A new civil department, called "Gers", was created by the French Legislative Assembly. The old diocese of Auch was suppressed, and a new "Diocese of Gers" was created, with its center at Auch. It was assigned as a suffragan to the "Metropole du Sud". Archbishop La Tour du Pin-Montauban of Auch refused to take the oath to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, and therefore his see was declared by the Legislative Assembly to be vacant. The electors of Gers chose in his place the dean of the faculty at Toulouse, Canon Paul-Benoit Barthe, who was also president of the Amis de la Constitution. He was consecrated a constitutional bishop in Paris on 13 March 1791 by Constitutuonal Bishop Jean-Pierre Saurine. The consecration was valid, but canonically irregular, schismatic, and blasphemous (as a parody of genuine Catholic sacraments). Barthe took possession of the diocese of Gers on 10 April 1791. In order to fill vacancies in parish churches where priests had refused the oath, Barthe consecrated 44 priests between December 1791 and September 1793. He was arrested on suspicion in July 1793 and sent to Paris, where he had to appear before the Committee of Public Safety, but he was acquitted and allowed to return to Auch. On 27 November, again the subject of accusations, he was arrested, forced to apostasize, and imprisoned at Mont-de-Marsan. In December 1794 he was again sent to Paris, where he was again released. He again returned to Auch, in May 1795, and regained possession of his cathedral in August. He resigned on 16 October 1801.
