Abla is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

, former bishopric and Latin Catholic

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...

Almería province Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city g ...

, in

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

, southeast

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

History

It is considered to be the Abula mentioned by

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...

in his ''Geographia'' (II 6, 60) as located in the Iberian region of

Bastetania The Bastetani or Bastuli were an ancient Iberian (pre-Roman) people of the Iberian peninsula (the Roman Hispania). They are believed to have spoken the Iberian language. The relationship between the Iberian Bastetani and the Tartessian Mastien ...

. Another candidate for identification with ancient Abula is Ávila, which may instead have been the ancient Obila.

Ecclesiastical history

Abula is said to be one of the first cities in

Hispania Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hisp ...

that were

Christianized Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

, specifically by Saint Secundus, one of the group of

Seven Apostolic Men According to Christian tradition, the Seven Apostolic Men (''siete varones apostólicos'') were seven Christian clerics ordained in Rome by Saints Peter and Paul and sent to evangelize Spain. This group includes Torquatus, Caecilius, Ctesiphon, ...

(''siete varones apostólicos''), Christian clerics ordained in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

by Saints

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

and

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

and sent to evangelize Spain. Little is known of a second bishop of Abula, called Iulius, possibly his successor, living around 100 AD. No other incumbents were recorded.

Titular see

No longer a residential see, Abula is today listed by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

as a Latin

titular bishopric A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

since the diocese was nominally restored in 1969.''Annuario Pontificio 2013'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ), p. 822 It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting episcopal (lowest) rank: * Javier Osés Flamarique (11 October 1969 – 28 February 1977) as auxiliary bishop of

Huesca Huesca (; an, Uesca) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the comarca of Hoya de Huesca. In 2009 it had a population of 52,059, almo ...

(Aragon,

) (11 October 1969 – 28 February 1977) and next

apostolic administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic adm ...

''sede plena'' of Huesca (1971 – 19 May 1973), then apostolic administrator of Huesca (19 May 1973 – 28 February 1977); later Bishop of Huesca (28 February 1977 – death 24 August 2001) * Charles McDonald Renfrew (5 May 1977 – death 27 February 1992) as auxiliary bishop of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

(

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, UK) (5 May 1977 – 27 February 1992) * Alojz Uran (16 December 1992 – 25 October 2004) as auxiliary bishop of

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the are ...

(

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

) (16 December 1992 – 25 October 2004); later succeeded as Metropolitan Archbishop of Ljubljana (25 October 2004 – retired 28 November 2009), president of Episcopal Conference of Slovenia (16 March 2007 – 28 November 2009) * Salvador Giménez Valls (11 May 2005 – 21 May 2009) as auxiliary bishop of

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

(southern Spain) (11 May 2005 – 21 May 2009) and

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...

(Balearic Spain) (21 September 2008 – 21 May 2009); later succeeded as Bishop of Menorca (21 May 2009 – 28 July 2015), then Bishop of Lleida (Spain) (28 July 2015 – ...) * Giorgio Corbellini (3 July 2009 – ...), President of

Labour Office of the Apostolic See The Labour Office of the Apostolic See is responsible for labour relations of the Holy See and Vatican City State with its employees. The office also settles labour issues which arise. It was instituted by Pope John Paul II on 1 January 1989. ...

(3 July 2009 – ...), President of Disciplinary Commission of the Roman Curia (11 May 2010 – ...), president ad interim of Financial Information Authority (30 January 2014 – 19 November 2014), supplementary member of

College for the review of appeals by clergy accused of delicta graviora A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a University system, constituent part of one. A college may be a academic degree, degree-awarding Tertiary education, tertiary educational institution, a part of a coll ...

(21 January 2015 – ...); also was, even previously, president of Personnel Commission of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State (22 February 2001 – 3 September 2011), vice secretary general of Governorate of the Vatican City State (22 February 2001 – 3 September 2011).

Demographics

Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.9) ImageSize = width:580 height:300 PlotArea = left: 60 bottom: 30 top: 20 right: 20 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:4000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = late ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:500 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar: 1877 text: 1877 bar: 1887 text: 1887 bar: 1900 text: 1900 bar: 1910 text: 1910 bar: 1920 text: 1920 bar: 1930 text: 1930 bar: 1940 text: 1940 bar: 1950 text: 1950 bar: 1960 text: 1960 bar: 1970 text: 1970 bar: 1980 text: 1980 bar: 1990 text: 1990 bar: 2000 text: 2000 bar: 2010 text: 2010 bar: 2020 text: 2020 PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:center bar: 1877 from:2704 till: 0 bar: 1887 from:2695 till: 0 bar: 1900 from:2461 till: 0 bar: 1910 from:2772 till: 0 bar: 1920 from:2728 till: 0 bar: 1930 from:2683 till: 0 bar: 1940 from:2980 till: 0 bar: 1950 from:2567 till: 0 bar: 1960 from:2340 till: 0 bar: 1970 from:1897 till: 0 bar: 1980 from:1723 till: 0 bar: 1990 from:1663 till: 0 bar: 2000 from:1501 till: 0 bar: 2010 from:1459 till: 0 bar: 2020 from:1248 till:0 PlotData= bar: 1877 at:2704 fontsize:S text:2.704 shift:(0,5) bar: 1887 at:2695 fontsize:S text:2.695 shift:(0,5) bar: 1900 at:2461 fontsize:S text:2.461 shift:(0,5) bar: 1910 at:2772 fontsize:S text:2.772 shift:(0,5) bar: 1920 at:2728 fontsize:S text:2.728 shift:(0,5) bar: 1930 at:2683 fontsize:S text:2.683 shift:(0,5) bar: 1940 at:2980 fontsize:S text:2.980 shift:(0,5) bar: 1950 at:2567 fontsize:S text:2.567 shift:(0,5) bar: 1960 at:2340 fontsize:S text:2.340 shift:(0,5) bar: 1970 at:1897 fontsize:S text:1.897 shift:(0,5) bar: 1980 at:1723 fontsize:S text:1.723 shift:(0,5) bar: 1990 at:1663 fontsize:S text:1.663 shift:(0,5) bar: 2000 at:1501 fontsize:S text:1.501 shift:(0,5) bar: 2010 at:1459 fontsize:S text:1.459 shift:(0,5) bar: 2020 at:1248 fontsize:S text:1.248 shift:(0,5) Fro
INE Archiv
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References

Sources and external links