[1] Another local tradition states that the diocese was evangelized by Saints Ferreolus and Ferrutio (Ferréol and Ferjeux),[2] who were sent here by St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon.

According to the Catholic encyclopedia, "Louis Duchesne proved that these legends belong to a chain of narratives forged in the first half of the 6th century and of which the "passion" of St. Benignus of Dijon was the initial link.

"[2] The earliest effort to bring together local traditions and other materials was made in the time of Bishop Hugues (1031–1067), when the first episcopal list was created.

Great offense was caused, and Frederick ordered the archbishop of Besançon and the other clerics to have no communication with the pope; henceforth, ecclesiastical investiture would be carried out by the emperor.

[11] Frederick supported the interest of the Victor IV, and summoned a council to meet at Pavia, on 5–11 February 1160, to judge between the two claimants.

The Cistercians in the diocese, who sent representatives to the General Chapter at Citeux in 1161, declared firmly in favor of Pope Alexander III, which brought down the wrath of Frederick on the entire order.

In place of Humbert, Frederick installed as archbishop Herbert, a German from Cologne, the Provost of the Chapter of Aix-la-chapelle (Aachen).

The building was repaired, but it was finally pulled down by the military architect Vauban, on orders of King Louis XIV, between 1674 and 1678, to make way for the citadel of Besançcon.

[28] On 7 May 1254, the Emperor William of Holland confirmed the archbishops of Besançon in the right to coin money, called sephanienses after the image of Saint Étienne on them, for use throughout his diocese.

[38] In May 1674, after a siege of nine days, Besançon was captured by the forces led by King Louis XIV of France, and the Franche-Comté was annexed.

[41] In June 1683, King Louis XIV and Queen Marie-Thérèse paid an official visit to Besançon, attended a pontifical Mass of Archbishop de Grammont, and participated in the processions of Corpus Christi.

[45] On 31 July 1698, Pope Innocent XII granted to the French king the right to nominate the candidate for the vacant see of Besançcon.

On 13 February 1790. it issued a decree which stated that the government would no longer recognize solemn religious vows taken by either men or women.

Members of either sex were free to leave their monasteries or convents if they wished, and could claim an appropriate pension by applying to the local municipal authority.

He died at Soleure in Switzerland on 19 March 1792, and his senior suffragan, Bishop Bernard Emmanuel von Lenzburg of Lausanne[56] assumed the administration of the diocese of Besançon.

[60] The diocesan structure was then re-established, with the metropolitan archdiocese of Besancon (Doubs) and its suffragan dioceses Dijon and Autun (in Burgundy), Metz, Nancy, and Strasbourg (in Alsace-Lorraine).

It was not until 6 October 1822 that a revised version of the papal bull, now called "Paternae Charitatis",[64] fortified by an ordonnance of Louis XVIII of 13 January 1823 ordering its registration, received the acceptance of all parties.

The archdiocese of Besançon (Doubs) was assigned as suffragans the dioceses of Strasbourg, Metz, Verdun, Belley, Saint-Die, and Nancy.

In June 1874, after the Franco-Prussian War, at the request of the French government, Pope Pius IX removed the churches of Metz and Strasburg from the metropolitan jurisdiction of the archbishop of Besançon, and made them exempt, under the direct control of the Holy See.

[66] On 3 November 1979, Pope John Paul II issued an apostolic constitution (papal bull), "Qui Divino Consilio", removing from the diocese of Besançon the territory of Belfort; the "paus de Montbéliard" in the department of Doubs; and the arondissement called "Héricourt" with the town of "Chalonvillars", to form the new diocese of Belfort-Montbéliard.

The diocese of Belfort-Montbéliard was made a suffragan of the metropolitanate of Besançon[67][68] Peter Fourier (1565–1640), who inaugurated systematic education for girls, was born at Mirecourt, c. 120 km.

[69] The miracle attributed to the "Sacred Host of Faverney", during a fire in the year 1608 at the Benedictine Abbey of Nôtre-Dame de la Blanche,[70] was annually commemorated by elaborate ceremonies on 30 October.

[73] The Abbey of Lure (Luthra), (in Haute-Saône, was founded at the beginning of the 7th century by St. Déicole (Deicolus), or Desle, disciple of Columbanus; later its abbots were princes of the Holy Empire.

[77] According to Georges Goyau, writing in the first edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia, "the catalogue of the earliest bishops of Besançon is to be read with caution.