Suffragan Bishops
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- Suffragan Bishops
Suffragan Bishops will be appointed by the Diocesan Bishop, who will usually convene an advisory panel to help shape the appointment process. The process will include a conversation with the Dioceses Commission to consider whether the see should continue to be filled.
There is a description of the Nomination Process for Suffragan Bishops at Nomination Process for Suffragan Bishops
If not already a bishop, the new appointee will need to be consecrated as a bishop before taking up their new role.
The papers to be prepared by the Registry will include:
- Declarations and Oaths in the usual form
- Deed appointing the candidate as Suffragan Bishop of the relevant suffragan see and licensing their ministry within the Diocese
- Mandate to the Dean of the Cathedral requesting the Dean to install the newly appointed Suffragan Bishop in their seat or stall within the Cathedral
- The mandate will include a subscription to be completed by the Dean to confirm to the Bishop that the new Suffragan Bishop has been duly installed.
- As well as the standard declaration and oaths, if the Suffragan Bishop is being installed a stall in the Cathedral, they will need to take an oath to comply with the Statutes of the Cathedral and to uphold its work. This is normally prepared by the Cathedral and administered during the installation service.
In addition, the Diocesan Bishop should be asked whether they wish to delegate any of their episcopal functions to the new Suffragan under section 13 of the Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007. Such a delegation is normal, to enable the new Suffragan to deal with the widest range of episcopal ministry and may be particularly useful in enabling the Diocesan Bishop to delegate the handling of Clergy Discipline complaints where the Diocesan Bishop is unable to act for some reason. The delegation of these powers must first be approved by the Diocesan Synod, and approval for the delegation should be sought at the earliest opportunity.