1852 Catholic Episcopal Appointment Document – Bishop Dupont des Loges
1852 Catholic Episcopal Appointment Document – Bishop Dupont des Loges
1852 Catholic Episcopal Appointment Document — Bishop Dupont des Loges, Diocese of Metz
An original 1852 Roman Catholic ecclesiastical document issued in Metz, France, by Paul-Georges-Marie Dupont des Loges, Bishop of Metz.
Dated 2 March 1852, the document records the appointment of Franciscus Xaverius Bourguignon to a parish office within the Diocese of Metz. Written in Latin in elegant ecclesiastical chancery script, it represents an original example of Catholic diocesan administration in mid-19th-century France.
The printed episcopal heading reads:
“Paulus-Georgius-Maria Dupont des Loges, Miseratione Divina et Sanctae Sedis Apostolicae gratia Episcopus Metensis.”
The document features a printed episcopal coat of arms, handwritten Latin text and signatures, and an original embossed diocesan seal of the Diocese of Metz.
The large folio sheet retains its original folds from storage and preserves the physical appearance of a working ecclesiastical document of the period.
Historical Context
Paul-Georges-Marie Dupont des Loges served as Bishop of Metz from 1843 to 1886. The Diocese of Metz's own archival catalogue records his episcopate beginning in 1843 and documents the extensive administrative correspondence and ecclesiastical records produced during his tenure.
Dupont des Loges later became involved in the political history of the region. The Diocese of Metz notes that he was elected to the German Reichstag in 1874–1877, where he represented the interests of the Moselle population following the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine.
This 1852 document predates those later political events and instead offers a direct glimpse into his early episcopal administration of the Diocese of Metz.
For collectors of Catholic history, French ecclesiastical manuscripts, episcopal documents, Bishop Dupont des Loges material and 19th-century historical documents, it provides a tangible connection to the Catholic administration of Metz in the mid-19th century.
Key Details
- Date: 2 March 1852
- 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
- Subject: Appointment to a parish office
- Candidate: Franciscus Xaverius Bourguignon
- Language: Latin
- Script: Ecclesiastical chancery handwriting
- Heading: Printed episcopal heading and coat of arms
- Seal: Original embossed diocesan seal
- Signatures: Original handwritten signatures
- Format: Large folio sheet, originally folded
- Condition: Good antique condition with typical fold marks and light age toning
- Seal: Embossed episcopal seal remains clearly visible
A significant 1852 Catholic ecclesiastical document from the Diocese of Metz, issued under Bishop Paul-Georges-Marie Dupont des Loges and preserving its original episcopal heading, signatures and embossed diocesan seal.