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Diocese of Chichester

50°50′11″N0°46′51″W/ 50.8363°N 0.7808°W/50.8363; -0.7808

Diocese of Chichester

Dioecesis Cicestrensis
Nave ofChichester Cathedral
Coat of arms of the Diocese of Chichester
Coat of arms
Location
Ecclesiastical provinceCanterbury
ArchdeaconriesChichester, Horsham, Hastings, Brighton & Lewes
Statistics
Parishes365
Churches500
Information
CathedralChichester Cathedral(1075–present)
Selsey Abbey(681–1075)
LanguageEnglish
Current leadership
BishopMartin Warner
SuffragansRuth Bushyager,Bishop of Horsham
Will Hazlewood,Bishop of Lewes
ArchdeaconsMartin Lloyd Williams,Archdeacon of Brighton & Lewes
Edward Dowler,Archdeacon of Hastings
Luke Irvine-Capel,Archdeacon of Chichester
Angela Martin,Archdeacon of Horsham
Website
chichester.anglican.org

TheDiocese of Chichesteris aChurch of Englanddiocesebased inChichester,coveringSussex.It was founded in 681 as the ancient Diocese ofSelsey,which was based atSelsey Abbey,until the see was translated to Chichester in 1075. The cathedral isChichester Cathedraland the diocesan bishop is theBishop of Chichester.The diocese is in theProvince of Canterbury.

Organisation

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The Bishop of Chichester has overall episcopal oversight of the diocese, with certain responsibilities delegated to theBishop of Horshamand theBishop of Lewes.The suffragan See of Lewes was created in 1909 and was the suffragan bishop for the whole diocese until the See of Horsham was created in 1968.

The four archdeaconries of the diocese are Chichester, Horsham, Hastings and Brighton & Lewes. Until 2014, the Archdeaconry of Chichester covered the coastal region ofWest Sussexalong withBrighton and Hove,the Archdeaconry of Horsham the remainder of West Sussex and the Archdeaconry of Lewes & Hastings coveredEast Sussex.[1]

On 12 May 2014, it was announced that the diocese is to take forward proposals to create a fourth archdeaconry (initially referred to as Brighton.)[2]Since Lewes itself would be within the new archdeaconry, Lewes & Hastings archdeaconry would become simply Hastings archdeaconry.[3]On 8 August 2014, theChurch Timesreported that the archdeaconry of Brighton & Lewes had been created and Hastings archdeaconry renamed.[4]On 12 October 2014, it was announced that, from 2015,Martin Lloyd Williamswould become the first Archdeacon of Brighton & Lewes.[5]

The 21 deaneries of the diocese are:

Diocese Archdeaconries Rural Deaneries
Diocese of Chichester Archdeaconry of Chichester Deanery ofArundelandBognor
Deanery ofChichester
Deanery ofWestbourne
Deanery ofWorthing
Archdeaconry of Brighton & Lewes Deanery ofBrighton
Deanery ofHove
Deanery ofLewesandSeaford
Archdeaconry of Hastings Deanery ofBattleandBexhill
Deanery ofDallington
Deanery ofEastbourne
Deanery ofHastings
Deanery ofRotherfield
Deanery ofRye
Deanery ofUckfield
Archdeaconry of Horsham Deanery ofCuckfield
Deanery ofEast Grinstead
Deanery ofHorsham
Deanery ofHurst
Deanery ofMidhurst
Deanery ofPetworth
Deanery ofStorrington

Bishops

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Alongside the diocesanBishop of Chichester(Martin Warner), the diocese has two suffragan bishops: aBishop of Horsham(Ruth Bushyager) andBishop of Lewes(Will Hazlewood). The Bishop of Horsham oversees the archdeaconries of Chichester and Horsham, while the Bishop of Lewes oversees the archdeaconries of Brighton & Lewes and Hastings.

Other bishops living in the diocese are licensed ashonorary assistant bishops:

Three further bishops retired to West Sussex in 2013:Michael Langrish,former diocesanBishop of Exeter,moved toWalberton;[13]Christopher Morgan,former areaBishop of Colchester,lives inWorthing;[14]andGeoffrey Rowell,retiredBishop in EuropeandBishop suffragan of Basingstoke,lived in Chichester until his death in 2017.[15]

There is noalternative episcopal oversight(for parishes in the diocese which reject the ministry of priests who are women) in the diocese because the ordinary (Martin Warner) does not ordain women as priests.

