El-Kentour Explained

El-Kentour (الكنتور) is a town and mountain in Algeria. It is located in the Constantine Mountains. El-Kentour is also the site of the El-Ouahch to El-Kentour tunnel, which is part of the National Road 3.

Location

El-Kentour is situated 3 km south of Aïn Bouziane and 4½ km north of Zighoud Youcef. The topography is mountainous, with the Oued Ensa river flowing to the east. The boundary between Skikda and Constantine Province runs through the village.

History

In Roman and Vandal times the town was known as Centuriones.

Bishopric

The town was the seat of an ancient Bishopric^{[1] [2]} and was from the 4th to the 6th century a stronghold of Donatism. The Bishopric remains today a titular see of the Catholic Church,^[3] and the current bishop is Vasyl Tuchapets. Known bishops include:

Titular bishops

• Vasyl Volodymyr Tuchapets since 2012, Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarch of Kharkiv^[4]
• (2005–2012), auxiliary bishop of Lingayen–Dagupan, Philippines
• Kiro Stojanov (1999–2005), auxiliary bishop of Skopje
• (1964–1998), auxiliary bishop of the Military Ordinariate of Brazil (1964–1967), auxiliary bishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (1967–1973)^[5]

Residing bishops

• Firmianus Catholic bishop fl.484.
• Ianuarius Donatist bishop fl411.
• Nabor of Centurio,^[6] attendee of Council of Cirta fl303-305.

Notes and References

1. Stefano Antonio Morcelli, Africa Christiana, Volume I, Brescia 1816, p. 136
2. J. Ferron, v. Centuriensis in Dictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastiques, vol. XII, (Paris 1953), coll. 145-146
3. Pius Bonifacius Gams, Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, (Leipzig, 1931), p.465
4. http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/former/t0469.htm Titular Episcopal See of Centuriones
5. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/d3c08.html Centuriones
6. J. Stevenson, W. H. C. Frend, A New Eusebius: Documents Illustrating the History of the Church to AD 337 (Baker Books, 1 Jul. 2013)