The consecrations of the new bishops of Doncaster and Sherwood were postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. They will now take place in two separate services in York Minster on Monday 21 September.
The Minster has this morning published these details of who will consecrate and preside.
The Revd Canon Sophie Jelley, former Director of Mission, Discipleship and Ministry in the Diocese of Durham and Canon Missioner at Durham Cathedral, will be consecrated as Bishop of Doncaster in the Diocese of Sheffield. Sophie will be consecrated in the morning by The Archbishop of York, The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell, assisted by the Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler and the Bishop of Sheffield, Pete Wilcox.
In the afternoon, the Revd Dr Andrew Emerton, former Dean of St Mellitus College, London, will be consecrated as Bishop of Sherwood in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. Andrew will be consecrated by the Bishop of Durham, the Right Revd Paul Butler, assisted by the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally and the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, Paul Williams. The Archbishop of York will preside at both services.
There is more detail here.
So, ‘normal’ practice returns in the case of the new Bishop of Doncaster. The confusing statement put out at the time of the recent Consecrations in Lambeth Palace Chapel which so many people interpreted as a change written in stone for all time now proves to be nothing of the sort.
Concerning the business of delegating the role of principal consecrator, this is not happening in the morning, when the Bishop of Doncaster (female) is to be consecrated by the archbishop himself, and by two other (male) Northern Province diocesans, Durham (her “sending” diocese) and Sheffield (new diocese). This is what we would have considered normal previously. But in the afternoon, the Bishop of Durham (male) is to be the principal consecrator, not the archbishop, the Bishop of London (female, “sending” diocese) and the Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham (male, new diocese) will be the co-consecrators. So the previously announced “policy”… Read more »
Well, it’s clearer to the extent that in the cases where the Archbishop sees no doctrinal impediment to personally consecrating, he is free to do so. Last month’s ambiguous statement needed clarification which, as far as I know, has not been forthcoming publicly. The morning Consecration also reverts to all participants being Northern Province, which would be usual if not invariable.
Might it be because the present Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, was previously Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham?
More likely because Durham is the senior northern See besides York.
Do you remember the Fairy Liquid advert with Nanette Newman? “The hands that do dishes can be as soft as your face with mild green Fairy liquid”. It must be possible to develop a mild green sanitizer to purify and desexualize hands that touch heads, and indeed heads touched by hands. This way, anyone could be consecrated by anyone. It’s all very silly. Nothing that goes on in Lambeth or Canterbury or York affects in the slightest daily life for the vast bulk of the populace. The bishops are simply at their primary school playground games with catapults and weapons made… Read more »
There seems to be a distinct lack of communication between Lambeth and Bishopthorpe over whether or not Archbishops are to participate in future consecrations.
When the Archbishop of Canterbury made the announcement last month he said that the archbishop (whichever one) would normally delegate the ‘role’ of principal consecrator to another bishop, so the option always remains to both archbishops not to do that. But odd that it should not be ‘normal’ for them to be the principal consecrator! Personally, I’m glad that Ebor has gone part-way to returning to usual and traditional practice.
Lack of communication between Lambeth and Bishopthorpe (if, indeed that is what it is) is simply reverting to the situation before Stephen Cottrell became Archbishop. Nothing has changed.
All power to Bishopthorpe..Let him lead the way to the future with confidence in the Faith.
Fr John Emlyn
On a more positive note I am pleased that both services are taking place in the Minster. There should be room for a large congregation even with social distancing. It also seems to show a return to normality to hold the services in the usual location for consecrations in the Northern Province.
Why two separate services? I had assumed that limitation of the number of people attending might be the reason. Can there be”a large congregation”? As far as I am aware there are no issues of “The Five Guiding Principles” affecting either consecration.
Nothing to do with FGP’s, Roland. It’s about space and social distancing.
Sorry I didn’t express myself clearly. You will see that was what I had surmised. I am adding a separate general comment.
For my part, I think that there will be no peace, no healing in the Church of England until the only acceptable answer to an ordinand’s question, ‘Who will be ordaining me?’ is ‘Bishops’. And the same for consecrations. A house that is divided against itself cannot stand.
I think two services because the guidance limits the numbers for an ordination to 30. Size of the building doesn’t matter. We are hosting two ordinations (priestings) in September so that 30 can be in attendance at both services.
30 is the limit for weddings. I cannot see there is a limit for other services. St Ebbe’s Oxford reckons it can accommodate 85 socially distanced for its 12 noon Sunday Communion.
Ordinations are now classified as ‘life events’ which means a maximum of 30. Some dioceses might be taking a different approach, but they cannot say the C of E regulations are not clear.
