Press release from Lambeth Palace
Monday 8th November 2010
For immediate use
Archbishop accepts resignations of suffragan bishops of Ebbsfleet and Richborough
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, today gave the following statement in response to the resignations of the suffragan bishops of Ebbsfleet and Richborough:
“I have today with regret accepted the resignations of Bishops Andrew Burnham and Keith Newton who have decided that their future in Christian ministry lies in the new structures proposed by the Vatican. We wish them well in this next stage of their service to the Church and I am grateful to them for their faithful and devoted pastoral labours in the Church of England over many years.”
The Archbishop will now set in train the process for filling the vacant sees. In the interim, arrangements have been made for pastoral care to be provided by Bishops John Ford, Mark Sowerby and Lindsay Urwin for those who formerly looked to Bishops Burnham and Newton for their episcopal support and have decided to continue ministry in the Church of England.
ENDS
Update
There is also a press release on the website of the Diocese of Chichester: Announcement from Bishop John concerning the Archbishop’s request for pastoral support for Provincial Episcopal Visitors.
And, there is a Roman Catholic press release: Statement on the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus from Bishop Alan Hopes (Episcopal Delegate) on behalf of the Episcopal Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales for the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus.
Oh, that sort of sabbatical. Now I understand what Andrew Burnham really meant. I hope he’s a little more clear in the future.
Bishop John Ford is currently on sick leave…
I see that there is a press release from Chichester Diocese also confirming the Archbishop of Canterbury’s setting up interim Episcopal cover until new PEVs are appointed.
http://j.mp/FlyBish
Press release from Exeter on resignation of David Silk:
http://www.exeter.anglican.org/article.php?tabnam=newsnews&artid=2016&pagetyp=full
I have so far failed to find any mention on the Exeter website of the Bishop of Plymouth’s new role
“The Archbishop will now set in train the process for filling the vacant sees. In the interim, arrangements have been made for pastoral care to be provided by Bishops John Ford, Mark Sowerby and Lindsay Urwin for those who formerly looked to Bishops Burnham and Newton for their episcopal support and have decided to continue ministry in the Church of England.” SO. The new ‘tradition’ of ‘episcopi vagantes’ is to be retained in the venerable Church of England? This is not unlike the vagantes bishops that were specifically ordained and appointed by Global South Archbishops to interfere in the orthodox… Read more »
“I have today with regret accepted the resignations of Bishops Andrew Burnham and Keith Newton . . .”
Strangely, no regret whatsoever over gays killed in Africa by those Rowan wants to stay in “his” church.
Personally, I have today – with MASSIVE regret – heard no indication whatsoever that Williams is resigning.
Ron: “Does this extra-ordinary ministry comply with the Windsor Report, and the tenets of The Covenant?”. Yes, of course it does. The PEVs exercise their ministry specifically at the request of and with the consent of the diocesan bishop. One of the problems with the system is that the PEVs have preferred to see themselves as nascent parallel jurisdictions but that was specifically not provided for in the Act of Synod. There are lot of difficulties with the concept, but the consent of the diocesan bishop is not one of them (even if in some cases it might be given… Read more »
I notice that the press release by the Roman Catholic s Delegate is no longer available on the web-site URL provided above. It would be most interesting to see what he has to say about the Ordinariates – now that they appear to be bearing fruit.
ED NOTE: The release is still there, that was my error in posting the URL, now corrected.