Bishop of Sodor and Man to retire
on Friday, 22 July 2016 at 5.04 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England
Robert Paterson, the Bishop of Sodor and Man, has announced that he will retire on 11 November 2016: Bishop Robert announces his retirement.
BBC News Bishop of Sodor and Man Robert Paterson to retire
A rather different vacant see than that of London. For the right candidate it can be very attractive, provided you have got enough interesting things to do away from the island. The bishop is an ex-officio voting member of the Legislative Council, the upper house of the Tynwald, which meets once a week in term time on a Tuesday. I understand the bishop is normally expected to be present and with few members any absence would be noted! The rest of the job can surely be done in the inside of a day, which leaves quite a lot of time… Read more »
Anthony Archer’s comment is worth attending to: Sodor and Man is a diocese with a great tradition of reverence for catholic piety and practice well as scholarship.
They surely won’t replace him though? I imagine it will come under an existing diocese.
A very decent and kind gentleman, who formerly was vicar of the largest and most successful church in the diocese of Llandaff. A lovely wife too.. who always shared his ministry.
As of yesterday, the Isle of Man now has fully equal marriage. Unlike the rest of the UK, both civil partnerships and marriage are available both to same-sex and opposite-sex partners. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_the_Isle_of_Man
I note also that registrars aren’t allowed to opt out.
Clearly the IoM culture has rapidly changed. Crown Nominations Committee please note, especially in the light of the above comments.
The diocese will not be united with any other. Manx people are fiercely independent -especially of England! The lack of a university theology faculty on the island might inhibit a so-called scholar bishop. However, Manchester is but a short flight away…
Sodor and Man was a staunch evangelical and low Church diocese, before the last three bishops who preceded Bishop Patterson.
As regards Manx independence…it is a tax haven
(with some very dubious banking practices)..having the benefits of the British National health service and a semi-independence outside both the UK and the EU. It also has a very elitist immigration policy.
“Unlike the rest of the UK…”. A minor point but the Isle of Man isn’t part of the UK.
Thanks, Paul, you are of course right. I should have written “unlike the UK” (remembering also that NI does not allow same-sex marriage).
RIW you may like to Google Thomas Wilson.
DB…..Bishop Wilson was a Protestant high churchman, but also an appointment of King William and Queen Mary.Before the emergence of Anglo catholicism. High churchmen were devoted Protestants.
The island’s bishops in the nineteenth century and for most of the twentieth century were low Churchmen and evangelicals.Google the history of the diocese.
There are times when I have felt sorry for bishops, and this bishop in particular. I hope he is happy in his retirement.
The idea of merging the Diocese with another was consulted on before the appointment of Bishop Robert and rightly rejected (I believe it was Cumbria being floated at the time). The uniqueness and long history of the Diocese, and the Isle of Man as a distinct territory, stemming from it’s Celtic and Norse roots and links with Iona etc would make merging detrimental to the Manx culture and religious expression, and let’s not ignore the fact that it is an established Church by Act of Tynwald rather than Westminster. The ex-officio role is more important than ever considering the internal… Read more »
Any news of women bishops legislation? Maybe they’ll get a woman? Or has it just stalled completely?
The application of the Measure relating to women bishops to Sodor and Man was approved some time ago. Quite how long it will take the CAC to recommend a successor to Bishop Robert is anyone’s guess.