Nova, Africa

See Nova (disambiguation) for namesakes

Nova is a former Ancient city and Roman bishopric, now in Tunisia (precise site unknown) and a Latin Catholic titular see.

History

It was important enough in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis, in the papal sway, to become one of the many suffragan dioceses of its capital's Metropolitan of Carthage, but faded like most.

It has two historically documented bishops :

• Rogatianus, participant at the council of Carthage called in 256 by its saint Cyprian on the lapsi, Christians who accepted forced pagan sacrificing to avoid martyrdom
• Secondinus, who intervened at a council in Constantinople in 451.

Titular see

In 1933 the diocese was nominally restored as Latin Titular bishopric of Nova (Latin and Curiate Italian) / Noven(sis) (Latin adjective).

It has had the following incumbents, mostly of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank, with archiepiscopal exceptions :

• Titular Archbishop: Paul-Marie-Maurice Perrin (1964.07.09 – 1965.08.02) as Apostolic Delegate (papal diplomatic envoy) to Iraq (1965.07.31 – 1966.10.14) and Latin Archbishop of Baghdad (Iraq) (1965.08.02 – 1970.01.16), next Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Iraq (1966.10.14 – 1970.01.06), Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia (1970.01.16 – 1972.11.15), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Gurza (1970.01.16 – 1994.10.04); previously Titular Bishop of Utica (1947.06.07 – 1953.10.29) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Carthage (Tunisia) (1947.06.07 – 1953.10.29), succeeding as Latin Archbishop of Carthage (1953.10.29 – 1964.07.09), Bishop-Prelate of Territorial Prelature of Tunis (Tunisia) (1964.07.09 – 1965.01.09)
• Francis John Spence (1967.04.01 – 1970.08.17) as Auxiliary Bishop of the Military Vicariate of Canada (Canada) (1967.04.01 – 1970.08.17), later Bishop of Diocese of Charlottetown (Canada) (1970.08.17 – 1982.03.14), last Military Vicar of Canada (Canada) (1982.03.14 – 1986.07.21), Metropolitan Archbishop of Kingston (Ontario, Canada) (1982.04.24 – retired 2002.04.27), first Military Ordinary of Military Ordinariate of Canada (Canada) (1986.07.21 – 1987.10.28), President of Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (1995 – 1997); died 2011
• Johannes Kleineidam (1970.09.12 – death 1981.06.02) as Auxiliary Bishop of Berlin (Germany) (1970.09.12 – 1981.06.02)
• Lajos Bálint (1981.07.09 – 1990.03.14) as Auxiliary Bishop of Latin Diocese of Alba Iulia (Romania) (1981.07.09 – 1990.03.14), succeeding as last Latin Bishop of Alba Iulia (1990.03.14 – 1991.08.05), promoted first Latin Archbishop of Alba Iulia (1991.08.05 – retired 1993.11.29), died 2010.
• Mario del Valle Moronta Rodríguez (1990.04.04 – 1995.12.02) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Caracas (Venezuela) (1990.04.04 – 1995.12.02), later Bishop of Los Teques (Venezuela) (1995.12.02 – 1999.04.14), Bishop of San Cristóbal de Venezuela (Venezuela) (1999.04.14 – ...), Second Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (2012.01.12 – ...)
• Luigi De Magistris (1996.03.06 – 2001.11.22) as Roman Curia official : Regent of Apostolic Penitentiary (1979 – 2001.11.22), Major Pro-Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary (2001.11.22 – 2003.10.04)
• Titular Archbishop: the above Luigi De Magistris (2001.11.22 – 2015.02.14), next created Cardinal-Deacon of SS. Nomi di Gesù e Maria in Via Lata (2015.02.14 [2015.02.17] – ...)
• Juan Carlos Cárdenas Toro (2015.06.26 – ...), Auxiliary Bishop of Cali (Colombia), no previous prelature.

See also

• List of Catholic dioceses in Tunisia

Sources and external links

• GCatholic - data for all sections

Bibliography

• J. Mesnage, L'Afrique chrétienne, Paris 1912, p. 213