Archbishops write to Independent Reviewer re: Sheffield See

In our 11 March post we expressed our agreement with the comments in Dr Sentamu’s  announcement that “there must now be time for us all to reflect” on events in Sheffield and in the wider Church”; we also suggested that it would be appropriate to refer the matter for assessment by the Independent Reviewer, Sir Philip Mawer under the terms of paragraph 27 in the House of Bishops Declaration GS Misc 1087:

Today, the Archbishops of Canterbury and of York issued the following joint statement indicating that they had written to Sir Philip Mawer to address the concerns that have arisen in the Church following recent events.


Bishop of Sheffield: Joint statement by Archbishops of Canterbury and York

Friday 24th March 2017

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York made this joint statement today on the recent events surrounding the nomination of Bishop Philip North as Bishop of Sheffield.

“The recent events surrounding the nomination of Bishop Philip North as Bishop of Sheffield, including his withdrawal from the process, have understandably raised great concern amongst many in the Church of England. The status of the House of Bishops Declaration of June 2014 has been questioned by some and its meaning has also been challenged.

“We have therefore written to Sir Philip Mawer, the Independent Reviewer under the Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests, (Resolution of Disputes Procedure Regulations) 2014, to address the concerns that have arisen in the Church following these recent events. We attach our letter to Sir Philip, in which we reaffirm clearly our commitment, and the commitment of the House of Bishops, to its Declaration, to the principles contained in it, and to the overriding principle of mutual flourishing.

“Finally, in this period of Lent, as part of our preparation for the glorious celebration of the extraordinary grace of God in the events of Holy Week and Easter, we call on all those in the Church to pray openly for the flourishing of those with whom they disagree, to demonstrate the mutual love which we are called to share and to proclaim confidently in word and deed that in Christ we find our true identities, and the overcoming of those things which in ourselves we find so divisive.”

 + Justin Cantuar:            +Sentamu Eboracensis

Read the Archbishops’ letter to Sir Philip Mawer


Comment

The approach by the Archbishops to the Sir Philip Mawer is provided for within the terms of the House of Bishops Declaration GS Misc 1087, [our emphasis],

Raising of concerns about the operation of the House of Bishops’ declaration

[27]. Any person may raise a concern, in writing, with the Independent Reviewer in relation to any aspect of the operation of the House of Bishops’ Declaration.  Any such concern may relate to more than one act or omission under the House of Bishops’ Declaration and to more than one parish or diocese.”

To us, this seemed a ready-made means of taking the issue “off-line” for an initial review by an independent party who has fully versed in the issues since his appointment in 2014. The Church in Wales does not appear to have an equivalent role to provide an assessment and degree of transparency to the claims and counter-claims surrounding the appointment of the next Bishop of Llandaff and the related resignation of the Assistant Bishop of Llandaff.

Cite this article as: David Pocklington, "Archbishops write to Independent Reviewer re: Sheffield See" in Law & Religion UK, 24 March 2017, https://lawandreligionuk.com/2017/03/24/archbishops-write-to-independent-reviewer-re-sheffield-see/

2 thoughts on “Archbishops write to Independent Reviewer re: Sheffield See

  1. I wonder whether this reference to Sir Philip Mawer was prompted by my Private Member’s Motion (below), posted on the General Synod section of the C of E website on Wednesday, and notified that afternoon by e-mail to all Synod members that it is available for electronic signature. It needs 100+ signatures by 10th May for the Synod’s Business Committee to consider including it in the agenda for the Group of Sessions of the Synod in York in July. The motion reads:

    That this Synod:

    (a) share the sadness and regret of the Rt Revd Philip North in his decision, announced on 9 March 2017, to withdraw acceptance of his nomination to the See of Sheffield;

    (b) note the substantial support for Bishop North’s nomination from many women and men, lay and ordained, in the dioceses of both Sheffield and Blackburn, and in the wider Church of England;

    (c) express its full support for Bishop North in his future ministry, whether in the Blackburn diocese or elsewhere;

    (d) note, with concern, the implications of Bishop North’s decision, and the public debate that preceded it, for the ‘mutual flourishing’ of the Church of England; and

    (e) request the House of Bishops urgently to review the ‘Five Guiding Principles’ and to consider whether they need to be amended or amplified in order to ensure that there is an equal place at all levels in the Church for men and women of different theological convictions on the issue of women’s ordination, and to report to the Synod by February 2018.

  2. Pingback: The Independent Reviewer and the Sheffield See | Law & Religion UK

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