Circa 400, the city became the seat of a bishopric, initially as
suffragan of the
Archdiocese of Salona. A letter from
Pope Gregory I to bishop Constanti(n?)us (circa 602) suggests it had become suffragan of the
Archdiocese of Scutari. • Around 877, the synod of Dumno (Delmitanus), elevatated it;, apparently justified as former capital of a Late Roman province
Dalmatia Superior, to
Metropolitan rank in chief of a Bulgarian
ecclesiastical province at the expense of Scutari, but shifting Bulgarian borders made it lose the Metropolitan status again the next century • The Byzantine
Notitia Episcopatuum in the tenth century. lists it fifth among the suffragans of the
Metropolitanate of Dyrrachium, in the sway of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. • It was suppressed in 927, when the city was destroyed and its last bishop John took refuge in
Ragusa, of which he was soon named Archbishop. • Allegedly from 1034 (no later than the 1062 letter from
Pope Alexander II (1061–1073) to their Archbishop Peter) till circa 1100, its now hollow title was nominally united in personal union with the neighbouring, then still
Archdiocese of Bar (Antivari), also in modern Montenegro, possibly mainly to justify its (later lost) Metropolitan status. Few of its bishops are historically documented, and some sources may confound the see with
Diocletiana. • Paulus (circa 590) • Nemesius (in 602) • (Anonymus) (circa 877) • Johannes = John (circa 900)
Serbian Orthodox titular see Auxiliary bishops of the
Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral (Serbian Orthodox Church) are given the title "
Bishop of Dioclea" (). Recent holders of the title were bishops Jovan Purić (2004–2011), Kirilo Bojović (2016–2018), Metodije Ostojić (2018–2021) and Pajsije Đerković (since 2024).
Roman Catholic titular see In 1910, the archdiocese was nominally restored as Latin
titular archbishopric of the Metropolitan (highest) rank as Dioclea, renamed from 1925 (exclusively from 1933) as Doclea. It has had the following archiepiscopal incumbents : • Carlo Bertuzzi (Italian) (1910.05.10 – death 1914.01.04), emeritate as former Bishop of
Rieti (Italy) (1889.02.11 – 1895.03.18) and Bishop of
Foligno (Italy) (1895.03.18 – retired 1910.05.10) • Henri Doulcet (French),
Passionists (C.P.) (1914.03.17 – death 1916.07.27) on emeritates, formerly Bishop of
Nikopol (
Bulgaria) (1895.01.07 – retired 1913.03.31) and Titular Bishop of
Ionopolis (1913.06.03 – resigned 1914.03.17) •
Pietro Fumasoni Biondi (1916.11.14 – 1933.03.13) (Italian) as papal diplomat and
Roman Curia official :
Apostolic Delegate to
East India (1916.11.15 – 1919.12.06), Apostolic Delegate to
Japan (1919.12.06 – 1921.06.16), Secretary of
Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith (1921.06.14 – 1922.12.14), Apostolic Delegate to United States of America (1922.12.14 – 1933.03.13), created
Cardinal-Priest of
S. Croce in Gerusalemme (1933.03.16 – death 1960.07.12), Prefect of above Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith (1933.03.16 – 1960.07.12) •
Paolo Marella (1933.09.15 – 1959.12.14) (Italian) as papal diplomat and
Roman Curia official :
Apostolic Delegate to Japan (1933.10.30 – 1948.10.27), Apostolic Delegate to Australia, New Zealand and Oceania (1948.10.27 – 1953.04.15),
Apostolic Nuncio (papal ambassador) to France (1953.04.15 – 1959.12.14),
Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to France (1959.12.14 – 1960.04.16), created
Cardinal-Priest of
S. Andrea delle Fratte (1960.03.31 – 1972.03.15), President of
Sacred Congregation of the Reverend Basilica of St. Peter (1961.08.14 – 1967),
Archpriest of
Papal Basilica of St. Peter (1961.08.14 – 1983.02.08), President of
Secretariat for Non-Christians (1964.05.19 – 1973.02.26), President of
Reverend Fabric of St. Peter (1967 – 1983.02.08), promoted
Cardinal-Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina (1972.03.15 – death 1984.10.15),
Cardinal Vice-Dean of College of Cardinals (1977.12.12 – 1984.10.15) •
Egano Righi-Lambertini (Italian) (1960.07.09 – 1979.06.30), papal diplomat :
Apostolic Delegate to
Korea (1957.12.28 – 1960.07.09),
Apostolic Nuncio to
Lebanon (1960.07.09 – 1963.12.09), Apostolic Nuncio to
Chile (1963.12.09 – 1967.07.08), Apostolic Nuncio to Italy (1967.07.08 – 1969.04.23), Apostolic Nuncio to France (1969.04.23 – 1979.06.30), created
Cardinal-Deacon of
S. Giovanni Bosco in Via Tuscolana (1979.06.30 – 1990.11.26), promoted
Cardinal-Priest of
S. Maria in Via (1990.11.26 – death 2000.10.04) •
Jozef Tomko (1979.07.12 – 1985.05.25) (
Slovakia), Roman Curia official : Adjunct Secretary of
International Theological Commission (1969 – 1971), Undersecretary of
Sacred Congregation for Bishops (1974 – 1979.07.12), Secretary General of Synod of Bishops (1979.07.12 – 1985.04.24),
Pro-Prefect of
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (1985.04.24 – 1985.05.27), created
Cardinal-Deacon of
Gesù Buon Pastore alla Montagnola (1985.05.25 – 1996.01.29), Prefect of above Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (1985.05.27 – 2001.04.09), President of
Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious (1989.03.18 – 2001.04.09), promoted
Cardinal-Priest of
S. Sabina (1996.01.29 – ?death ...), President of
Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses (2001.10.23 – 2007.10.01), Member of
Commission of Cardinals overseeing the Institute for Works of Religion (2002.01.08 – 2008.02.24) •
Pier Luigi Celata (1985.12.12 – present) == See also ==