Roman Empire - Africa Proconsularis (125 AD)

Unizibira was an ancient

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

and bishopric in

Roman North Africa Africa Proconsularis was a Roman province on the northern African coast that was established in 146 BC following the defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day Tunisia, the northeast of Algeria, ...

which remains a 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 ...

History

Unizibira is plausibly identified with modern Henchir-Zembra, now in the Sahel region of southern

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. The main archaeological remains of the town are those of a Roman

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

. It was among many cities important enough in the Roman (later Byzantine) province of

Byzacena Byzacena (or Byzacium) ( grc, Βυζάκιον, ''Byzakion'') was a Late Roman province in the central part of Roman North Africa, which is now roughly Tunisia, split off from Africa Proconsularis. History At the end of the 3rd century AD, t ...

, to become a suffragan diocese (Latin: dioecesis Unizibirensis or Unuzibirensis) of the Metropolitan of

Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the cla ...

, in the papal sway. There are three historically documented bishops of Unizibira : *Donatist Maximinus attended the

Council of Carthage (411) The Councils of Carthage were church synods held during the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries in the city of Carthage in Africa. The most important of these are described below. Synod of 251 In May 251 a synod, assembled under the presidency of Cyprian ...

, which saw gathered together the

Catholic 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 ...

bishops and schismatic

Donatist Donatism was a Christian sect leading to a schism in the Church, in the region of the Church of Carthage, from the fourth to the sixth centuries. Donatists argued that Christian clergy must be faultless for their ministry to be effective and the ...

s bishops of

Roman Africa Roman Africa may refer to the following areas of Northern Africa which were part of the Imperium Romanum and/or the Western/Byzantine successor empires : ; in the unified Roman empire : * Africa (Roman province), with the great metropolis Carth ...

, whose heresy was condemned; there was no Catholic counterpart from Unizira. * Ciprianus participated in the

Council of Carthage (484) The Councils of Carthage were church synods held during the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries in the city of Carthage in Africa. The most important of these are described below. Synod of 251 In May 251 a synod, assembled under the presidency of Cyprian ...

called by king

Huneric Huneric, Hunneric or Honeric (died December 23, 484) was King of the (North African) Vandal Kingdom (477–484) and the oldest son of Gaiseric. He abandoned the imperial politics of his father and concentrated mainly on internal affairs. He was m ...

of the Vandal Kingdom, after which he was exiled like most Catholic bishops. He is also mentioned by

Victor of Vita Victor Vitensis (or Victor of Vita; born circa 430) was an African bishop of the Province of Byzacena (called Vitensis from his See of Vita). His importance rests on his ''Historia persecutionis Africanae Provinciae, temporibus Genserici et Huniri ...

in its history of persecution vandale. A Bishop Cyprian, remembered in the ''

Roman Martyrology The ''Roman Martyrology'' ( la, Martyrologium Romanum) is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approved ...

'' on the date of October 12, may be him.Felix Abbirita with Cyprian of Unizibira
* Donatus, who took part in the Council of 641 against the heresy

Monothelitism Monothelitism, or monotheletism (from el, μονοθελητισμός, monothelētismós, doctrine of one will), is a theological doctrine in Christianity, that holds Christ as having only one will. The doctrine is thus contrary to dyothelit ...

. The bishopric ceased to function in the seventh century at the advent of Islam.

Titular see

The diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as a

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 ...

of Unizibira (Latin = Curiate Italian) / Unizibiren(sis) (Latin adjective). It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank: * Pius Bonaventura Dlamini, (14 December 1967 – death 13 September 1981) as Bishop of

Mariannhill Mariannhill is a cluster of suburbs and townships in eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. In 1882, Trappist missionary Father Franz Pfanner established Mariannhill Monastery 16 km west of Durban. He promoted local developm ...

(

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

) (1967.12.14 – 1981.09.13); previously Bishop of

Umzimkulu Umzimkhulu is a town in Harry Gwala District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The town lies 243 km north-east of Mthatha and 18 km south-west of Ixopo. It developed from a trading-post and was laid out in 1 ...

(South Africa) (1954.02.21 – 1967.12.14) * Rémy Victor Vancottem (15 February 1982 – 31 May 2010) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussel (

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

) (1982.02.15 – 2010.05.31); later Bishop of Namur (Belgium) (2010.05.31 – ...) * Agapitus Enuyehnyoh Nfon (8 April 2011 - 19 June 2017), as Auxiliary bishop of Archdiocese of Bamenda (

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

) (2011.04.08 – 2016.03.15); later (first) Bishop of

Kumba Kumba is a metropolitan city in the Meme department, Southwest Region, Western Cameroon, referred as "K-town" in local slang. Kumba is the most developed and largest city in the Meme Department and has attracted people from the local villag ...

(Cameroon) (2016.03.15 – ...) *

Bishop-elect In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders, ordained Minister (Catholic Church), minister who holds the fullness of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, sacrament of Holy orders in the Catholic Church, holy orders and is responsible ...

Luis Enrique Rojas Ruiz (19 June 2017 – ...), as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Mérida in Venezuela (

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

) (2017.06.19 – ...).

References

{{Reflist

Sources and external links

Gcatholic.org site - (former &) titular see

; Bibliography * Pius Bonifacius Gams, ''Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae'', Leipzig 1931, p. 470. * Stefano Antonio Morcelli, ''Africa Christiana'', Volume I, Brescia 1816, p.359 Catholic titular sees in Africa Archaeology of Tunisia Former Roman Catholic dioceses in Africa

History

Titular see

See also

References

Sources and external links