. ▁ ▁Bishop ric ▁A ▁Bishop ric ▁at ▁Bere a ▁goes ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁Testament . ▁The ▁former ▁dioc ese ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁city ▁of ▁B ero ea ▁( now ▁Ver ia ) ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁province ▁of ▁Mac ed onia ▁in ▁today ' s ▁northern ▁Greece . ▁Today ▁it ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁ecc les iast ical ▁province ▁of ▁Th ess al on iki . ▁ ▁The ▁Catholic ▁see ▁of ▁Ber rho ea ▁is ▁today ▁a ▁vac ant ▁tit ular ▁of ▁the ▁that ▁church ▁centered ▁on ▁northern ▁Greece . ▁ ▁History ▁On es im us , ▁formerly ▁Ph ile mon ' s ▁slave , ▁was ▁its ▁first ▁bishop ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Apost ol ic ▁Constitution s ▁( V II , ▁ 4 6 ). ▁Ger ont ius ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁S ard ica ▁( c . ▁ 3 4 4 ), ▁Lucas ▁in ▁the ▁Rob ber ▁Council ▁of ▁E ph es us ▁( 4 4 9 ), ▁Sebastian ▁in ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁Chal ced on ▁( 4 5 1 ), ▁Tim othy ▁in ▁the ▁syn od ▁conv oked ▁by ▁Patri arch ▁Men as ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁in ▁ 5 3 6 , ▁and ▁Joseph ▁in ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁( 8 6 9 ) ▁that ▁condem ned ▁Phot ius . ▁ ▁The ▁By z antine ▁em peror ▁Michael ▁VIII ▁Pal ai olog os ▁promoted ▁the ▁local ▁see ▁to ▁an ▁arch bishop ric ▁after ▁ 1 2 6 1 , ▁and ▁it ▁advanced ▁further ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of