on Tuesday, 7 January 2025 at 2.12 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
The Right Revd Dr Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans, has announced his intention to retire on 31 May 2025. The official announcement is here on the diocesan website.
Is this a serious question? Beyond his diocese he has co-ordinated the work of the bishops in the House of Lords for many years and has personally campaigned for a change in the law on gambling.
Sorry – muddled my wording. He entered the Lords in 2013. ‘Many years’. He became formal convenor on 2022 as you say – but he was significantly in this for much longer.
The CNC is due to consider probably six diocesan vacancies this year, but it ought to have been only four, as two are second attempts (Carlisle (2) – second meeting 13/14 March; and Ely (2) – 12/13 November). Durham was completed in late November, and an announcement is presumably due shortly. That leaves St Edmundsbury and Ipswich – 28/29 April; Worcester – 12/13 June; and Canterbury, for which there is a considerable ‘window’ in the calendar from July – September. It presumably ought to be possible to ‘tuck in’ St Albans in November/December. However, there are some other retirements* coming down the pike,… Read more »
Exactly! And with Norwich and Chelmsford firmly in the frame for preferment, the whole of East Anglia could well be without a bishop by the end of the year.
The Archbishop of York’s position looks precarious too. Reappointing a known paedophile as Area Dean and bestowing an honorary canonry upon him may yet bring about his resignation.
What’s he done Guv? Move along nothing to see here … ?
Is this a serious question? Beyond his diocese he has co-ordinated the work of the bishops in the House of Lords for many years and has personally campaigned for a change in the law on gambling.
Two years can hardly be described as ‘many years’ He was appointed as convenor of the Lords Spiritual on 23rd September 2022.
Sorry – muddled my wording. He entered the Lords in 2013. ‘Many years’. He became formal convenor on 2022 as you say – but he was significantly in this for much longer.
Soul Survivor is in his diocese!
And Paula Vennells.
Where ARE they going to find all these bishops?!
Who needs that many?
The CNC is due to consider probably six diocesan vacancies this year, but it ought to have been only four, as two are second attempts (Carlisle (2) – second meeting 13/14 March; and Ely (2) – 12/13 November). Durham was completed in late November, and an announcement is presumably due shortly. That leaves St Edmundsbury and Ipswich – 28/29 April; Worcester – 12/13 June; and Canterbury, for which there is a considerable ‘window’ in the calendar from July – September. It presumably ought to be possible to ‘tuck in’ St Albans in November/December. However, there are some other retirements* coming down the pike,… Read more »
Exactly! And with Norwich and Chelmsford firmly in the frame for preferment, the whole of East Anglia could well be without a bishop by the end of the year.
There are presumably suffragans who can take up the slack.
Almost makes me yearn for the days when the King could say ‘I think I like this bloke’, let’s have him.
The King could choose a lady of course. I’m not sure whether the word ‘bloke’ is in His Majesty’s lexicon.
Nor lady. I think you mean woman.
The Archbishop of York’s position looks precarious too. Reappointing a known paedophile as Area Dean and bestowing an honorary canonry upon him may yet bring about his resignation.