Medjana is a town and
commune (municipality) in
Bordj Bou Arréridj Province
Bordj Bou Arréridj Province () is a province (''wilaya'') in northern Algeria around 200 km from the capital Algiers. It is considered as a crossroads between the east and west, the north and south.
It is notable for its many electronic in ...
,
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
. It is the (approximate) location the ancient city and bishopric of Vardimissa, 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 archbi ...
.
According to the 1998 census it has a population of 16,112.
History
Vardimissa (also spelled B- as n Greek) was important enough in the
Roman province
The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...
of
Mauretania Caesariensis
Mauretania Caesariensis (Latin for "Caesarea, Numidia, Caesarean Mauretania") was a Roman province located in present-day Algeria. The full name refers to its capital Caesarea, Numidia, Caesarea Mauretaniae (modern Cherchell).
The province had ...
to become one of its many
suffragan diocese
A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandr ...
s, but like most, faded completely, probably at the 7th century advent of Islam.
Two of its bishops are historically documented :
* Victor, participant at the
Council of Carthage in 411, among the Catholic bishops confronted with
Donatist
Donatism was a schism from the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Carthage from the fourth to the sixth centuries. Donatists argued that Christian clergy must be faultless for their ministry to be effective and their prayers and sacraments to ...
heretical counterparts, without such for his see.
* Burcus, intervening Catholic participant at the
Council of Carthage in 484 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 ma ...
of the
Vandal Kingdom
The Vandal Kingdom () or Kingdom of the Vandals and Alans () was a confederation of Vandals and Alans, which was a barbarian kingdoms, barbarian kingdom established under Gaiseric, a Vandals, Vandalic warlord. It ruled parts of North Africa and th ...
, presumably exiled or executed afterward.
[''Notitia provinciarum et civitatem Africae'', p. 45.]
Titular see
The diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as 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 ...
of Vardimissa (Latin = Curiate Italian) / Vardimissen(sis) (Latin adjective).
It is vacant, having had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank :
*
José Freire Falcão (1967.04.24 – 1967.08.19) as
Coadjutor Bishop
A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese.
The coa ...
of
Limoeiro do Norte
Limoeiro do Norte is a municipality in the state of Ceará in the Northeast region of Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencie ...
(
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
) (1967.04.24 – 1967.08.19); later Bishop of Limoeiro do Norte (1967.08.19 – 1971.11.25), Metropolitan Archbishop of
Teresina
Teresina is the capital and most populous municipality in the Brazilian state of Piauí. Being located in north-central Piauí 366 km from the coast, it is the only capital in the Brazilian Northeast that is not located on the shores of th ...
(Brazil) (1971.11.25 – 1984.02.15), Metropolitan Archbishop of
Brasília
Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...
(Brazil) (1984.02.15 – retired 2004.01.28), Second Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council (1987 – 1991), created
Cardinal-Priest
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...
of
S. Luca a Via Prenestina (1988.06.28 – ...)
* Bruno-Augustin Hippel,
Pallotines (S.A.C.) (1968.10.02 – death 1970.11.07) as emeritate; previously Titular Bishop of
Abora
Abora is the name of an ancestral solar deity of La Palma (Canary Islands) and a traditional god of the Guanches.
Supreme being
Abora (Ibru) is the name of the supreme being of the religion of the Guanches on the island of La Palma. In Guan ...
(1948.12.09 – 1951.01.11) as first and last
Apostolic Vicar
Apostolic may refer to:
The Apostles
An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission:
*The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles
*Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...
of
Oudtshoorn (
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
) (1948.12.09 – 1951.01.11), (see) promoted first Bishop of Oudtshoorn (1951.01.11 – retired 1968.10.02)
* Alano Maria Pena,
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...
(O.P.) (1975.04.07 – 1978.05.26) as
Auxiliary Bishop
An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
...
of Belém do Pará (Brazil) (1975.04.07 – 1976.07.14), Coadjutor Bishop-Prelate of
Territorial Prelature of Marabá (Brazil) (1976.07.14 – 1976.11.10) and succeeding as last
Bishop-Prelate of Marabá (1976.11.10 – 1979.10.16); later (see) promoted first Bishop of Marabá (Brazil) (1979.10.16 – 1985.07.11), Bishop of
Itapeva (Brazil) (1985.07.11 – 1993.11.24), Bishop of
Nova Friburgo
Nova Friburgo (; ; ), commonly referred to as just Friburgo, is a List of municipalities in Rio de Janeiro, municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil. It is located in the mountainous region, in th ...
(Brazil) (1993.11.24 – 2003.09.24), Metropolitan Archbishop of
Niterói
Niterói () is a List of municipalities in Rio de Janeiro, municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro, in the Southeast Region, Brazil, southeast region of Brazil. It lies across Guanabara Bay, facing the city of Rio de ...
(Brazil) (2003.09.24 – retired 2011.11.30)
* Alfredo Ernest Novak,
Redemptorists
The Redemptorists, officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (), abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brothers). It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scala ...
(C.SS.R.) (born USA) (1979.04.19 – 1989.03.15) as
Auxiliary Bishop
An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
...
of
Archdiocese of São Paulo (Brazil) (1979.04.19 – 1989.03.15); later Bishop of
Paranaguá
Paranaguá (Tupi language, Tupi, 'Great Round Sea') is a city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Brazil. Founded in 1648, it is Paraná's oldest city. It is known for the Port of Paranaguá, which serves as both the sea link for Curitiba, ...
(Brazil) (1989.03.15 – retired 2006.08.02), died 2014
* Jan Martyniak (1989.07.20 – 1991.01.16) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Przemyśl of the Ukrainians (Poland) (1989.07.20 – 1991.01.16); next succeeded as last suffragan Eparch (Bishop) of Przemyśl of the Ukrainians (1991.01.16 – 1996.05.24), (see) promoted as first Metropolitan Archbishop of restyled
Przemyśl–Warszawa of the Ukrainians (1996.05.24 – retired 2015.11.07)
* Diómedes Espinal de León (2000.04.20 – 2006.05.24) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Archdiocese of Santiago de los Caballeros (Dominican Republic) (2000.04.20 – 2006.05.24); next Bishop of
Mao–Monte Cristi (Dominican Republic) (2006.05.24 – ...)
* Mosè Marcia (2006.06.03 – 2011.04.21) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Archdiocese of Cagliari
The Archdiocese of Cagliari (; ) is a Latin Church, Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church centred on the city of Cagliari. It holds the Primate (bishop), Primacy of Sardinia.[Nuoro
Nuoro ( ; ) is a city and (municipality) in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of Mount Ortobene. It is the capital of the province of Nuoro. With a population of 36,347 (2011), it is the sixth-largest city in Sardinia. Its ...]
(Italy) (2011.04.21 – ...).
See also
*
List of Catholic dioceses in Algeria
References
Sources and external links
GCatholic; Bibliography - ecclesiastical history
* Pius Bonifacius Gams, ''Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae'', Leipzig 1931, p. 469
* Stefano Antonio Morcelli, ''Africa christiana'', Volume I, Brescia 1816, p. 347
* Auguste Audollent, lemma 'Bartimisiensis' in ''Dictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastiques'', vol. VI, 1932, coll. 1042-1043
{{Bordj Bou Arréridj Province
Communes of Bordj Bou Arréridj Province
Cities in Algeria