TINOS. - Catholic bishopric of the island of the same name. Bishops of T. took part in the Fifth (553), Sixth (680), and Seventh (787) Ecumenical Councils. At the end of the ninth century the Greek bishopric of T. belonged to the ecclesiastical province of Rhodes.
During the period of Venetian rule (1207-1715), the Greek bishopric was suppressed; there existed, however, the Catholic bishopric of the Latin rite, to which the Greek protopapas was subject. The Greek bishopric was restored around 1719 and ceased in 1833, when it was incorporated into the metropolis of the Cyclades, whose see is at Ermopoli (Sira). The Catholic bishopric of T. was united in 1930 with the Catholic archbishopric of Nasso, whose prelate resides part of the year at Nasso and another part at T. Undoubtedly, the history of Catholicism in T. is encouraging, although, because of the small size of the bishopric, it lacks grand features; and although, owing to the emigration of quite a few Catholics to Costantinopoli, Smirne, and elsewhere, the number of faithful has diminished. It consists of approximately 4,000 souls, whose care is entrusted to about fifteen secular priests, assisted by religious (Jesuits and Franciscans).