Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima

Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima was a 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 metropolitan to an archbishop, independent from the Archbishop of Thessalonica.^[2] The very first archbishop of Justiniana Prima was Amincius, later marthirized in a raid by Cumans.^{[citation needed]}

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]

• Dacia Mediterranea
• Dacia Ripensis
• Moesia Prima
• Dardania
• Praevalitana
• Macedonia Secunda
• Part of Pannonia Secunda

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

Dioceses

• Bishopric of Niš, seat at 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)
• Édouard Gagnon, 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

• Archbishopric of Ohrid
• List of Catholic dioceses in Serbia