Episcopal areas

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From 1974[16]until 2013 (byarea schemefrom 1984 onwards),[17]episcopal oversight of the diocese was divided: the Bishop of Chichester retained direct oversight of a coastal area including the See city and Brighton, and delegated Ordinary authority for the rest of West and East Sussex to the area Bishops of Horsham and of Lewes respectively.[16]

History

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Christianity was introduced to the British Isles during the Roman occupation. When the Romans departed, there were waves of non-Christian invasions from northern Europe; these were mainly Angles, Saxons and Jutes. Celtic Christianity was driven, with the Celts, into the remote western parts of the islands. The south of England was settled by Saxons. After the invasions had finished, Roman missionaries evangelized the south east of England and Celtic missionaries the rest of the British Isles.[18]

TheKingdom of Sussexremained steadfastly non-Christian until the arrival ofSaint Wilfridin 681 AD.[18]Wilfrid built his cathedral church in Selsey and dedicated it toSaint Peter.The original structure would have been made largely of wood. The stones from the old cathedral would have been used in the later church.[18]Some stonework discovered in a local garden wall was believed to have come from the palm cross that stood outside the original cathedral and is now integrated into the war memorial that is in the perimeter wall outside the church.[18]

The cathedral founded at Selsey was probably built, where the chancel of theold churchstill remains, atChurch Norton.[19]Selsey Abbey was the first seat of the South Saxon see. The seat was moved to Chichester in 1075 underWilliam the Conqueror.[18]

Insignia and shield of the diocese

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The coat of arms of the Diocese of Chichester in stained glass atSt Cosmas and St Damian Church, Keymer

One of the earliest representations of the diocesancoat of armsis that on the seal of BishopRalph Neville(1224–1243). A similar representation appears on the seal of his successor,St Richard(1244–1253).[20]In heraldic language the arms are blazoned as follows:

Azure a representation of Our Saviour seated crowned and a glory round His head, His right hand raised in benediction, His left resting on an open book Or, in His mouth a sword fessewise, point to the sinister Gules.[21]

as follows

Most of the older English cathedrals have arms of a simple design, usually various combinations of crosses, swords, keys and so on. Our Lady and the Holy Child are however shown in the top third of Lincoln’s shield and occupy the whole of Salisbury’s shield. Excluding the diocese of Sodor and Man, which was linked with Denmark prior to 1546, Chichester is the only other old diocese which includes a human figure in its arms. Over the centuries identifying the figure has attracted some unusual theories. The most common misconception, which was still being repeated in 1894, was that the arms show "Presbyter John sitting on a tombstone".[20]Presbyter John, or "Prester John" as he is more commonly known, was a figure of mediaeval fantasy who appeared in many books and travellers tales. It was said that he was an all-powerful and immensely rich Christian emperor who lived in the East or in Africa and who would come to the aid of crusaders. A letter circulated in Europe in about 1165 referred to the annual visit of Prester John and his army, complete with chariots and elephants, to the tomb of the prophet Daniel in Babylonia Deserta. It was the imagery of this letter that seems to have become attached to Chichester’s diocesan coat of arms.[20]

Much more likely is that the imagery is parallel to that seen in an early fourteenth-century manuscript of the Apocalypse of St John. This illustrates several passages with a figure who variously has a sword across his mouth, holds an open book, and is seated on a throne. The clearest illustration accompanies chapter 19, verses 11-16:

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no-one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron sceptre." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of Lords.[20]

In this manuscript are to be seen the main elements of the diocesan coat of arms and there is thus tangible support for what common sense suggests — that the figure is that of our Lord as ruler of the nations. The image was common in Byzantine iconography as Christ the Pantocrator.[20]

In 1626 Thomas Vicars, vicar of Cuckfield, wrote in a sermon which he illustrated with references to the book of Revelation and also to Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." He dedicated his sermon to his father-in-law, the then Bishop of Chichester:

The subject of the sermon is your Coate of Armes. The most godly and fairest Armes that ever I or any in the world set his eyes upon. Christ Jesus the great Pastor and Bishop of our soules sits in your azure field in a faire long garment of beaten gold, with a sharpe two- edged sword in his mouth. Is it accounted a great grace, and that for Kings and Princes too, to carrie in their shields, a Lyon, an Eagle, a Lilly, a Harpe or such-like animal or artificial thing? How much more honour is it then I pray you to carrie Christ Jesus in your shield, who is Lord of Lords and King of Kings?[20]

The position of the sword in the diocesan coat of arms is a matter that has raised some questions. In the newly drawn coat of arms the sword has been placed across the mouth, whereas previously and in the cathedral’s coat of arms the sword is placed to the right of the mouth. It seems likely that medieval versions had the former position, while later generations have preferred the latter.[20]

A medieval window in Bourges cathedral, France, depicts Christ with seven seals in his right hand and seven stars in his left. The sword is clearly across his mouth, as it is in the depiction of the same scene on the great Apocalypse tapestry in the chateau at Angers, also in France. In both of these representations, however, the sword points to the viewer’s left, the opposite way from the diocesan arms.[20]

