Mesarfelta Explained

Mesarfelta was a Roman - Berber town in the province of Numidia. It was also a bishopric that is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.^[1]

History

The historic Mesarfelta is believed to be what are now the ruins of El-Outaïa or those of Tolga, Henchir-El-Ksar,^[1] or may be Qastilya in Algeria^[2] (according to "Three North-African Topographical Notes (Islamic-Roman)").

The city is believed to have been constructed as a fortification by the Romans (with annexed "vicus"), in the second half of the first century near the Aures Mountains. It had an amphitheatre during Hadrians reign.^[3]

A barrier called Fossatum Africae, which marked the frontier between the territory of the Roman Empire and other lands, ran through Mesarfelta.^[4]

The city disappeared after the Muslim conquest in the second half of the 7th century.

Bishopric

The city of Mesarfelta was the seat of an ancient bishopric^[5] There are two Mesarfelta bishops historically remembered both in the Council of Carthage (411).

Ancient bishops

• "Lucianus"(Catholic) and "Bennatus"(Donatist).

Titular bishops of Mesarfelta^[6]

• William Edward McManus 1967–1976
• Louis-Albert Vachon 1977–1981
• Basile Tapsoba 1981–1984
• Joseph Paul Pierre Morissette 1987–1990
• Michael Angelo Saltarelli^[7] 1990–1995
• Antonio Menegazzo, M.C.C.I. 1995-2019

See also

• Mauretania Caesariensis
• Caesarea
• Thamugadi
• Lambaesis

References

1. Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013,), p. 929
2. September 1954. Three North-African Topographical Notes (Islamic-Roman) . Arabica . 1. 3. 343–345 . 10.1163/157005854X00357 . 4054839. Stern . S.M. .
3. Book: Bomgardner, David L.. The Story of the Roman Amphitheatre. 2013-07-04. Routledge. 9781134707393. en.
4. Book: Wacher, J. S. . The Roman world . Routledge. 2002 . 872 . 0-415-26314-X.
5. Joseph Bingham, Origines Ecclesiasticae; Or the Antiquities of the Christian Church and Other Works: In Nine Volumes, Volume 3 p236.
6. Web site: Mesarfelta (Titular See). October 12, 2009 . Catholic-Hierarchy.org. 20 December 2009.
7. News: Bishop Saltarelli, 77; Son of Archdiocese . Gabriele. Michael C. . October 14, 2009. The Catholic Advocate. 20 December 2009.

Bibliography

• J. Baradez (1949). Latin: Gemellae. French: Un camp d'Hadrien et une ville aux confins sahariens aujourd’hui ensevelis sous les sables. French: Revue Africaine v. 93 p. 1-24.
• P. Trousset (2002). French: Les limites sud de la réoccupation Byzantine. French: Antiquité Tardive v. 10, p. 143-150.