Ancient Achyraus was situated in the
Roman province of
Hellespontus, in the civil
Diocese of Pontus. Circa 400 it became a
suffragan see of the provincial capital and
metropolitan see Cyzicus, in the sway of
Patriarchate of Constantinople. It is held either identical with former episcopal see
Adrianothera, or to have supplanted a neighbouring bishopric of that name, as the Byzantine imperial
Notitia Episcopatuum still listed that name in the tenth century, thereafter only Achiraus from the 11th until the thirteenth century. Four bishops of Adrianothera are known because of their participation in church councils : • Patricius in the
Council of Chalcedon in 451 • Cyprianus in the
Second Council of Constantinople in 553 • Basilius in the
Second Council of Nicaea in 787 • Gregorius in the 'Photian'
Council of Constantinople (879) which restored its Patriarch
Photius I. Two 13th-century bishops of Achyraus are recorded under that title in the thirteenth century : Leo and Laurentius. Although it was suppressed as a residential Byzantine see (circa 900?), one Tommaso (no other prelature) was appointed Latin
Coadjutor Bishop of Achyraus (1505.06.06 – ?).
Titular see The diocese of Achyraus was nominally restored in 1933 by the
Catholic Church as Latin
titular bishopric of Achyraus (Latin) / Achirao (Curiate Italian) / Achyraën(sis) (Latin adjective). It is vacant, having had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank and members of Latin congregations : • Victor Bazin,
Paris Foreign Missions Society (M.E.P.) (1953.05.07 – 1955.01.01) as last
Apostolic Vicar of
Rangoon (
Burma = Myanmar) (1953.05.07 – 1955.01.01); next (see) promoted first Metropolitan Archbishop of Rangoon (Myanmar) (1955.01.01 – retired 1971.06.19), President of Myanmar Catholic Bishops’ Conference (1967 – 1969), died 1975 • Cesário Alexandre Minali,
Capuchin Friars Minor (O.F.M. Cap.) (born Italy) (1955.03.01 – 1969.06.13), first as
Bishop-Prelate of
Territorial Prelature of Alto Solimões (Brazil) (1955.03.01 – 1958.04.09), then as Bishop-Prelate of
Territorial Prelature of Carolina (Brazil) (1958.04.09 – death 1969.06.13) • Augustín Van Aaken,
Divine Word Missionaries (S.V.D.) (born Germany) (1972.07.25 – death 1990.08.11) as Bishop-Prelate of
Territorial Prelature of Alto Paraná (
Paraguay) (1972.07.25 – death 1990.04.19). == Notes and references ==