Furnos Maior and Furnos Minor

Furnos was the name of two towns and bishoprics in the Roman province of Proconsular Africa (in present-day Tunisia). They are referred to as Furnos Maior and Furnos Minor, as now as separate Latin Catholic titular sees.

Figs Mosaic at Furnos Minus

Locations
Site of Furnos Minus today

History

Each was important enough to become a suffragan bishopric of the African provincial capital's Metropolitan Archbishop of Carthage.

TO ELABORATE

The towns and the bishoprics disappeared after the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, but their dioceses have been revived as titular sees.[1]

There are records of early bishops of one or other of the two sees. Third-century Geminius died shortly before Saint Cyprian; a Donatist Florentinus attended a conference in 411; and a Simeon was at the Council of Carthage (525). Simeon belonged to Furnos Maior, but it is uncertain of which town the other two were bishops.[2][3]

Victor of Vita recounts that in the persecution by the Vandals of Genseric in 430 or 431 Bishop Mansuetus of Urusi was martyred by being burned alive at the gate of Urusi known as the Porta Fornitana, the 'Furnos Gate'.[4]

Titular see of Furnos Maior

The diocese was nominally restored as a Latin Catholic titular bishopric in 1914 under the name Furnos Majus (or Maius), which was changed to Furni Majus in 1925, Furnos Maior (or Major) in 1929, Fornos Major in 1933, ultimately Furnos Maior again in 1971.

It has had the following incumbents, so far of the Episcopal (lowest) rank :

  • José Anselmo Luque (1914.05.25 – death 1930.04.05) as Auxiliary Bishop of Córdoba (Argentina) (1914.05.25 – 1930.04.05)
  • Julien-Marie Nouailles, Picpus Fathers (SS.CC.) (born France) (1932.04.26 – death 1937.08.14) as Apostolic Vicar of Tahiti Islands (French Polynesia) (1932.04.26 – 1937.08.14)
  • Marcel-Auguste-Marie Grandin, Holy Ghost Fathers (C.S.Sp.) (1937.12.02 – death 1947.08.04) first as only Apostolic Vicar of Oubangui Chari (colonial French name of Central African Republic) (1937.12.02 – 1940.05.28), then (see) renamed after its see) 'first' Apostolic Vicar of Bangui (Central African Republic) (1940.05.28 – 1947.08.04); previously last Apostolic Prefect of Oubangui Chari (1928.05.02 – 1937.12.02)
  • Thomas F. Quinlan (구 토마), Columban Missionaries (S.S.C.M.E.) (1955.09.20 – 1962.03.10) as Apostolic Vicar of Chuncheon 춘천 (South Korea) (1955.09.20 – 1962.03.10), also President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (1959 – 1964); later (see promoted) 'first' Bishop of Chuncheon 춘천 (South Korea) (1962.03.10 – 1965.11.16), emeritus as Titular Bishop of Bocconia (1965.11.16 – death 1970.12.31); previously Apostolic Prefect of Shunsen (future South Korea) (1940 – 1943 & 1948.11.12 – 1950.07.16), see restyled Apostolic Prefect of Chuncheon 춘천 (South Korea) (1950.07.16 – 1955.09.20)
  • René-Jean-Baptiste-Germain Feuga, Paris Foreign Missions Society (M.E.P.) (born France) (1962.11.20 – death 1964.01.27) as emeritus, former Bishop of Mysore (India) (1941.04.03 – retired 1962.11.20), and a while Apostolic Administrator of Mysore (1962.11.20 – 1963.11.16)
BIOS to ELABORATE

Titular see of Furnos Minor

It was nominally revived as a titular bishopric in 1933 and has had the following incumbents, mostly of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank, usually) with an Archiepiscopal exception :

See also
  • List of Catholic dioceses in Tunisia

References
  1. Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), "Sedi titolari", p. 897
  2. Mélanges de l'École française de Rome Antiquité, Volume 90 (1978), Issue 90-2, pp. 874-875
  3. Siméon Vailhé, "Furni" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1909)
  4. John Moorhead (translator), History of the Vandal Persecution (Liverpool University Press 1992 ISBN 978-0-85323127-1), p. 6
Bibliography
  • Stefano Antonio Morcelli, Africa christiana, Volume I, Brescia 1816, pp. 162–163
  • J. Mesnage, L'Afrique chrétienne, Paris 1912, p. 122
  • Duval Noël, L'évêque et la cathédrale en Afrique du Nord, in Actes du XIe congrès international d'archéologie chrétienne, École Française de Rome, 1989, p. 395
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