Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeuwarden

Diocesan finances were derived from the income of the regular canons of Burgum and the Premonstratensian Pingjum Abbey near Bolsward, with the cathedral chapter financed from Mariengaard Abbey in Hallum.

[1] The first bishop to be appointed, in 1561, was Remi Drieux (Remigius Driutius), who never took possession of his see.

Despite this, in October 1565, Dreux did take part in the provincial council of Utrecht as bishop of Leeuwarden.

[2] In 1569 Drieux was appointed to the diocese of Bruges, and was succeeded in Leeuwarden by Cunerus Petri.

In 1578, during the Dutch Revolt, part of the Eighty Years War (when Catholic Habsburg lost the northern provinces), bishop Petri was captured by the rebel stadtholder (governor) of Friesland, George de Lalaing, Count of Rennenberg, and imprisoned in Harlingen.