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Bishop ofthe Forces | |
|---|---|
| Bishopric | |
| catholic | |
 | |
| Incumbent: Paul James Mason | |
| Information | |
| First holder | Francis Walmsley |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Multiple (primarilyRoman Rite) |
| Established | Military bishopric in 1917, Military vicariate in 1953, Military ordinariate in 1986 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of St Michael and St George, Aldershot |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheBishopric of the Forces (in Great Britain) is aLatin Churchmilitary ordinariate of theCatholic Church which provideschaplains to theBritish Armed Forces based in theUnited Kingdom and their overseas postings.[1][2][3]
It isexempt, and so immediately subject to theHoly See and theDicastery for Bishops, and is not part of anyecclesiastical province, whilst being a full member of theCatholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. The chaplains are drawn from the dioceses ofEngland,Wales,Scotland, Ireland and theCommonwealth, as well as from somereligious orders. Chaplains have spiritual and pastoral care of military personnel and their families.
Until 1986, military ordinariates were called "military vicariates" and had a status similar to that ofapostolic vicariates which are headed by a bishop who receives his authority by delegation from the Pope. Theapostolic constitutionSpirituali Militum Curae of 21 April 1986 byJohn Paul II raised their status, declaring that the bishop who heads one of them is an "ordinary", holding authority by virtue of his office, and not by delegation from another person in authority.
There is sometimes confusion between the holder of this Catholic post and theAnglican "Bishop to the Forces": for this reason, the former is normally referred to as "the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Forces".
The current Bishop of the Forces is the Rt Rev Paul Mason, appointed byPope Francis on 9 July 2018.[4] The Vicar General of the Bishopric and Dean of the Military Cathedral is Father Nick Gosnell. Thechancellor of the Bishopric of the Forces is Rev. Neil Galloway.
Thediocesan office andepiscopal see, theCathedral of St Michael and St George (dedicated to traditionalpatron saints of chivalry and military), are located on Queens Avenue,Aldershot,Hampshire, England.[5]
As of 2014[update], it has 25 priests (23 diocesan, two religious), two deacons, and two lay religious brothers.
From 1917, two individualtitular bishops were appointed in succession as Roman Catholic Bishops of the Forces.
On 21 November 1953, a permanentMilitary Vicariate of Great Britain was established, still led by titular bishops.
On 21 July 1986, it was promoted toMilitary Ordinariate of Bishopric of the Forces in Great Britain, with its own Ordinary.
| Roman Catholic Bishops of the Forces | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| Military bishopric[1][2][3] | |||
| 1917 | 1934 | William Keatinge | Appointed on 30 October 1917 andconsecratedTitular Bishop ofMetellopolis on 25 February 1918. Died in office on 21 February 1934.[6] |
| 1935 | 1946 | James Dey | Appointed on 13 April 1935 and consecrated Titular Bishop ofSebastopolis in Armenia on 2 June 1935. Died in office on 8 May 1946.[7] |
| 1946 | 1954 | Sede vacante | |
| Military vicariate[1][2][3] | |||
| 1954 | 1963 | David Mathew | PreviouslyApostolic Delegate (papal diplomatic envoy) ofBritish East andWest Africa. Consecrated Titular Archbishop ofApamea in Bithynia on 20 February 1946. Appointed on 16 April 1954. Resigned on 23 March 1963 and died on 12 December 1975.[8] |
| 1963 | 1978 | Gerard Tickle | Appointed on 12 October 1963 and consecrated Titular Bishop ofBela on 1 December 1963. Resigned on 24 April 1978 and died on 14 December 1994.[9] |
| 1979 | 1986 | Francis Walmsley | Appointed on 8 January 1979 and consecrated Titular Bishop ofTamalluma on 22 February 1979. Became the first bishop of the military ordinariate at the vicariate's promotion on 21 July 1986.[10] |
| Military ordinariate[1][2][3] | |||
| 1986 | 2002 | Francis Walmsley | Appointed bishop of the military ordinariate on 21 July 1986. Retired on 24 May 2002 and died on 26 December 2017.[10] |
| 2002 | 2008 | Tom BurnsS.M. | Appointed on 24 May 2002 and consecrated on 18 June 2002. Translated toMenevia in 2008.[11] |
| 2009 | 2015 | Richard Moth | Appointed on 25 July 2009 and consecrated on 29 September 2009. Translated toArundel and Brighton on 21 March 2015.[12] |
| 2018 | Paul James Mason | Consecrated Titular Bishop ofSkálholt on 31 May 2016. Appointed on 9 July 2018 and installed on 12 September 2018[13] | |
Spirituali militum curae (21 aprile 1986) | Giovanni Paolo II
Military Ordinariate of Bishopric of the Forces in Great Britain | ||
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| Province of Birmingham |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Province of Cardiff | ||
| Province of Liverpool | ||
| Province of Southwark | ||
| Province of Westminster | ||
| Other Latin jurisdictions | ||
| Eastern Catholic jurisdictions | ||
