The Bishop of Portsmouth has spoken of his sadness at the resignation of Kieran Conry, the former bishop of the neighbouring diocese of Arundel and Brighton, who stood down last month over an affair with a woman.
In a message to his diocese “about a serious challenge we face” Bishop Philip Egan reflected that the Church was comprised of “people like you and me, sinners through and through, though sinners called to convert.”
Of his former neighbour he wrote: “Whenever we find out, unexpectedly, that someone has fallen from grace, our first reaction should be to ask God to have mercy upon us too for our own sins. Indeed, having spoken with priests and people from Arundel and Brighton, devastated by the loss of a bishop they admired and loved, I can only suggest we pray earnestly for God’s mercy and healing, and the renewal of Gospel hope.”
In his resignation statement, read out at all Masses in his former diocese last month, Bishop Conry said he had broken his priestly vows. He is alleged to have been involved with two women.
In the letter Bishop Egan emphasised that chastity was a virtue to which all Christians were called. He said that priestly celibacy was “a demanding vocation”, but bishops were called to obedience.
“Obedience is really problematic for many in today’s context, an era in which freedom is often taken to mean ‘freedom from’ and ‘doing what I want.’ In fact, freedom is not the ability to do what I want to do but to do what I ought to do,” he said.
He continued: “Obedience is a serious challenge. As disciples of Jesus, we must put Jesus first. We must overcome any latent narcissism and become ‘Other-centred’ […] This is why we must enact the other vow we took at ordination: prayer.”
“Bishop Kieran will be greatly missed,” he concluded, adding that he would pray for him, “all with whom he was involved, and for the people of his diocese”.
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