Diocese of Tunis

The diocese of Tunis ( dioecesis tunetanus in Latin) covers the territory of the Tunisia.

Its current bishop, Mgr Maroun Lahham, is named the September 8th 2005 by Benoît XVI. He sits at the Cathédrale Saint-Vincent-of-Paul of Tunis from where he animates 6 places of worship disseminated through the country and a score of congregations gathering 131 nuns and 46 priests (for the majority Spanish-speaking or originating in North Africa and the the Middle East). The Messe S are known as in Arab, in French, Spanish, English and Italian. The diocese also manages 10 elementary schools and secondaries as well as the private clinic Saint-Augustin. The Library diocésaine account 8000 pounds. Caritas offers services of Charité to the local population.

The diocese covers a Superficie of 164.000 km ² and gathers 20.000 catholics (either 0,2% of the Tunisian population). The Christian community is much more numerous in 1949 with 280.000 people. The majority of faithful are expatriates and diplomats for the majority Europeans. But it counts also several hundreds of Subsahariens, among which many students (3 African priests are affected for them), of the civils servant of the African Banque of development, some converted Tunisians and the tourists of passage.

History

See also: Christianity in the Maghreb

The Christianisme has a long story in Tunisia. Cyprien de Carthage died there in Martyr at the 3rd century. Tertullien is also an important character of this same time. Saint Augustin admires even the beauty of the places when he visits Carthage.

The first council of Carthage is held in 251. Several centuries later, the Vandales ariens invade the country after the fall of the Roman Empire, which facilitates then the conquest arabo-Moslem woman.

Lord Exmouth puts an end to the Esclavage Christians in 1818. The evangelization is difficult there in the context of the Colonisation and the Décolonisation. However, 70.000 Mariage S catholics are celebrated between 1841 and 1949.

As of its creation at the 19th century, the diocese is directed by European bishops . In 1992, for the first time, Jean-Paul II names at his head an Arab : Fouad Twal is Jordan N and its successor, Maroun Lahham, Palestinian. Set up canonically the May 31st 1995 by Jean-Paul II, the Diocèse is immediately fixed with the the Holy See. Previously, it passes from the statute of apostolic Vicariat in 1843 to that of Archidiocèse (November 10th 1884) then to that of Prélature territorial (July 9th 1964).

The June 27th 1964, a working arrangement is concluded between the the Holy See and the Republic of Tunisia at the end which are yielded at the Tunisian State most of the goods of the Catholic church in Tunisia. Indeed, since independence in 1956, the catholic community of Tunisia had been reduced considerably by successive starting waves. At the end of this agreement, only of the church the prélature (4, rue d'Alger) and the following places of worship remain properties:

Representatives

Archbishops of Carthage

Prelates of Tunis

Bishop of Tunis

References

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