Fussala was a town in the Roman province of Numidia that became a Christian bishopric. The town and bishopric disappeared after the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, but the bishopric has been revived as a titular see of the Catholic Church,[1]

Situation

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Fussala was a fortified town situated forty miles from Saint Augustine's Hippo Regius. The fortress of Fussala completed the defences of Hippo.

First bishop

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In about 416, Augustine of Hippo appointed as Catholic bishop of Fussala, then inhabited for the most part by Donatists, a young man named Antoninus, who robbed the people there and was removed.[2] Antoninus insisted on being restored to Fussala, even appealing to the Apostolic See, but was resolutely opposed by the faithful of the see. In a long letter of his, Augustine recounts the series of problems that Antoninus had caused.[3] Neil B. McLynn gives a more sympathetic presentation of the case of Antoninus.[4]

Later bishops

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A certain Melior is known to have been bishop in 484.[5] The see still existed in the 7th century.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), "Sedi titolari", p. 898
  2. ^ Francois Decret, Early Christianity in North Africa(James Clarke & Co, 2011) p122
  3. ^ Saint Augustine, Letter 20* in Roland J. Teske, Boniface Ramsey (translators), Letters 211-270, 1*-29* (New City Press 2005 ISBN 978-1-56548209-8), pp. 299ff
  4. ^ Neil B. McLynn, "Administrator: Augustine in His Diocese," in A Companion to Augustine, Mark Vessey, ed. (John Wiley & Sons 2013 ISBN 978-1-11825545-2), pp. 318-321
  5. ^ Serge Lancel, Saint Augustine (Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd, 2002 ISBN 978-0-33402866-6), p. 257
  6. ^ Siméon Vailhé, "Fussola" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1909)