Parnassus or Parnassos (
Ancient Greek: Παρνασσός) was a town in the northern part of
ancient Cappadocia, on the right bank of the
Halys River, and on or near a hill, to which it owed its name, on the road between
Ancyra and
Archelais, about 63 miles west of the latter town.[1][2] It became a bishopric and remains a Roman Catholic
titular see.
Several of its bishops were historically documented :
Pancratius, an
Arian heretical schismatic, among the dissident bishops which left the
Council of Sardica and held a small council at
Philippopolis (now Plovdiv Bulgaria) issuing a separate Arian position.
Ipsius and Ecditius, whom
Church Father Saint
Basil the Great of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia mentioned in a letter
The bishopric is mentioned in the Byzantine imperial
Notitiae Episcopatuum till the late 13th century, but it faded, apparently at the advent of Muslim
Seljuks.
It is vacant, having had the following incumbents, all of the lowest (episcopal) rank :
Johann Baptist Schneider (1896.06.25 – death 1905.01.26) as
Auxiliary Bishop of
Wien (Vienna,
Austria) (1896.06.25 – 1905.01.26)
Ludovic Joseph Legraive (1907.10.17 – death 1940.06.10) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Mechelen (Mechlin,
Belgium) (1907.10.17 – 1940.06.10)
Arturo Mery Beckdorf (1941.03.22 – 1944.07.29), later Titular Archbishop of
Phasis (1955.04.20 – 1976.05.28)
Daniel Figueroa Villón (1945.04.12 – 1946.09.22) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Antofagasta (
Chile) (1941.03.22 – 1944.07.29); later Coadjutor Bishop of
Valdivia (Chile) (1944.07.29 – 1955.04.20),
Coadjutor Archbishop of
Santiago (Chile) (1955.04.20 – 1961.05.14),
Titular Archbishop of
Phasis (1955.04.20 – 1976.05.28) as Auxiliary Bishop of La Serena (Chile) (1961.05.14 – 1963) promoted Coadjutor Archbishop of
La Serena (Chile) (1963 – death 1976.05.28)
Daniel Tavares Baeta Neves (1947.03.29 – 1958.05.16) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Mariana (
Brazil) (1947.03.29 – 1958.05.16); later Bishop of
Januária (Brazil) (1958.05.16 – 1962.06.01), Titular Bishop of
Alexandria Minor (1962.06.01 – 1964.06.04), Bishop of
Sete Lagoas (Brazil) (1964.06.04 – death 1980.07.08)