Updated Monday evening
In the continuing saga of the Bishop’s Palace at Wells (previous episode here), the Bishop’s Council of the diocese of Bath & Wells has formally objected to the Church Commissioners’ decision to house the Bishop elsewhere.
A news story on the diocesan website states:
At a special meeting on Tuesday 18 March, members of the Bishop’s Council of the Diocese of Bath & Wells unanimously agreed to lodge a formal objection against the Church Commissioners’ decision to move the Bishop of Bath & Wells out of the Palace in Wells and into temporary accommodation in Croscombe.
A spokesman for the Diocese says: “On 27 February this year we were given official notice by the Church Commissioners about their decision to move the Bishop to The Old Rectory in Croscombe. We were advised of our right to object within 28 days and we are taking the opportunity to do so. We now await the outcome.”
Update
The Church Commissioners have issued this statement:
Statement from Church Commissioners on Wells Palace
24 March 2014
The Church Commissioners have received from the Bishop’s Council of the Diocese of Bath and Wells a formal objection to the proposal to move the residence of the Bishop of Bath and Wells from Wells Palace to Croscombe.At a meeting of a committee of the Board on 21st March it was agreed to forward the objection to the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England who will in due course rule on the matter.
The Commissioners welcome the opportunity to present their case to the Council.
One cannot but – from afar – admire the tenacity of this arm of the local Church, resisting the strong-arm tactics of the Church Commissioners. This must be something of a latter-day expression of ‘power to the people’ – and in favour of their local Bishop. I’ll bet he’s surprised!
The ham fistedness of the. Church Commissioners seems only to be matched by that of the House of Bishops. Don’t they think before acting? Didn’t the Church Commissioners realise that they would stir up a hornets’ nest by this diktat? Didn’t the House of Bishops realise that their ‘pastoral letter’ would be so badly received that some Bishops are now busy scurrying around apologising for its tone and it’s content.
Don’t they ever learn? Obviously not.
power to the people! Keep his Lordship in his palace! I like it.
cf. CofE website – brief response from Commissioners to say they have batted it on to the Archbishops’ Council.
The diocesan management are having a taste of their own medicine. How many parishes have they bullied out of their parsonages without respecting the views of the parishioners?
Just spare a thought for the incoming bishop who has to move somewhere and who will be starting his ministry with everyone else arguing about and having opinions about his home.