Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa
| Abbreviation | CERNA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1966 |
| Type | NGO |
| Legal status | Civil nonprofit |
| Purpose | To support the ministry of bishops |
| Headquarters | Rabat, Morocco |
Region served | Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Sahara |
Membership | Active and retired Catholic bishops of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara |
President | Paul Desfarges, SJ |
Main organ | Conference |
The Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa (CERNA) (French: Conférence Episcopale Régionale du Nord de l'Afrique or Conférence des Evêques de la Région Nord de l’Afrique) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara. Founded in 1965, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic hierarchy (i.e., diocesan, coadjutor, and auxiliary bishops) in those countries. The conference is based in Rabat, the capital of Morroco. The current President is Paul Desfarges, the Archbishop of Algiers.[1]
History
The Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa was founded in 1966, with Archbishop of Algiers Cardinal Léon-Étienne Duval as its first president.[1]
On 8 June 2007, a members of the conference were received by Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican City.[2] The five bishops present were Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham, Claude Rault, Gabriel Piroird, Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, and Alphonse Georger.[2]
From October 6–9, 2013, the Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa met in Rome.[3] The bishops resided at the Pontifical French Seminary and met there to discuss issues facing the bishops' respective countries and dioceses.[3] The trip ended on October 9, when the bishops went to St. Peter's Square to hear Pope Francis' public address. Francis personally addressed the bishops from North Africa, calling for them to "consolidate our fraternal relations with Muslims."[3]
Member dioceses
| Diocese | Current prelate | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Archdiocese of Algiers | Paul Desfarges, SJ |  Algeria |
| Apostolic Vicariate of Benghazi | Sede vacante |  Libya |
| Diocese of Constantine | Sede vacante | Algeria |
| Apostolic Vicariate of Derna | Sede vacante | Libya |
| Diocese of Laghouat | John MacWilliam, MAfr | Algeria |
| Apostolic Prefecture of Misurata | Sede vacante | Libya |
| Diocese of Oran | Jean-Paul Vesco, OP | Algeria |
| Archdiocese of Rabat | Vincent Landel, SCI di Béth |  Morocco |
| Archdiocese of Tanger | Santiago Agrelo Martínez, OFM | Morocco |
| Archdiocese of Tunis | Ilario Antoniazzi |  Tunisia |
| Apostolic Vicariate of Tripoli | George Bugeja, OFM | Libya |
| Apostolic Prefecture of Western Sahara | Mario León Dorado, OMI |  Western Sahara |
Presidents
This is a list of the Presidents of the Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa:[1]
| # | Image | President | See | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardinal Léon-Étienne Duval | Algiers | 1966–1983 | |
| 2 |  |
Bishop Henri Teissier | Algiers | 1983–2004 |
| 3 |  |
Archbishop Fouad Twal | Tunis | 2004–2005 |
| 4 |  |
Archbishop Vincent Landel, SCI di Béth | Rabat | October 2005 – January 2012 |
| 5 |  |
Archbishop Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham | Tunis | January 2012 – November 2012 |
| 6 | |
Archbishop Vincent Landel, SCI di Béth | Rabat | November 2012 – 2015 |
| 7 |  |
Archbishop Paul Desfarges, SJ | Algiers | 2015 – |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "Conférence Episcopale Régionale du Nord de l’Afrique (C.E.R.N.A.)". GCatholic. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
- 1 2 "Viste ad limina de la Conférence Episcopale de l'Afrique du Nord". www.africamission-mafr.org. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
- 1 2 3 admin (2013-10-10). "CONFERENCE DES EVEQUES DE LA REGION NORD DE L'AFRIQUE (CERNA)". France Catholique (in French). Retrieved 2017-06-20.