Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima

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Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima was an Eastern Christian autonomous Archbishopric with see in the city of Justiniana Prima and jurisdiction over the Late Roman Diocese of Dacia in central parts of the Southeastern Europe.[1]

Remains of the city Justiniana Prima near modern Lebane in Serbia
Emperor Justinian I
Late Roman Empire in the time of Emperor Justinian I around 555

History

The archdiocese was established in 535 AD by Emperor Justinian I, in his presumed home-town of Justiniana Prima (near present-day Lebane, in Southern Serbia).

The establishment is mentioned in Justinian's own Novel XI from 535, when he promotes the

Archbishop of Thessalonica. [2]
The very first archbishop of Justiniana Prima was Amincius, later marthirized in a raid by Cumans Its last mention is in 602, amid the Slav raids on the Balkans.

Administration

Its cathedral archiepiscopal see was at Justiniana Prima. According to Novella 11, issued in 535, the first Archbishop received canonical jurisdiction over the following Byzantine provinces, mainly on the territory of the Diocese of Dacia:[3]

But by 545, in the Novella 131, Macedonia Secunda was omitted.[3]

Dioceses

  • Naissopolis
    (Niš, Serbia)

Archbishops

  • Catelianus (Catellian), metropolitan becoming first archbishop in 535 AD
  • Benenatus c.553[4]
  • Johannes, fl. 595

Successor titles

Eastern Orthodox

The Archbishopric of Ohrid was seen as a successor of the old archbishopric. Archbishop John IV, nephew of emperor Alexios I Komnenos, resurrected the title of Archbishop of Justiniana Prima in 1143 for his own use.[5]

Roman Catholic titular see

It is one of the titular sees listed in the Annuario Pontificio.[6]

It has had the following incumbents, all of the archiepiscopal (intermediary) rank:

  • Giovanni Panico (1935.10.17 – 1962.03.19) (later Cardinal)
  • Aurelio Sabattani (1965.06.24 – 1983.02.02) (later Cardinal)
  • Sulpicians
    (P.S.S.) (1983.07.07 – 1985.05.25), (later Cardinal
  • Jean-Claude Périsset (1998.11.12 – ...),
    Apostolic Nuncio
    (papal ambassador) emeritus to Germany

See also

References

  1. ^ Meyendorff 1989, pp. 56–57.
  2. ^ OCC, page 100, excerpts from his novella
  3. ^ a b DMMS, page 216
  4. ^ Zivota Jocic. Episkopija Remezijanska.
  5. ^ OCC, page 101: " John Comnenus.. resurrected himself the title of Archbishopric of J-P "
  6. ), p. 904

Sources

External links