Rare 1847 Catholic Episcopal Appointment Document Bishop Dupont des Loges – Diocese of Metz – Embossed Seal

1847 Catholic Episcopal Appointment Document — Bishop Dupont des Loges, Diocese of Metz

An original 1847 Roman Catholic ecclesiastical document issued in Metz, France, by Paul-Georges-Marie Dupont des Loges, Bishop of Metz.

Dated 6 April 1847, the document records the appointment of Franciscus Xaverius Bourguignon as Chaplain of the College of Metz. Written in Latin in an elegant ecclesiastical chancery hand, it provides a fascinating example of Catholic diocesan administration in 19th-century France.

The printed episcopal heading bears the name and heraldic coat of arms of the bishop:

“Paulus-Georgius-Maria Dupont des Loges, Miseratione Divina et Sanctae Sedis Apostolicae gratia Episcopus Metensis.”

The manuscript features a printed episcopal heading and coat of arms, handwritten Latin text, original signatures and an embossed diocesan seal of the Diocese of Metz.

The large folio sheet retains its original folds, preserving the physical characteristics of an ecclesiastical document issued and stored during the period.

Historical Context

Paul-Georges-Marie Dupont des Loges (1804–1886) was Bishop of Metz from 1843 until his death in 1886. He succeeded Jacques-François Besson, whose episcopal documents from the Diocese of Metz are also represented in this collection.

This 1847 document dates from the early years of Dupont des Loges's episcopate, decades before the Franco-Prussian War and the subsequent political transformation of the region.

Dupont des Loges later became a prominent figure in the history of Metz and Moselle. Following the Franco-Prussian War and the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, he was elected to the German Reichstag in 1874 and became associated with the protest of representatives from the annexed territories.

For collectors of Catholic history, French ecclesiastical manuscripts, episcopal documents, Diocese of Metz material and 19th-century historical documents, this manuscript offers a direct connection to the administration of the Catholic Church in Metz during the mid-19th century.

Key Details

• Date: 6 April 1847
• Country: France
• Location: Metz
• Diocese: Diocese of Metz
• Bishop: Paul-Georges-Marie Dupont des Loges
• Episcopate: 1843–1886
• Document type: Catholic ecclesiastical / episcopal appointment document
• Appointment: Chaplain of the College of Metz
• Candidate: Franciscus Xaverius Bourguignon
• Language: Latin
• Script: Ecclesiastical chancery hand
• Heading: Printed episcopal heading with coat of arms
• Seal: Original embossed diocesan seal
• Signatures: Original handwritten signatures
• Format: Large folio sheet, folded as issued
• Condition: Good antique condition with normal fold marks and light age toning
• Seal: Embossed episcopal seal remains visible

A remarkable 1847 Catholic episcopal appointment document from the Diocese of Metz, issued under Bishop Paul-Georges-Marie Dupont des Loges and preserving its original Latin text, episcopal heading, signatures and embossed diocesan seal.