Primate of the Gauls

Statue of Irenaeus af Lyon, second bishop of Lyon

Primate of the Gauls is a title given since 1079 to the archbishop of Lyon, former capital of the Three Gauls then land of the Roman Empire, and has described the authority he has exercised in the past over the other bishops of France. The primacy of a title conferred on archbishop guarantees a theoretical jurisdiction over several ecclesiastical provinces. In France, only the title of Primate of the Gauls and Primate of Normandy, respectively assigned to the archbishops of Lyon and Rouen, are still used (although the honorific title of Primate of Lorraine brought by the bishop of Nancy and Toul does exist).

Currently, the primate of the Gauls is Archbishop Olivier de Germay.


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