Vegesela (in Numidia) was an ancient city and former episcopal see in Roman North Africa and remains a Latin Church titular see of the Catholic Church.

Its present location, in Algeria, may be Ksar-Bou-Saïd, Ksar-El-Kelb or Henchir-El-Abiodh.

History

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It was among the many cities of sufficient importance in the Roman province of Numidia to become a suffragan diocese under the Pope of Rome, but faded, presumably at the seventh century advent of Islam.

Four of it bishops are historically documented :

Titular see

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The diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as Latin Church titular see of Vegesela in Numidia (Latin = Curiate Italian) / Vegeselitan(us) in Numidia (Latin adjective)

It has had the following incumbents:

  • Idílio José Soares (1966.11.21 – death 1969.12.10) as emeritate; previously Bishop of Petrolina (Brazil) (1932.09.16 – 1943.06.12), Bishop of Santos (Brazil) (1943.06.12 – 1966.11.21)
  • Eduardo Larraín Cordovez (1970.02.02 – death 1970.10.20) as emeritate; previously Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (1938.07.09 – 1970.02.02)
  • Fernando Ramon Prego Casal (1970.11.13 – 1971.07.24) as Auxiliary Bishop of Cienfuegos–Santa Clara (Cuba) (1970.11.13 – 1971.07.24); next succeeded as Bishop of Cienfuegos–Santa Clara (1971.07.24 – 1995.04.01), Bishop of daughter see Santa Clara (Cuba) (1995.04.01 – death 1999.01.09)
  • Moacyr Grechi, Servites (O.S.M.) (later Archbishop) (1973.07.20 – 1978.05.26) as Bishop-Prelate of Territorial Prelature of Acre e Purus (Brazil) (1972.07.10 – 1986.02.15); later Bishop of Rio Branco (Brazil) (1986.02.15 – 1998.07.29), Metropolitan Archbishop of Porto Velho (Brazil) (1998.07.29 – retired 2011.11.30)
  • Severo Aparicio Quispe, Mercederians (O. de M.) (1978.12.11 – death 2013.05.06) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Cusco (Peru) (1978.12.11 – retired 1999.04.10) and as emeritate
  • Bishop-elect Juarez Delorto Secco (2017.06.07 – ...), Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of (São Sebastião do) Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (2017.06.07 – ...).

See also

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Bibliography
  • Pius Bonifacius Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Leipzig 1931, p. 469
  • Stefano Antonio Morcelli, Africa christiana, Volume I, Brescia 1816, pp. 349–350
  • J. Mesnage, L'Afrique chrétienne, Paris 1912, p. 240
  • H. Jaubert, Anciens évêchés et ruines chrétiennes de la Numidie et de la Sitifienne, in Recueil des Notices et Mémoires de la Société archéologique de Constantine, vol. 46, 1913, pp. 99–100