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There was an article last month announcing that the New Bishop of Winchester will be the Revd Canon Tim Dakin.
At that point, he was the Bishop Designate, but now he is the Bishop Elect.
Why the change?
In the middle of October all of the Canons of the Cathedral, the College of Canons, was summoned by order of the Queen, to attend an election in the Deanery in Winchester, following procedures developed between the 12th and the 16th centuries.
After a Celebration of Holy Communion, during which we prayed for the Diocese and the Bishop Designate, as he then was, and after an hearty breakfast, we assembled for the election, with the Diocesan Registrar (in wig and gown) and the High Sheriff of Hampshire as witness.
We then all had to answer to our names (‘Here’ for those from the Mainland, ‘Présent’ for Channel Islanders), and any who were not present, and without good excuse, were declared ‘Contumacious’ - there were none of those!
The Dean then warned all those without a good reason to be there to leave the room - so that undue pressure cannot be exerted on the Electors.
The ‘Conge d’élire’ from the Queen was read, instructing us to meet to elect a new Bishop, as we are ‘destitute of the solace of a chief pastor’, swiftly followed by the ‘Letter Missive’ telling us whom we must elect.
We then elected Canon Tim Dakin, and copies of the election, duly sealed with the Cathedral seal, were sent to the Queen, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop Elect, and were placed on the doors of the Cathedral and in the Bishop’s Throne in the Cathedral.
This may all seem rather arcane and remote, but it was a very moving occasion - symbolic of the close ties between, and the independence of, the Church and the State.
Bishop Tim will be consecrated in St Paul’s Cathedral on St Paul’s Day, January 25th, and he will be enthroned in Winchester Cathedral on April 21st - both of which will be splendid occasions.
More details at: www.cofewinchester.org.uk