Roman Catholic Diocese of Constantine

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Constantine (-Hippone) (Dioecesis Constantinianus (-Hipponensis Regiorum), Diocèse de Constantine et Hippone) is a Roman Catholic diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Algiers in Algeria.

History
Already since the second century the town of Constantine, then known as Cirta, was the seat of a bishop until the region fell to the invading Arab Muslims in the seventh century.

On 25 July 1866, the diocese was established from the Diocese of Algiers as Diocese of Constantine. Its name was changed to the Diocese of Constantine (-Hippone) on 23 September 1867. The territory of this diocese is much bigger than that of the ancient diocese of Cirta and compromises around 195 dioceses that existed in the fifth century. Before the enforcement of the Association law of 1901, the Lazarists, the Little Brothers of Mary and the White Fathers were active in the diocese.

Geography
The diocese is located in north eastern Algieria. It includes parishes in Constantine, Annaba, Skikda, Sétif, Béjaïa, Batna, and Tébessa.

Special churches
The current pro-cathedral is the minor basilica Basilique Saint Augustin in Annaba (Hippo). The former cathedral of the diocese is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Sept-Douleurs in Constantine. The building is now a mosque.

Bishops of Constantine

 * Félix de Las Cases (January 12, 1867 – August 29, 1870)
 * Joseph-Jean-Louis Robert (February 27, 1872 – July 15, 1878), appointed Bishop of Marseille, France
 * Prosper Auguste Dusserre (July 31, 1878 – February 27, 1880)
 * François-Charles-Marie Gillard (February 27, 1880 - September 29, 1880), died without being consecrated
 * Barthélemy Clément Combes (February 17, 1881 – June 15, 1893), appointed Archbishop of Carthage
 * Ludovic-Henri-Marie-Ixile Julien-Laferrière (January 29, 1894 – August 12, 1896)
 * Jules-Etienne Gazaniol (October 13, 1896 – May 22, 1913)
 * Jules-Alexandre-Léon Bouissière (May 26, 1913 – September 10, 1916)
 * Amiel-François Bessière (January 2, 1917 – October 3, 1923)
 * Emile-Jean-François Thiénard (March 24, 1924 – October 26, 1945)
 * Léon-Étienne Duval (November 3, 1946 – February 3, 1954), appointed Archbishop of Algiers (Cardinal in 1965)
 * Paul Pierre Pinier (March 27, 1954 – January 31, 1970)
 * Jean Baptiste Joseph Scotto (August 19, 1970 – March 25, 1983)
 * Gabriel Piroird, IdP (March 25, 1983 – November 21, 2008)
 * Paul Desfarges, S.J. (November 21, 2008 - December 24, 2016), appointed Archbishop of Algiers
 * Nicolas Lhernould (9 December 2019–4 April 2024)