What happens when a Bishop of England and Wales retires?
By that I mean that he no longer lurks around his old Diocese but takes off to spend his remaining years on earth doing - what?
There are some, no doubt, who seek a home within a monastery, especially if they are of an Order and that would appear to be a good and wholesome way of contemplating the hourglass, in the company of one's brothers in Christ.
Some, no doubt, take off for the two bedroomed bungalow in Surbiton within easy reach of the golf course, fair enough; each to his own.
But, how would it be if the Bishop Emeritus in question cast his eyes on a rather luxurious flat in the heart of London's Mayfair, South Kensington or Knightsbridge?
Might that cause one to pause and wonder on the complexities of following a humble life style?
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| A humble retreat fit for a king (or a Bishop) |
Especially if the price tag was, let us say, in excess of £1,500,000?
Now the laws of litigation prevent me from going further and, indeed, I am not sure that it would be a good thing to reveal the name of the Bishop concerned but it does seem to me a very long way from the sort of life Christ would wish one of His own to abide by.
But then, this Bishop does belong to the Church of Nice or, should that be the Church of Nice 'n' Easy?
Grrrrr!
ReplyDeleteBut perhaps he will have horrible old-style Catholic neighbours?
I assume the momey is his own personal family money, which after long and due consideration he has decided not to give to the poor, in particular the shattered remnant of the ancient Catholic Church of Iraq, now living in hiding in cellars, or the shattered Catholic dioceses of N Nigeria, or the beleagured Christains of Syria or Lebanon, or Egypt?
ReplyDeleteYes I'm sure he has his good reasons.
And nice building by the way. He has good taste!
How does this tie in with his mission, vows, ditties, etc. as a lifelong ordained successor of the Apostles of Christ, Our Lord??
ReplyDeleteI would expect private money, probably already fully paid for.
ReplyDeleteSecular priests and bishops don't take a vow of poverty, so he's not breaking any vows.
ReplyDeleteAnd while I'm not going to pay a million and half for a flat any day soon (or any day far away, for that matter), I don't think I dare criticise until I've stopped spending money on unnecessary stuff (too much, and too frequently) and given it to the poor instead. Otherwise beams and motes come to mind...
I can't help thinking of the Bishop Emeritus who quietly retired to Ireland where he continued to serve as a parish priest...
ReplyDeleteHow much did it cost to provide humble accommodation for emeritus Pope Benedict in which to spend his retirement?
ReplyDeleteMillions of Euros!
ReplyDeleteHow do you work that out Greg? Castelgandolfo has always been there.....plenty of rooms vacant.