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.
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]
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'.[3]
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 (25 May 1914 – death 5 April 1930) as
Auxiliary Bishop of
Córdoba (Argentina) (25 May 1914 – 5 April 1930)
Marcel-Auguste-Marie Grandin,
Holy Ghost Fathers (C.S.Sp.) (2 December 1937 – death 4 August 1947) first as only Apostolic Vicar of
Oubangui Chari (colonial French name of
Central African Republic) (2 December 1937 – 28 May 1940), then (see) renamed after its see) 'first' Apostolic Vicar of
Bangui (Central African Republic) (28 May 1940 – 4 August 1947); previously last
Apostolic Prefect of
Oubangui Chari (2 May 1928 – 2 December 1937)
Thomas F. Quinlan (구 토마),
Columban Missionaries (S.S.C.M.E.) (20 September 1955 – 10 March 1962) as Apostolic Vicar of
Chuncheon 춘천 (
South Korea) (20 September 1955 – 10 March 1962), also President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (1959–1964); later (see promoted) 'first' Bishop of
Chuncheon 춘천 (South Korea) (10 March 1962 – 16 November 1965), emeritus as Titular Bishop of
Bocconia (16 November 1965 – death 13 December 1970); previously Apostolic Prefect of
Shunsen (future South
Korea) (1940–1943 and 12 November 1948 – 16 July 1950), see restyled Apostolic Prefect of
Chuncheon 춘천 (South Korea) (16 July 1950 – 20 September 1955)
René-Jean-Baptiste-Germain Feuga,
Paris Foreign Missions Society (M.E.P.) (born France) (20 November 1962 – death 27 January 1964) as emeritus, former Bishop of
Mysore (India) (3 April 1941 – retired 20 November 1962), and a while
Apostolic Administrator of Mysore (20 November 1962 – 16 November 1963)
Ismael Blas Rolón Silvero,
Salesians (S.D.B.) (20 October 1965 – 29 March 1967), as
Bishop-Prelate of
Territorial Prelature of Caacupé (Paraguay) (2 August 1960 – 29 March 1967), promoted first Bishop of the above Caacupé (29 March 1967 – 16 June 1970), later Metropolitan Archbishop of
Asunción (Paraguay) (16 June 1970 – 20 May 1989), President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (1985–1989)
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:
Titular Bishop Georges-Louis Mercier,
White Fathers (M. Afr.) (11 January 1968 – 13 October 1976) as emeritus, died 1991; previously last
Apostolic Prefect of
Ghardaïa nel Sahara (French
Algeria) (1941 – 10 June 1948), (see) promoted only
Apostolic Vicar of
Ghardaïa nel Sahara (Algeria) (10 June 1948 – 14 September 1955) and Titular Bishop of
Celerina (21 June 1948 – 14 September 1955), (see) promoted again first Bishop of
Laghouat (Algeria) (14 September 1955 – 11 January 1968)
Titular Bishop
Henryk Marian Tomasik (21 November 1992 – 16 October 2009) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Diocese of Siedlce (Poland) (21 November 1992 – 16 October 2009); later Bishop of
Radom (Poland) (16 October 2009 – ...)
Titular Bishop
William Terrence McGrattan (6 November 2009 – 8 April 2014) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Archdiocese of Toronto (Ontario,
Canada) (6 November 2009 – 8 April 2014); later Bishop of
Peterborough (Canada) (8 April 2014 – 4 January 2017), Bishop of
Calgary (Canada) (4 January 2017 – ...)
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
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.
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]
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'.[3]
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 (25 May 1914 – death 5 April 1930) as
Auxiliary Bishop of
Córdoba (Argentina) (25 May 1914 – 5 April 1930)
Marcel-Auguste-Marie Grandin,
Holy Ghost Fathers (C.S.Sp.) (2 December 1937 – death 4 August 1947) first as only Apostolic Vicar of
Oubangui Chari (colonial French name of
Central African Republic) (2 December 1937 – 28 May 1940), then (see) renamed after its see) 'first' Apostolic Vicar of
Bangui (Central African Republic) (28 May 1940 – 4 August 1947); previously last
Apostolic Prefect of
Oubangui Chari (2 May 1928 – 2 December 1937)
Thomas F. Quinlan (구 토마),
Columban Missionaries (S.S.C.M.E.) (20 September 1955 – 10 March 1962) as Apostolic Vicar of
Chuncheon 춘천 (
South Korea) (20 September 1955 – 10 March 1962), also President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (1959–1964); later (see promoted) 'first' Bishop of
Chuncheon 춘천 (South Korea) (10 March 1962 – 16 November 1965), emeritus as Titular Bishop of
Bocconia (16 November 1965 – death 13 December 1970); previously Apostolic Prefect of
Shunsen (future South
Korea) (1940–1943 and 12 November 1948 – 16 July 1950), see restyled Apostolic Prefect of
Chuncheon 춘천 (South Korea) (16 July 1950 – 20 September 1955)
René-Jean-Baptiste-Germain Feuga,
Paris Foreign Missions Society (M.E.P.) (born France) (20 November 1962 – death 27 January 1964) as emeritus, former Bishop of
Mysore (India) (3 April 1941 – retired 20 November 1962), and a while
Apostolic Administrator of Mysore (20 November 1962 – 16 November 1963)
Ismael Blas Rolón Silvero,
Salesians (S.D.B.) (20 October 1965 – 29 March 1967), as
Bishop-Prelate of
Territorial Prelature of Caacupé (Paraguay) (2 August 1960 – 29 March 1967), promoted first Bishop of the above Caacupé (29 March 1967 – 16 June 1970), later Metropolitan Archbishop of
Asunción (Paraguay) (16 June 1970 – 20 May 1989), President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (1985–1989)
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:
Titular Bishop Georges-Louis Mercier,
White Fathers (M. Afr.) (11 January 1968 – 13 October 1976) as emeritus, died 1991; previously last
Apostolic Prefect of
Ghardaïa nel Sahara (French
Algeria) (1941 – 10 June 1948), (see) promoted only
Apostolic Vicar of
Ghardaïa nel Sahara (Algeria) (10 June 1948 – 14 September 1955) and Titular Bishop of
Celerina (21 June 1948 – 14 September 1955), (see) promoted again first Bishop of
Laghouat (Algeria) (14 September 1955 – 11 January 1968)
Titular Bishop
Henryk Marian Tomasik (21 November 1992 – 16 October 2009) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Diocese of Siedlce (Poland) (21 November 1992 – 16 October 2009); later Bishop of
Radom (Poland) (16 October 2009 – ...)
Titular Bishop
William Terrence McGrattan (6 November 2009 – 8 April 2014) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Archdiocese of Toronto (Ontario,
Canada) (6 November 2009 – 8 April 2014); later Bishop of
Peterborough (Canada) (8 April 2014 – 4 January 2017), Bishop of
Calgary (Canada) (4 January 2017 – ...)
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