Cardiff, Wrexham, Brentwood, Portsmouth - Archbishop Mennini is going to be a busy man!

2011 is certainly going to be the year of the Bishops - at the last count we can expect a 38% new intake figure over the next couple of years. and that does not account for any sudden deaths in the mean time. With particular regard to this matter, please pray for Bishop Michael Evans of East Anglia who is critically ill at this time, I believe.

We appreciate the application but don't wait by the phone!

So from where will the new Papal Nuncio select his nominations? How will he set about creating a Terna for the various Dioceses and Archdioceses that are falling vacant?

Well, as far as appointing an Archbishop is concerned it does not look overly promising. a quick trawl of E & W Auxiliary Bishops and Bishops with an existing Diocese and who are still young enough to be appointed, reveals only ten possibles. And, with the greatest chunk of Christian charity in the world, most of those would not appear to fit the bill in terms of scope of experience at parochial, diocesan and international level. Lots of sociological backgrounds, plenty of ecumenical activity (to what avail) and many, many degrees of in depth experience sitting on committees of every shape and hue. But nothing that leaps off the page and yells 'Bishop' or 'Archbishop' at you.
Of course, candidates do not necessarily need to be Bishops for the diocesan posts but, I guess the Archbishoprics require that grounding in episcopal ways.
Hopefully, ++ Mennini might use some different approaches and get a few names from the host of good priests who are capable (I will not embarrass them or, for that matter, disqualify them by naming them here).

As far as the potential candidates are concerned, I've drawn up a crude listing using only the information provided by the E & W Bishops website. I am sure these are all good men and true (well, most of them) but can you see any that have 'ARCHBISHOP' writ large on their foreheads?

Here they are, not in any political sequence:-


1. + John Arnold - Westminster Auxiliary. Has a Law Degree (good) but, apart from 8 years parish experience in Enfield,  seems to have maintained a largely Diocesan series of functions. Could be a contender for Wrexham or Hallam?

2. + Alan Hopes - At 66 he is at perhaps the upper echelons of choice but may be in line for a reward for his service to HE Cormac Murphy O'Connor. Not popular at the orthodox end largely because of his period at Our Lady of Victories, or so I am led to believe. 33-1 as an outsider for Brentwood.

3. + William Kenney - Birmingham Auxiliary. Sports a reasonable CV including time spent lecturring in the 80s in Sweden (but this places him a bit too firmly in the Lib camp for my liking - Academic Sociology - ugh! No thank you!). Possibly a tad too much of an academia taint to his past.

4. + George Stack - yet another Auxiliary from the Westminster stable; a goodish mixed career mainly in the Diocese but nothing that might flag him up as a favourite. Was appointed one of the first Ecumenical Canons at St Paul's Cathedral, London.....err...that's a Protestant church isn't it?

5. + Thomas Williams - sounds as if he should be Welsh but actually hails from Liverpool (well, it's almost in Wales). Has been a Liverpool Auxiliary since I can't see when and held a wide range of parish priest duties before becoming a Bish. Was, of course, one of ++ Worlock's men (cross your fingers when you mention that name).  Nothing too much to report about him except that he likes a weekly round of golf, enjoys horse racing, is an avid Everton supporter and "must have a week of skiing every year".
He is a 'shoo-in' for somewhere! Please not Cardiff!

6. + Patrick Lynch - Auxiliary at Southwark. Again, nothing startling about this man apart from his picture on the Bishop's site - don't let children below the age of 12 see this! Spent time in the USA and then punted around the country somewhat, Peterborough, Daventry and London. Is stated as having "an international dimension" but it does not stack up to what I would describe as an international dimension.

7. + Peter Doyle - current Bishop of Northampton and, therefore, a possible contender for Cardiff? Or does it not work like that? Spent most of his formative years in Portsmouth Diocese (Oh dear) was ordained by ++ Worlock (Oh dearie dear). Another golfer (is that an episcopal pre-requisite?) and loves playing with his fellow clergy (I bet they love playing with their Bishop! - do they ever win?). Used to play rugby. That settles it - he's the firm favourite for Cardiff.

8. + David McGough - yet another Birmingham Auxiliary. Past experience seems focused on an academic period followed by a longish period as parish priest. General all rounder, may stick the course but not expected to get a place.

9. + Malcolm McMahon - currently Bishop of Nottingham and an OP which is v. good (we like OPs). A graduate engineer (I like that too, not many engineers around, especially in clerical circles). Has also been around the block a few times (in the nicest sense of the phrase). From memory I believe he celebrated EF Mass at one of the LMS's Priest Training weeks in Oxford. If correct, he gets an extra gold star from me.
May be the one to put your money on for Cardiff.

10. + Paul Hendricks - Southwark Auxiliary. Apart from a scary grin he looks much on a par with the rest of the field...not a terribly in-depth CV.

There you have it - 10 good men and true. See if you can spot the magic circlers among them.....better still, see if you can spot the Archbishop among them!