Who Does the Bishop Represent?

The Diocese of Sodor and Man has encouraged its members to write to their MHKs about the next bishop potentially losing the vote.

Understandably it is concerned about, the CoE has a role in the island that no other faith group has, it is given, for no good reason other than tradition, a role in our parliament.

By what I can’t understand, genuinely, is why this is allowed to happen in 2023. I could stretch this further to include all of the Legislative Council, which has served as a training camp for ministers in recent years, but let’s focus on trying to upset a few people as possible.

In a post on its website, the Diocese noted that MHKs voted 14-10 during a recent Tynwald debate to remove the next bishop’s vote, while all of LegCo, where the bishop sits, voted against to defeat the amendment.

It goes on to say that the Archbishop of York,  Stephen Cottrell, is in the process of appointing the island’s next bishop but that he has ‘expressed his gravest concerns’ about Lawrie Hooper’s motion to remove the vote.

Sadly, I fail to see what it has to do with him, we may as well ask what he thinks about the closure of the Bradda Head fishing grounds or whether Barnoldswick Town’s winner should’ve stood on Saturday evening.

The Diocese website adds: ‘For the Bishop to lose the vote would be a very sad day for all the faith communities of the island.  For Christians, one person unites the traditions, and assures members of other faith communities that their wellbeing and the thriving of the whole island community have been taken into account.

‘The Bishop’s voice and vote are guided by ethical principles. Some – occasionally many – may not agree, but they can be assured that this voice and vote are not influenced by anyone or anything else.’

The 2021 Census found that 54.7% of respondents said that they were Christian. But how many of those people were actually asked and how many were just in a house where one person filled it in for everyone? How many people go to church each weekend and how many go to CoE services?

Returning to the argument about ‘one person unites the traditions’, I just don’t see it, can whoever wrote this seriously suggest that the bishop represents the views of all Catholics? What if the next bishop is a woman? Last time I checked, women can’t even be priests.

The Methodist church has moved with the times and allowed same-sex weddings, the Church of England, which the bishop will represent, has just got round to trialling blessings, where does that leave the new bishop?

That is before we get into the difference between mormons, quakers, baptists and every other domination we have on the island? The statement also gives no real reference to Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Sikhs or even atheists.

How can they say that one person can unite the traditions when they teach different doctrines? How can they say that the vote and voice of a bishop are ‘not influenced by anyone or anything else’? You don’t get to be a bishop by being a renegade vicar going off on your own path against CoE doctrine, so of course they will be.

Finally, some MHKs will oppose this because it’s bad politics, I get that, I really do, it makes sense, fair play, they have elections to win, but anyone who suggests that the bishop is helpful for putting things in perspective or anything that relates to morals genuinely concerns me as it sounds like this is someone who is incapable of making up their own mind.

Are there more pressing issues than whether a bloody bishop has a vote? Yes of course there are and I wish our MHKs would spend more time on them, but since they’ve again opened this door, get your emails in.

Whether you’re for it or against, their email address are all on here, so write to your MHKs, let them know what you think because it’s the nearest to a democratic process we’re going to see for LegCo and the selection of the next bishop, so you may as well.

For those who think I’m wrong, or anyone who agrees, please feel free to send in your opinions to hello@gef.im and we’ll published them later this week.