Yes, bishops have to learn to watch what they say (although preferably not all the time), and not shoot their mouths off publicly at every opporÂtunity. But there is a difference between being carefully prepared and believing that everything you say is going to be of earth-shattering importance.
“Bishop-itis” can get out of hand, and resemble what Clement Attlee once condemned in leaders as “the continual beating of the breast and airing of agonies in public”. This is what a fellow-bishop once described to me as “the high apophatic angst”, a dynamic that can ensure that discussions go round in circles, just in case a decision might be reached.
Bishops perhaps need to take themselves ”” and the Church ”” less seriously than they often do, because, in the end, it is God’s Church, not ours, and he is the one continually re-shaping it. Perhaps that is why bishoping is such a huge privilege, especially when assisted by good colleagues, as I have been.
For all the tight corners I have known in 14 years in post, I can still leave it profoundly thankful.
A good read. Thanks.
Agreed, UP (#1). This should be sent to all bishops. I love the winsome humility and humor displayed here by +Stevenson.
I’ve admired his books on liturgical history for some time. It’s refreshing to see evidence that some academics can also make good bishops.
David Handy+