Episcopal Appointment Document – Bishop Dupont des Loges – Diocese of Metz – 1864

1864 Catholic Episcopal Appointment Document – Bishop Dupont des Loges, Diocese of Metz

Original 1864 Catholic episcopal appointment document issued at Metz (Metis) under Bishop Paul-Georges-Marie Dupont des Loges, Bishop of Metz from 1843 to 1886.

The document formally records the appointment of Franciscus Xaverius Bourguignon as Curé Archiprêtre of Longuy-Haut, written in elegant Latin ecclesiastical chancery script.

The printed heading bears the episcopal formula:

“Miseratione Divina et Sanctae Sedis Apostolicae gratia Episcopus Metensis.”

The document is dated 2 March 1864 and features the printed episcopal heading, heraldic coat of arms, original handwritten signatures and an embossed diocesan seal of the Diocese of Metz.

Historical Context

Paul-Georges-Marie Dupont des Loges (1804–1886) was Bishop of Metz for more than four decades and played an important role in the religious history of Lorraine during the 19th century.

This document provides a tangible example of 19th-century Catholic diocesan administration, recording an ecclesiastical appointment within the Diocese of Metz during Dupont des Loges' episcopate.

Key Details

• Date: 2 March 1864
• Place: Metz, France
• Diocese: Diocese of Metz
• Bishop: Paul-Georges-Marie Dupont des Loges
• Appointee: Franciscus Xaverius Bourguignon
• Office: Curé Archiprêtre of Longuy-Haut
• Language: Latin
• Format: Large folio
• Paper: Laid paper
• Features: Printed heading, episcopal coat of arms, handwritten text, signatures and embossed diocesan seal
• Period: Second French Empire / 19th-century Catholic France