Sure. We can accommodate 50 ish, but ordinations are classified as ‘life events,’ and the number is capped on the basis that some will travel significant distances to attend. We are hosting an ordination and 30 is the absolute number.
I seem to recall that so recently the two Archbishops spoke of working closely together, and indeed both spoke ‘as one’ in the service. Does anyone know what’s going on?
I could be bothered if I thought anything there mattered- Stanley’s suggestion re hand hygiene is somehow reminding me of Pontius Pilate’s wish to placate or pacify the people.
A tourist would relate to the Shambles as a significant feature of York. God ‘elp us indeed.
There is, in addition, no attention to what liturgical presidency means. A president may indeed delegate a part of the service to another minister, whether that is the routine of someone else preaching or leading intercessions or for example if I preside at a eucharist where there is a baptism but my colleague does the baptism. I cannot see much thought here to how liturgical presidency works out at ordinations. Clearly these new arrangements are designed to mask the fact that some candidates for the episcopate really want consecrations free from presidency by someone who has ordained women but they… Read more »
Or free from any woman bishop as a principal, or co-consecrator?
Charles,
I can see why we have the system we have for consecration, PEVs and the like, whether we like it or agree with it or not. I am having difficulty discerning the “why” behind the consecration of +Doncaster and +Sherwood. They are not even consistent with each other: why is ABY consecrating one and not the other?
I can see why folk would be upset RE PEV consecration but I am not sure that is to blame in this case.
Graeme
Does not the ABY preside because it is he who receives the oath?
The focus is all wrong here. Consecrations are a pageant for the church and (some of) the churched. Everyone dresses up in their finery so they feel self-important.
These people honor me by what they say. But their hearts are far away from me. Their worship doesn’t mean anything to me. They teach nothing but human rules.
And
You make the word of God useless by putting your own teachings in its place. And you do many things like this.
Jesus’s words squarely cover church protocol, and that’s all any of this is.
We “dress up” for many reasons.The Revelation of St. John teaches us many things about “the beauty of holiness.” Donning sackcloth is also criticized.
The recent consecrations at Lambeth Palace were not dress-up occasions. Some people were critical of the fact that there were no copes and no metropolitical cross.
A national service of intercession for the Covid pandemic, if it were to be held, would certainly be criticised if everyone (including clergy) arrived in their gardening clothes. We as a society signal the importance of an event by the clothing we wear.
A basic suit suffices
When the bishop turned up in only a suit at school, the kids were mightily disappointed. I’m with Richard. If Kate wants to be a puritan – fine, but don’t shove it down my neck.
… for going to the office
It’s been said that neither a wedding nor a coronation should come to mind at an ordination; it is an act in which the Church makes visible the ordering of her common life. But is collegiality modelled when ordinands to the diocese’s presbyteral college are in many-styled surplices, the cathedral chapter in a variety of copes, the archdeacon in scarf and hood and the MC in a cotta? Is unity made visible when a bishop – the focus of unity – is vested for his or her consecration in a black chimere with assisting bishops in red chimeres and the… Read more »
Interesting. After the ordination of the now + Gloucester and+Londin as i stood outside Canterbury Cathedral a german family asked why the new bishops were in black and the others in red.
I sometimes wonder if Kate just enjoys making crazy statements. We go into God’s house to offer God the very best of ourselves to him. As a priest or bishop we have our vestments which have their meaning, and enable us to lead worship as His servant. Even as a young boy growing up in South Gloucestershire, my parents taught me to offer my best to God. Each Easter I was bought a new suit, which was my Sunday best, and worn going to church. Call me old fashioned, but God deserves the best of ourselves, and… Read more »
Challenged at a clergy conference about wearing vestments and asked to state my justification for wearing them, I replied ‘camouflage.’ The parish-owned tat here is communal garb (after 72 hours and a lick with the flamethrower at the moment). Were I to appear in a suit, it’d draw a great deal more attention to my personal tastes, depth of wallet (Savile Row or Matalan) and ability not to spill my dinner down the front that the retrieved chassie from the parish wardrobe. I’m sure that all sorts of cod psychologising could go on about the hidden motives of the… Read more »
The outstanding question, which I don’t think anyone has answered, is why Ebor is not principal consecrator of both of the new bishops. Everything seems to be somewhat impromptu since the ‘Lambeth’ announcement. Why can’t we have a clear indication from the Church, with no ifs and buts, about future consecrations? Bill Broadhead thinks that nothing has changed, but I’m afraid that is far from being clear to me.
After the previous Announcement seemed to imply that Cottrell would never be principal consecrator, I am glad that turns out not to be the case. That would be a bizarre situation for a primate.