Doclea (also Dioclea or Diocleia, Duklja) was a Roman city, the seat of the Late Roman province of Praevalitana, and an Archbishopric, which is now a Latin Catholic titular see.
The town was situated ca. 3 km north from present-day Podgorica, Montenegro's capital. The Romanized Illyrian tribe known as Docleatae that inhabited the area derived their name from the city. It was the largest settlement of the Docleatae, founded in the first decade of the 1st century AD. Doclea was built to conform to the terrain. It was a large town with 8–10,000 inhabitants. The surrounding area had a relatively high population density within a radius of 10 km due to the city's geographical position, a favorable climate, positive economic conditions and defensive site that were of great importance at that time.
After the administrative division of the Roman Empire in 297, Doclea became the capital of the newly established province, Praevalitana.
In the 4th and the 5th centuries, it was taken by the barbarian tribes and went into decline. At the beginning of the 5th century, it was attacked by the Visigoths. A severe earthquake destroyed it in 518. The South Slavs proceeded to rebuild the settlement in the 7th century. The historical ruins of the town can be seen today.
Circa 400, the city became the seat of an archdiocese, apparently Metropolitan as capital of a Late Roman province Dalmatia Superior.
It was suppressed in 927. From 1034 till circa 1100, it was nominally united (as a title) with the then still Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bar (Antivari), also in modern Montenegro.
Circa 1900, the archdicoese was nominally restored as Latin titular archbishopric of the Metropolitan (highest) rank as Dioclea, renamed from 1925 (exclusively from 1933) as Doclea.
It has had the following archiepiscopal incumbents :
Carlo Bertuzzi (Italian) (1910.05.10 – death 1914.01.04), emeritate as former Bishop of Rieti (Italy) (1889.02.11 – 1895.03.18) and Bishop of Foligno (Italy) (1895.03.18 – retired 1910.05.10)
Henri Doulcet (French), Passionists (C.P.) (1914.03.17 – death 1916.07.27) on emeritates, formerly Bishop of Nikopol (Bulgaria) (1895.01.07 – retired 1913.03.31) and Titular Bishop of Ionopolis (1913.06.03 – resigned 1914.03.17)
Pietro Fumasoni Biondi (1916.11.14 – 1933.03.13) (Italian) as papal diplomat and Roman Curia official : Apostolic Delegate to East India (1916.11.15 – 1919.12.06), Apostolic Delegate to Japan (1919.12.06 – 1921.06.16), Secretary of Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith (1921.06.14 – 1922.12.14), Apostolic Delegate to United States of America (1922.12.14 – 1933.03.13), created Cardinal-Priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme (1933.03.16 – death 1960.07.12), Prefect of above Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith (1933.03.16 – 1960.07.12)
Paolo Marella (1933.09.15 – 1959.12.14) (Italian) as papal diplomat and Roman Curia official : Apostolic Delegate to Japan (1933.10.30 – 1948.10.27), Apostolic Delegate to Australia, New Zealand and Oceania (1948.10.27 – 1953.04.15), Apostolic Nuncio (papal ambssador) to France (1953.04.15 – 1959.12.14), Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to France (1959.12.14 – 1960.04.16), created Cardinal-Priest of S. Andrea delle Fratte (1960.03.31 – 1972.03.15), President of Sacred Congregation of the Reverend Basilica of St. Peter (1961.08.14 – 1967), Archpriest of Papal Basilica of St. Peter (1961.08.14 – 1983.02.08), President of Secretariat for Non-Christians (1964.05.19 – 1973.02.26), President of Reverend Fabric of St. Peter (1967 – 1983.02.08), promoted Cardinal-Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina (1972.03.15 – death 1984.10.15), Cardinal Vice-Dean of College of Cardinals (1977.12.12 – 1984.10.15)
Egano Righi-Lambertini (Italian) (1960.07.09 – 1979.06.30), papal diplomat : Apostolic Delegate to Korea (1957.12.28 – 1960.07.09), Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon (1960.07.09 – 1963.12.09), Apostolic Nuncio to Chile (1963.12.09 – 1967.07.08), Apostolic Nuncio to Italy (1967.07.08 – 1969.04.23), Apostolic Nuncio to France (1969.04.23 – 1979.06.30), created Cardinal-Deacon of S. Giovanni Bosco in Via Tuscolana (1979.06.30 – 1990.11.26), promoted Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria in Via (1990.11.26 – death 2000.10.04)
Jozef Tomko (1979.07.12 – 1985.05.25) (Slovakia), Roman Curia official : Adjunct Secretary of International Theological Commission (1969 – 1971), Undersecretary of Sacred Congregation for Bishops (1974 – 1979.07.12), Secretary General of Synod of Bishops (1979.07.12 – 1985.04.24), Pro-Prefect of Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (1985.04.24 – 1985.05.27), created Cardinal-Deacon of Gesù Buon Pastore alla Montagnola (1985.05.25 – 1996.01.29), Prefect of above Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (1985.05.27 – 2001.04.09), President of Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious (1989.03.18 – 2001.04.09), promoted Cardinal-Priest of S. Sabina (1996.01.29 – ?death ...), President of Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses (2001.10.23 – 2007.10.01), Member of Commission of Cardinals overseeing the Institute for Works of Religion (2002.01.08 – 2008.02.24)
Pier Luigi Celata (1985.12.12 – ...) as (former) papal diplomat : Apostolic Nuncio (ambassador) to Malta (1985.12.12 – 1995.02.06), Apostolic Nuncio to San Marino (1988.05.07 – 1995.02.06), Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia (1992.06.24 – 1995.02.06), Apostolic Nuncio to Turkey (1995.02.06 – 1999.03.03), Apostolic Nuncio to Turkmenistan (1997.04.03 – 1999.03.03), Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium (1999.03.03 – 2002.11.14) and Apostolic Nuncio to Luxembourg (1999.03.03 – 2002.11.14); also Secretary of Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (2002.11.14 – 2012.06.30), Vice-Prefect of Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims (2002.11.14 – 2012.06.30), Vice-Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church (2012.07.23 – emeritate 2014.12.20).
