Naissus was an ancient city and former bishopric in Balkanic
Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus ro ...
, 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 ...
.
History
Naissus, today's
Niš
Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
in
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
, 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
Dacia Mediterranea
Dacia Mediterranea (Mid-land Dacia; ) was a late antique Roman province, whose capital city was Serdica (or Sardica; later Sradetz or Sredets, now Sofia).
The date for the establishment of Dacia Mediterranea is uncertain. It was traditionally h ...
to become an
episcopal see
An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...
at an early date and was a
suffragan
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...
of the
Metropolitan see
Metropolitan may refer to:
Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical)
* Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop
** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see"
* Metropolitan ...
in the
Archdiocese of Sardica, in the sway of the
Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is headed ...
.
The city was wrecked by
Attila
Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central Europe, C ...
's
Huns
The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was par ...
but rebuilt, as the revival of the bishopric attests.
Residential bishops
The names of several of early ''Suffragan Bishops of Naissus'' are known:
* Cyriacus (first half of the 4th century), sympathized with the heresy
Arianism
Arianism (, ) is a Christology, Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is co ...
and opposed
Marcellus of Ancyra
* Gaudentius (from before 343/344, apparently succeeding the former), till after 351, when he attended the council at
Sirmium
Sirmium was a city in the Roman province of Pannonia, located on the Sava river, on the site of modern Sremska Mitrovica in the Vojvodina autonomous province of Serbia. First mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by Illyrians ...
*
Bonosus (mentioned c. 380), who was deposed
* Martianus (before 409 to after 414), appointed by
Pope Innocent I
Pope Innocent I () was the bishop of Rome from 401 to his death on 12 March 417. From the beginning of his papacy, he was seen as the general arbitrator of ecclesiastical disputes in both the East and the West. He confirmed the prerogatives of ...
instead of the former
* Dalmatius (mentioned 451), allegedly signator in 458 of the letter of the bishops to
Byzantine emperor
The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...
Leo I the Thracian
Leo I (; 401 – 18 January 474), also known as "the Thracian" (; ), was Eastern Roman emperor from 457 to 474. He was a native of Dacia Aureliana near historic Thrace. He is sometimes surnamed with the epithet "the Great" (; ), probably to ...
after the lynching by Coptic mobs of the Patriarch
Proterius of Alexandria
Pope Proterius of Alexandria (died 457) was Patriarch of Alexandria from 451 to 457. He had been appointed by the Council of Chalcedon to replace the deposed Dioscorus. He regarded as hieromartyr by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic ...
* Gaianus (mentioned 516), invited to Constantinople by
Byzantine Emperor
The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...
Anastasius I Dicorus
Anastasius I Dicorus (; – 9 July 518) was Roman emperor from 491 to 518. A career civil servant, he came to the throne at the age of 61 after being chosen by Ariadne, the wife of his predecessor, Zeno. His reign was characterized by refor ...
* Proiectus, participant at the Ecumenical
Second Council of Constantinople
The Second Council of Constantinople is the fifth of the first seven ecumenical councils recognized by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. It is also recognized by the Old Catholics and others. Protestant opinions and re ...
in 553 (which repudiated the
Three Chapters as Nestorian, condemned
Origen of Alexandria
Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Alexandria. He was a prolific writer who wrote roughly 2,000 treatises i ...
and decreed the
Theopaschite Formula).
Titular see
It is listed by the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
as a Latin titular see
[''Annuario Pontificio 2013'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ), p. 936] since the diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as
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 Naissus (Latin) / Naisso (Curiate Italian) / Naissitan(us) (Latin adjective).
It has had the following incumbents, of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank, ''with a few archiepiscopal exceptions'':
* William F. O’Shea,
Maryknoll Fathers (M.M.) (born USA) (1939.07.11 – death 1945.02.27) as only
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
Heijo (now Pyong-Yang, (North)
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
) (1939.07.11 – retired 1942)
* Henri Routhier,
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest later recognized as a Catholic saint. The congregation wa ...
(O.M.I.) (1945.06.15 – 1967.07.13) first as
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of
Grouard (
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
) (1945.06.15 – 1953.09.18), then (see promoted) as 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 Grouard (1953.09.18 – 1967.07.13); (see) later promoted first Metropolitan Archbishop of
Grouard–McLennan (Canada) (1967.07.13 – retired 1972.11.21), died 1989
* Victor Hugo Martínez Contreras (1970.11.30 – 1975.09.20) 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
Diocese of Huehuetenango (
Guatemala
Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
) (1970.11.30 – 1975.09.20); later succeeded as Bishop of Huehuetenango (1975.09.20 – 1987.04.04), President of Episcopal Conference of Guatemala (1986 – 1988), last Suffragan Bishop of
Quetzaltenango, Los Altos (Guatemala) (1987.04.04 – 1996.02.13), (see) promoted first Metropolitan Archbishop of
Los Altos, Quetzaltenango–Totonicapán (Guatemala) (1996.02.13 – retired 2007.04.19), again President of Episcopal Conference of Guatemala (1998 – 2002)
*
Paul Josef Cordes (1975.10.27 – 1995.12.02 ''see below'') first as Auxiliary Bishop of
Archdiocese of Paderborn
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Paderborn () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Germany; its seat is Paderborn. (
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
) (1975.10.27 – 1980.03.11), then as Secretary of
Pontifical Council for the Laity
The Pontifical Council for the Laity was a pontifical council of the Roman Catholic Curia from 1967 to 2016. It had the responsibility of assisting the Pope in his dealings with the laity in lay ecclesial movements or individually, and their ...
(1980.03.11 – 1995.12.02)
*'' Titular Archbishop:
Paul Josef Cordes (''see above'' 1995.12.02 – 2007.11.24) as President of
Pontifical Council “Cor unum” (1995.12.02 – resigned 2010.10.07), created
Cardinal-Deacon
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. Ca ...
of
S. Lorenzo in Piscibus (2007.11.24
008.05.11– ...)''
*'' Titular Archbishop: Ambrose Madtha (安博思) (born India) (2008.05.08 – death 2012.12.08) as papal diplomat :
Apostolic Nuncio
An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is ...
(ambassador) to
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
(2008.05.08 – 2012.12.08), previously
Chargé d’affaires in
PR China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
(2003.02.11 – 2008.05.08)''
* Valdir Mamede (2013.02.06 – ...), Auxiliary Bishop of
Archdiocese of Brasília (
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 ...
), no previous prelature.
See also
*
List of Catholic dioceses in Serbia
References
{{Reflist
Sources and external links
GCatholic ; Bibliography
* Pius Bonifacius Gams, ''Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae'', Leipzig 1931, p. 417
* Daniele Farlati-Jacopo Coleti, ''Illyricum Sacrum'', vol. VIII, Venice 1817, pp. 24–40
* Jacques Zeiller, ''Les origines chrétiennes dans les provinces danubiennes de l'empire romain'', Paris 1918, pp. 158–159;
* Michel Lequien, ''Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus'', Paris 1740, vol. II, coll. 313-314
* Geoffrey Dunn, ''The Letter of Innocent I to Marcian of Niš'', in ''Saint Emperor Constantine and Christianity'', vol. I, Niš 2013, pp. 319–335
Catholic titular sees in Europe
Suppressed Roman Catholic dioceses