Ptolemais (bishopric)

Ptolemais was a titular bishopric established following the Roman conquest of the then Hellenized city of Ptolemais in Canaan or Ake-Ptolemais (or Akko, Ake, or Akre in the location of the present-day city of Acre, Israel. It was maintained as a titular see across multiple Christian denominations.

History

According to Josephus, the name of the ancient city of Acre, which he called Akre, was changed to Antiochia Ptolemais shortly after Alexander the Great's conquest, and then simply to Ptolemais, probably by Ptolemy I Soter, after the Wars of the Diadochi led to the partition of the kingdom of Alexander the Great and its inclusion first into the Egypt-based Lagid empire, then in the Seleucid Empire.
Around 37 BC, the Romans conquered the Hellenized Phoenician port city called Akko. It became a colony in southern Roman Phoenicia, called Colonia Claudia Felix Ptolemais Garmanica Stabilis.
During the rule of Claudius Legions' veterans settled. With Berytus, Aelia Capitolina, and Caesarea Maritima, the city was one of four colonies created by Roman emperors in the Levant for veterans of their legions.
By 190, it had also become an important center for Christianity, with Clarus, the Bishop of Ptolemais, participating in a Christian leaders council.
Towards the end of the third century, Ptolemais was a predominantly Christian city with a large Jewish community. In the sixth century, an unidentified visitor from Italy reported that the city had beautiful churches. Indeed, an important discovery was made in 2011: a Byzantine church in the middle of San Giovanni d'Acri, as it was called in the Middle Ages.

Ecclesiastical history

Bishops of Ptolemais in Syria

The Apostle Paul, returning from his trip to Macedonia and Achea, landed at Tyre, and from there sailed to Ptolemais, where he stayed some days with the local Christian community.
Ptolemais became a Suffragan diocese of the Metropolitan Archbishopric of Tyre.
The first known Bishop is named Clarus. in 190 AD he attended a Council meeting of bishops of Phoenicia and Palestine on the theme of the exact date of Easter. It is only by the fourth century that we have a testimonies of the next Bishop : Enea, who took part at the first Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and at the Synod held in Antioch in 341 AD. Nectabus was one of the fathers of the first Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. Between the 4th and 5th centuries lived Bishop Antiochus, opponent of John Chrysostom. Helladius participated in the first Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. Paul took part in the Council held at Antioch of 445 AD to judge the work of Athanasius of Perrhe and at the Council of Chalcedon of 451 AD. In 518 AD Bishop John signed a Synodal letter against Severus of Antioch and the Monophysite party.
The last known Bishop of Ptolemais is George, who attended the second Council of Constantinople in 553 AD.

Crusaders

In the 12th century, the Crusaders started all over in their Kingdom of Jerusalem. From 1107 - 1190 AD including a Latin Catholic Diocese of Acre. Then reconquered in the 13th century for another further decades of Christian domination with Jewish communities peacefully living together.

Titular sees

Long after the Crusader states had perished, the Catholic church nominally restored the see as a titular see, actually twice, in different rite-specific branches.

Latin titular see

Established by nominal restoration as Episcopal Titular bishopric of Ptolemais / Tolemaide
Gained 'territory' in 1870? from the suppressed Episcopal Titular bishopric of Acre (Akka), but suppressed circa 1895
Restored and promoted in 1909 as Titular archbishopric of Ptolemais / Tolemaide
Demoted back in 1925 as Episcopal Titular bishopric of Ptolemais / Tolemaide
Renamed in 1933 as Titular bishopric of Ptolemais in Phœnicia / Tolemaide di Fenicia / Ptolemaiden in Phœnicia

It is vacant since decades, having had the following incumbents, so far of the rank :

Carolus Ludovicus Hugo, Norbertines without actual prelature
Armand de Rohan-Soubise-Ventadour as Coadjutor Bishop of Strasbourg ; later created Cardinal-Priest with no Title assigned, succeeded as Bishop of Strasbourg
Ludwik Ignacy Riaucour as Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Luck
Onufry Kajetan Szembek as Coadjutor Bishop of Płock ; next succeeded as Bishop of Płock
Luiz de Castro Pereira, Congregation of Saint Joseph as Bishop-Prelate of Territorial Prelature of Cuiaba ; later Bishop of Bragança e Miranda
Maciej Pawel Mozdzeniewski as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Mohilev
Ferdinand Maria von Chotek as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Olomouc ; later Bishop of Tarnów, Metropolitan Archbishop of above Olomouc
Franciscus Renatus Boussen, first as Coadjutor Bishop Ghent, then as Apostolic Administrator of West Flanders ; later Bishop of Bruges
Alois Josef Schrenk as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Olomouc ; later Metropolitan Archbishop of Praha
Tommaso Feeny without actual prelature; next Bishop of Killala
Giovanni Antonio Balma, Oblates of the Virgin Mary as Apostolic Vicar of Ava and Pegu ; later Metropolitan Archbishop of Cagliari
Edmundo Luís Kunz
Louis-Eugène-Arsène Turquetil, O.M.I.
Titular Archbishop: Augustin Dontenwill, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Cassien-Léonard de Peretti
Carmelo Pascucci

Maronite titular see

Established as Episcopal Titular bishopric of Giovanni S. d’Acri / Tolemaide di Siria, suppressed in 1890 but restored under those 'Crusader' names in 1919;
Renamed in 1925 as Titular bishopric of Ptolemais / Tolemaide, suppressed in 1933
Restored in 1956 as Episcopal Titular bishopric of Ptolemais in Phœnicia / Tolemaide di Fenicia / Ptolemaiden in Phœnicia Maronitarum.

It has had the following incumbents, of the fitting Episcopal rank with an archiepiscopal exception:
;Titular Bishops of Giovanni S. d’Acri of the Maronites

Clement Bahouth, without actual prelature; later Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites, also titular Patriarch of Alexandria of the Greek-Melkites and titular Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Greek-Melkites ; died 1882
Grégoire Youssef-Sayour, without actual prelature; later Patriarch of Antioch of the Melkites and as above titular Patriarch of Alexandria of the Melkites and of Jerusalem of the Melkites Titular Archbishop of Giovanni S. d’Acri of the Maronites: Youssef Massad, not prelature
Luigi Giuseppe El-Khazen, no prelature

;Titular Bishop of Ptolemais of the Maronites

Luigi Giuseppe El-Khazen, no prelature

;Titular Bishops of Ptolemais in Phœnicia of the Maronites

Joseph Khoury, then without prelature; later Eparch of Tyre of the Maronites, promoted Archeparch of Tyre of the Maronites
Camille Zaidan as Bishop of Curia of the Maronites, later Archeparch of Antelias of the Maronites
Joseph Mouawad as Bishop of Curia of the Maronites, later Bishop of Zahlé of the Maronites
Paul Abdel Sater, Bishop of Curia of the Maronites, no previous prelature.