Lead seal of Theodore, Metropolitan of Tarsus (late 7th century) The first recorded bishop of Tarsus , Helenus, went to Antioch several times in connection with the dispute concerning Paul of Samosata .[ 1] Le Quien [ 2] mentions twenty-two of its bishops, of whom several are legendary.
Tarsus was the metropolitan see of the province of Cilicia Prima , under the Patriarchate of Antioch .[ 2] From the 6th century onwards, the metropolitan see of Tarsus had seven suffragan bishoprics (Échos d'Orient , X, 145).
The Greek archdiocese, mentioned in the 10th century (Échos d'Orient , X, 98), has existed down to the present day as part of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch .[ 3]
At about the end of the 10th century, the Armenians established a diocese of their rite; Saint Nerses of Lambron was its most distinguished representative in the 12th century.
Tarsus is included in the Catholic Church 's list of titular sees as a metropolitan see of both the Latin , the Maronite and the Melkite Catholic Church .[ 4]
The Church of the East had a diocese of Tarsus that was a suffragan of Damascus , but no incumbents are known by name.
Syriac Orthodox bishops [ edit ] Roman Catholic bishops [ edit ] Bishops of the Latin Church :[ 8]
Roger (1099 – c.1108)
Stephen (fl. 1135–1140)
Albert (fl. 1186–1191)
^ Eusebius , Ecclesiastical History , VI, xlvi; VII, v.
^ a b Le Quien, Michel (1740). "Ecclesia Tarsensis". Oriens Christianus, in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus: quo exhibentur ecclesiæ, patriarchæ, cæterique præsules totius Orientis. Tomus secundus, in quo Illyricum Orientale ad Patriarchatum Constantinopolitanum pertinens, Patriarchatus Alexandrinus & Antiochenus, magnæque Chaldæorum & Jacobitarum Diœceses exponuntur (in Latin). Paris: Ex Typographia Regia. cols. 869–876. OCLC 955922747 .
^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Tarsus ". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^ Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1 ), p. 984
^ Eusebius , Historia Ecclesiastica , VI, xlvi VII, v). Le Quien (Oriens christianus , II, 869-76)
^ Michael the Syrian : 89.
^ Michael the Syrian: 102.
^ Bernard Hamilton, The Latin Church in the Crusader States (Ashgate, 1980), p. 408.