a. [f. late L. suburbicārius, f. suburbium SUBURB, after urbicārius URBICARY. Cf. F. suburbicaire, Pg. suburbicario.] Applied to the dioceses (now six in number) around Rome, and to their churches, etc., which are subject to the jurisdiction of the Pope as metropolitan and the bishops of which form the body of cardinal bishops. (The term has been more widely used by some.)
1654. Owen, Doctr. Saints’ Persev., Pref. E 2. I have spent some time in the consideration of mens conjectures of those suburbicarian Churches.
1657. Heylin, Ecclesia Vind., 305. His first Epistle, inscribed to the Bishops of Lucania, another of the Suburbicarian Provinces, which made up that Patriarchate.
1715. Bentley, Serm., x. 354. When the empire was first Christian the Bishops of Rome had no more under their Inspection than the Suburbicarian Regions.
1840. Milman, Hist. Chr., III. 371. Within the city, he [sc. the Pope] presided over above forty churches, besides the suburbicarian districts.
1853. E. H. Browne, Expos. 39 Art., xxxvii. § 2 II. 635. It has been proved, that the suburbicarian Churches meant those within the district, which belonged to the Vicarius Urbis.
1893. F. W. Puller, Prim. Saints & See of Rome, 14. The relations of the Bishop of Rome to his suburbicarian suffragans.
