Bishop of Tarsus

Lead seal of Theodore, Metropolitan of Tarsus (late 7th century)

The first recorded bishop of Tarsus, Helenus, went to Antioch several times in connection with the dispute concerning Paul of Samosata.[1] Le Quien[2] mentions twenty-two of its bishops, of whom several are legendary.

Tarsus was the metropolitan see of the province of Cilicia Prima, under the Patriarchate of Antioch.[2] From the 6th century onwards, the metropolitan see of Tarsus had seven suffragan bishoprics (Échos d'Orient, X, 145).

The Greek archdiocese, mentioned in the 10th century (Échos d'Orient, X, 98), has existed down to the present day as part of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch.[3]

At about the end of the 10th century, the Armenians established a diocese of their rite; Saint Nerses of Lambron was its most distinguished representative in the 12th century.

Tarsus is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees as a metropolitan see of both the Latin, the Maronite and the Melkite Catholic Church.[4]

The Church of the East had a diocese of Tarsus that was a suffragan of Damascus, but no incumbents are known by name.

  1. ^ Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, VI, xlvi; VII, v.
  2. ^ a b Le Quien, Michel (1740). "Ecclesia Tarsensis". Oriens Christianus, in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus: quo exhibentur ecclesiæ, patriarchæ, cæterique præsules totius Orientis. Tomus secundus, in quo Illyricum Orientale ad Patriarchatum Constantinopolitanum pertinens, Patriarchatus Alexandrinus & Antiochenus, magnæque Chaldæorum & Jacobitarum Diœceses exponuntur (in Latin). Paris: Ex Typographia Regia. cols. 869–876. OCLC 955922747.
  3. ^  Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Tarsus". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  4. ^ Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 984