Diocese of Leptis Magna

The diocese of Leptis Magna was an ancient bishopric in Africa with its episcopal see in Leptis Magna, modern Al-Khums in Libya. After the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb it was abandoned but reinstated as a titular see in the Catholic Church in 1925.

History

Ancient bishopric

Leptis Magna had a bishop from the second century onwards. The first known person known to have served as bishop if a certain Victor who became pope in 189.^[1] Bishop Archaeus composed a work on the dating of Easter around the year 200 and bishop Dioga participated at the Synod of 256 in Carthage.^[2] The Synod of 484 in Carthage was attended by bishop Callipides of Leptis Magna.^[3] After the Byzantine reconquest of Africa from the Vandals, a basilica^[4] dedicated to the Theotokos was built in the town and the Nicene creed reintroduced.

Titular See

The diocese was re-established as a titular see by the Catholic Church in the 20th century, first under the name Leptis Maior and since 1933 as Leptis Magna.^[5]

List of ancient bishops

• Victor (later pope from 189 – 199)
• Archaeus (fl. 200 AD)^[2]
• Dioga (fl. 256)^[2]
• Callipides (fl. 4XX)^[3]

List of titular bishops

• Ludovico Antomelli, O.F.M. (23 Feb 1913 Appointed – 10 Mar 1919 Appointed, Bishop of Bagnoregio (Bagnorea))
• Monalduzio Leopardi (26 May 1922 Appointed – 20 Dec 1926 Appointed, Bishop of Osimo e Cingoli)
• Jean Delay (10 Aug 1928 Appointed – 14 Aug 1937 Appointed, Bishop of Marseille)
• Alfonso Ferrandina (13 Apr 1938 Appointed – 15 Feb 1955 Died)
• Hermann Josef Schäufele (11 Apr 1955 Appointed – 14 Jun 1958 Confirmed, Archbishop of Freiburg im Breisgau)
• Wilhelm Pluta (4 Jul 1958 Appointed – 28 Jun 1972 Appointed, Bishop of Gorzów)
• John Buckley (16 Mar 1984 Appointed – 19 Dec 1997 Appointed, Bishop of Cork and Ross)
• Thomas Yeh Sheng-nan (10 Nov 1998 Appointed – )