Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of literal and virtual ink dedicated to the announcement of the nomination of the Rt Revd Phillip North to be the bishop ordinary of the Diocese of Sheffield in the Church of England. The conversation began with an article by senior theologian Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. He pointed out North’s membership in a Church of England subgroup, the Society, which issues cards to its members allowing the male priests to show/prove that they have been ordained by a male bishop. Dean Percy felt this membership made North unfit for the See of Sheffield. The snowball kept rolling downhill from there. With North’s announcement that he was withdrawing his name from the nomination, a number of CoE hierarch’s, pundits and UK publications have published statements. This list may be updated as more interesting folks wade into the fray.
The photo is from the Burnley Express.