Diocesan Bishops

The Diocesan Bishop is the senior pastor of the diocese.

They hold the cure of souls for all within the Diocese, and share this with incumbents as the latter are appointed to office.

The nomination and appointment of a Diocesan Bishop is through the Crown Nominations Commission. They meet at least twice during the Vacancy in See.

The process for choosing a Diocesan Bishop begins in the diocese and there is extensive consultation with representatives from the diocese to assess the needs of the diocese before a candidate is identified; this diocesan representation is made partly through a standing Vacancy in See Committee maintained by each diocese at all times. However, because of the variety of the roles which diocesan bishops have, not only within the Church of England but also locally and nationally, the choice is not made by representatives of the diocese alone.

Diocesan representatives work alongside representatives of the Church of England as a whole, under the guidance of the Archbishops. The Sovereign (advised by the Prime Minister) makes the final appointment to the vacant see.

Once a new candidate has been identified, an instruction is sent from the Provincial Registry to the Cathedral College of Canons asking the College formally to elect the candidate. The Instruction sets out the procedure to be followed. This may include appointment of the Diocesan Registrar as clerk to the meeting of the College of Canons and as proctor to the College to complete various certificates. The register of members of the College is called at the meeting and any absences or apologies noted. Canons absent without excuse are pronounced ‘contumacious’!

The instructions also include a Congé d’élire and His Majesty the King’s Letter Missive, directing the College to elect the new Bishop. The fact of the election is then published formally, the Registrar (or the Chapter Clerk) certifying the election to the Sovereign, the Archbishop and to the Bishop-elect.

After the election of the new Bishop has been signified by the Crown to the Archbishop, the Archbishop subscribes his fiat confirmation, giving commission, under his seal, to the Vicar General to perform all acts necessary to perfect the confirmation. The Vicar General issues, in the Archbishop’s name, a citation summoning anyone wishing to oppose the election to appear at a specified time and place to offer any objections. A service then takes place at St Mary-le-Bow in London to confirm the election. This is partly a church service but principally a legal hearing by the Vicar General of the Province of Canterbury to receive a report from the Proctor for the College of Canons to confirm that the election took place correctly and lawfully. The pronouncement by the Court that the election is confirmed marks the moment when the new Bishop formally becomes the Bishop of the Diocese.

The new Bishop will then be formally enthroned or installed in the cathedral of the diocese, the word ‘cathedral’ meaning the ‘seat’ of the bishop. Note that notwithstanding that the cathedral is the Bishop’s principal seat, it is not under the Bishop’s control for legal purposes, but under the control of the Dean and Chapter. This means that good relations between the Bishop and the Dean and Chapter are important. When a vacancy in see is anticipated, the outgoing Diocesan Bishop will want to delegate authority to one of the Suffragan Bishops in the Diocese to be the ‘acting diocesan bishop’ during the vacancy. This delegation is made under s14 of the Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007 , and normally lasts for up to 12 months from the start of the vacancy in see. The Archbishop of Canterbury may extend the delegation if the vacancy in see lasts for more than 12 months.