The right reverend left his role as Bishop of Chelmsford over Easter and is due to become Archbishop of York in July – the second highest role in the Church of England.
But the coronavirus restrictions have left him unable to say a proper goodbye to the people of east London, something that disappoints him.
“For me, it’s been a kind of double lockdown – the lockdown we are all experiencing but a lot of the things I had been doing have been taken away altogether. So it’s a kind of double limbo for me at the moment.
“Rites of passage are important and it’s hard to say goodbye without the chance to say goodbye but there’s so much I’ll miss.”
The former Bishop of Chelmsford talks about his experiences transitioning to his new role as the Archbishop of York and having to leave behind the area under coronavirus. https://t.co/YekGg9cUdC
— Ilford Recorder (@IlfordRecorder) May 26, 2020