Gummi in Byzacena

Africa Proconsularis (125 AD)

Gummi in Byzacena was a city and bishopric in Roman Africa, which remains a Latin Catholic titular see.

History

The city, in modern Tunisia, presumed near modern Henchir-Gelama or Henchir-El-Senem, was important enough in the Roman province Byzacena to become one of the many suffragan sees of the Metropolitan of the provincial capital Hadrumetum (Sousse).^[1]

The diocese continued up into the 11th century when pope Leo IX intervened in a struggle for precedence between the local bishop, favoured by the local Zirid rulers, and the archbishop of Carthage.^[2]

Titular see

The diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as Titular bishopric of the Episcopal (lowest) rank, under the names of Gummi in Byzacena (Latin), adjective Gummitan(us) in Byzacena (Latin) / Gummi di Bizacena (Curiate Italian)

It has had the following incumbents, of the fitting episcopal rank with an archiepiscopal exception :

• Titular Archbishop: Jean Wolff, Holy Ghost Fathers (C.S.Sp.) (1967.04.13 – 1971.05.24), on emeritate, died 1990; previously Titular Bishop of Phatanus (1941.07.08 – 1955.09.14) as Apostolic Vicar of Majunga (Madagascar) (1941.07.08 – 1947.02.13) and as Apostolic Vicar of Diégo-Suarez (Madagascar) (1947.02.13 – 1955.09.14), promoted with his see first Bishop of Diégo-Suarez (1955.09.14 – 1958.12.11) and again first Metropolitan Archbishop of Diégo-Suarez (1958.12.11 – 1967.04.13)
• Newton Holanda Gurgel (1979.04.10 – 1993.11.24) as Auxiliary Bishop of Crato (Brazil) (1979.04.10 – 1993.11.24); succeeded as Bishop of Crato (1993.11.24 – retired 2001.05.02)
• José Clemente Weber (1994.03.23 – 2004.06.15) as Auxiliary Bishop of Porto Alegre (Brazil) (1994.03.23 – 2004.06.15); later Bishop of Santo Angelo (Brazil) (2004.06.15 – retired 2013.04.24)
• Josafá Menezes da Silva (2005.01.12 – 2010.12.15) as Auxiliary Bishop of São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) (2005.01.12 – 2010.12.15); later Bishop of Barreiras (Brazil) (2010.12.15 – ...) and Apostolic Administrator of Bom Jesus da Lapa (Brazil) (2014.05.20 – 2015.06.24)
• Dagoberto Sosa Arriaga (2011.02.24 – 2013.02.23) as Auxiliary Bishop of Puebla de los Ángeles (Mexico) (2011.02.24 – 2013.02.23); later Bishop of Tlapa (Mexico) (2013.02.23 – ...)
• Alphonse Nguyễn Hữu Long, Sulpicians (P.S.S.) (2013.06.15 – 2018.12.22), as Auxiliary Bishop of Hung Hoá (Vietnam); succeeded as Bishop of Vinh (2018.12.22 –...)

See also

• Gummi in Proconsulari, another titular see in present Tunisia's other Roman province

Sources and external links

1. Lower, Michael (2014). "The Papacy and Christian Mercenaries of Thirteenth-Century North Africa". Speculum. 89 (3 JULY). The University of Chicago Press: 614. doi:10.1017/S0038713414000761. S2CID 154773840.
2. Lower, Michael (2014). "The Papacy and Christian Mercenaries of Thirteenth-Century North Africa". Speculum. 89 (3 JULY). The University of Chicago Press: 601–631. doi:10.1017/S0038713414000761. S2CID 154773840.

• GCatholic