PROSPECT HEIGHTS — Soon after the 266th successor of St. Peter was announced, Auxiliary Bishop Robert Reed of Boston was reminded by a local priest of a unique connection he shares with the new Holy
Father.
Beyond Boston, Bishop Reed is also the titular bishop of the Titular Diocese of Sufar, a role previously held by one Bishop Robert Francis Prevost, who the world now knows as Pope Leo XIV.
“Regarding the ancient diocese of Sufar, I am honored to have followed the now Successor of St. Peter,” Bishop Reed posted on X on May 11. “May God protect and strengthen Pope Leo XIV, as we hear in his
voice that of the Good Shepherd!”
Titular sees, of which there are more than 2,000, are established by the Church to recognize dioceses that no longer exist. Many of them are located in northern Africa and Asia Minor.
The title of titular bishop is only given to, and held by, auxiliary bishops — those who are not the ordinary of a diocese. The bishops appointed to titular dioceses have no jurisdiction over the modern-day location.
“It’s an ancient flock, and so there’s a connection to the people and to the history and life of the Church,” Bishop Reed told The Tablet.
The Diocese of Sufar was active in a Roman province in north Africa called Mauretania Caesariensis — modern day Algeria — until the Council of Nicaea (4th century), when it ceased to function after a great conquest in the region, according to Reed.
The Titular Diocese of Sufar was established in 1933. In 1965, the Vatican named Bishop Patrick Joseph Casey its first bishop, a title he held until 1969 when he was appointed the Bishop of Brentwood, England.
Bishop Ernst Gutting held the title the longest. He was appointed titular bishop of Sufar in 1971 when he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Speyer, Germany. He held the title until he died in 2013.
Pope Leo XIV was made titular bishop of Sufar when he was appointed apostolic administrator of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014. He only held the title for a year, as, in 2015, he was appointed bishop of Chiclayo. A year later, Bishop Reed was given the title after he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Boston, and he has held it ever since.
“It’s a pretty cool thing. I’m honored,” Bishop Reed said of the connection between himself and Pope Leo XIV. “If I ever meet Pope Leo,
I’m going to say, ‘Your Holiness, I have one word for you: Sufar,’ and see his reaction.”
Titular Sees From The Diocese
Some of the more recent appointments from the Diocese of Brooklyn:
Auxiliary Bishop James Massa
Titular See of Bardstown, Kentucky (2015-present)
Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski
Titular See of Walla Walla, Washington (2015-present)
Auxiliary Bishop Guy Sansaricq
Titular See of Glenndálocha, Ireland (2006-2021)
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Octavio Cisneros
Titular See of Eanach Dúin, Ireland (2006-present)
Bishop Robert J. Brennan
Titular See of Erdonia, Italy (2012-2019)