Bishop’s ordination postponed for 2nd time in English diocese
November 07, 2024
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CWN Editor's Note: For the second time in less than a year, the scheduled ordination of a new Bishop of Plymouth, England has been put on hold, apparently because of a canonical investigation.
On February 1, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales announced that the ordination of Canon Christopher Whitehead to become Bishop of Plymouth, which had been set for February 22, would not take place. Church officials later disclosed that an investigation had been undertaken, and “no canonical action was warranted,” but Canon Whitehead remains pastor of a parish the Clifton diocese.
In September, Pope Francis named Bishop Philip Moger, an auxiliary of the Southwark diocese, to become Bishop of Plymouth. But just days before his scheduled installation on November 9, Bishop Moger announced that “concerns have been raised of a personal nature,” and so he had “agreed with all concerned to delay my installation.”
In his surprise announcement, Bishop Moger said that the delay would be “until these processes have been completed,” and “due process observed”—thereby signaling that in his case again, some canonical investigation was underway.
The Plymouth diocese has been without a bishop since June 2022, when Bishop Mark O’Toole took on a new duty as Archbishop of Cardiff, Wales.
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