistorial Congregation. If at that time when this decree should be executed, another is in charge of the Apostolic Delegation in the United States of America, we impose upon him the burden of completing the matters which we have decreed. We desire that this decree become effective now and that it continue to be effective in the future, indeed with this result that the decrees given in this letter may be guarded religiously by those whose responsibility they are and that therefore they may obtain their force.

Wherefore, if anyone, endowed with any authority whatsoever, whether knowingly or through ignorance, shall have acted contrary to what we have decreed, we order it to be regarded absolutely invalid and ineffective.

Moreover, let it be permitted to no one either to destroy or corrupt these documents or our will; rather that same loyalty must in every nay be given to the copies and excerpts of this letter which would be given for this letter if it were displayed. These copies and excerpts, whether printed or handwritten, should bear the seal of a dignitary of ecclesiastical rank and at the same time should be notarized by some public official. If anyone anywhere shall spurn these decrees of ours or shall detract from them, let him know that he will receive the penalties established by law for those who do not obey the commands of the sovereign Pontiffs.

Given at Rome, in Saint Peter's on the tenth day of the month of February in the 1962nd year of the Lord, in the fourth year of our pontificate.

(s) James l. Copello
Chancellor of the
Holy Roman Church

(s) H. J. Cicognani
for the public affairs of the Church

(s Francis Tinello
regent of the apostolic chancery

(s) Caesar Federici, prot. Apos.
(s) Joseph Rossi, prot. Apos.