Safeguarding

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In 2011 theArchbishop of Canterburyappointed an inquiry into long-running child protection problems in the diocese. The interim inquiry report found that there had been "an appalling history" over two decades of child protection problems and that many children had suffered hurt and damage. Because of concerns that safeguarding still remained dysfunctional,Lambeth Palacetook over the oversight of clergy appointments and the protection of children and vulnerable adults in the diocese.[22][23]PreviouslyBaroness Butler-Slosshad carried out a review of historic child sex abuse problems that had led to the conviction of a priest in 2008.[24]

On 13 November 2012 two former clergy of the diocese, including the formerBishop of Lewes,Peter Ball,were arrested by police investigating allegations of child sex abuse in the 1980s and 1990s. The arrests followed the submission of reports by a safeguarding consultant from Lambeth Palace to the police.[25]A trial date of 5 October 2015 was set for Ball and former Brighton priest Vickery House.[26]Ball was later sentenced to prison for offences against adult men but the child abuse charges wereleft on file.Vickery House was convicted of sex offences in the 1970s and 1980s against a boy and three men, and jailed for six and a half years.[27][28]

On 5 April 2013,Hove Crown Courtconvicted Michael Mytton and the Revd Keith Wilkie Denford of sexually assaulting boys between 1987 and 1994 when they had been atSt John the Evangelist's Church, Burgess Hillin the Chichester diocese; Mytton as organist and Denford as vicar.[29]St John the Evangelist's had employed Mytton despite his having been forced to leave a parish inUckfieldin 1981 because he was convicted of committing two acts of gross indecency with a 12-year-old boy.[29][30]Denford was jailed for 18 months and Mytton was given a suspended jail term.[31]

In July 2013, following a ruling by theGeneral Synod,the Church of England formally apologised for past child abuse and the church's failure to prevent it.[32][33]

In December 2013 a 56-year-old retired priest in the diocese was arrested on suspicion of indecency, indecent assault and cruelty in 1988 and 1989.[34][35]In April 2015 Jonathan Graves was charged with indecent assault against a boy and two women, and child cruelty against the same boy.[36]

On 12 June 2015, Hove Crown Court convicted retired priest Robert Coles of sex offences against a young boy about 40 years ago. He was already serving an eight-year sentence for sex offences against three other young boys in West Sussex, between 31 and 38 years ago, and an additional sixteen months sentence was added.[37]

References

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  1. ^"Diocese of Chichester – Archdeacons".Diocese of Chichester.Retrieved8 August2014.
  2. ^Diocese of Chichester – Announcement of a Fourth Archdeaconry for the Diocese of ChichesterArchived14 May 2014 at theWayback Machine(Accessed 14 May 2014)
  3. ^Diocese of Chichester – Suffragan Bishop of Lewes: Statement of NeedsArchived14 May 2014 at theWayback Machinep. 7 (Accessed 14 May 2014)
  4. ^"Appointments".Church Times.No. 7899. 8 August 2014. p. 24.ISSN0009-658X.Retrieved8 August2014.
  5. ^Diocese of Chichester – New Archdeacon of Brighton and Lewes announcedArchived19 October 2014 at theWayback Machine(Accessed 12 October 2014)
  6. ^ "Michael Eric Marshall".Crockford's Clerical Directory(online ed.).Church House Publishing.Retrieved18 June2016.
  7. ^ "David Peter Wilcox".Crockford's Clerical Directory(online ed.).Church House Publishing.Retrieved18 June2016.
  8. ^ "Kenneth Lawrence Barham".Crockford's Clerical Directory(online ed.).Church House Publishing.Retrieved18 June2016.
  9. ^ "Christopher William Herbert".Crockford's Clerical Directory(online ed.).Church House Publishing.Retrieved18 June2016.
  10. ^"Scriven, Henry William".Who's Who.Vol. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black.Retrieved30 April2014.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  11. ^ "Alan David Chesters".Crockford's Clerical Directory(online ed.).Church House Publishing.Retrieved18 June2016.
  12. ^ "Laurence Alexander Green".Crockford's Clerical Directory(online ed.).Church House Publishing.Retrieved18 June2016.
  13. ^ "Michael Laurence Langrish".Crockford's Clerical Directory(online ed.).Church House Publishing.Retrieved18 June2016.
  14. ^ "Christopher Heudebourck Morgan".Crockford's Clerical Directory(online ed.).Church House Publishing.Retrieved18 June2016.
  15. ^"Rowell, (Douglas) Geoffrey".Who's Who.Vol. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black.Retrieved23 August2014.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  16. ^ab"Episcopal areas for Chichester".Church Times.No. 5829. 1 November 1974. p. 24.ISSN0009-658X.Retrieved27 August2019– via UK Press Online archives.
  17. ^"4: The Dioceses Commission, 1978–2002"(PDF).Church of England. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 7 June 2012.Retrieved23 April2013.
  18. ^abcde"Diocese of South Saxons".Archived fromthe originalon 10 August 2018.Retrieved14 January2024.
  19. ^Tatton-Brown.Chichester Cathedral:The Medieval Fabric. p.25
  20. ^abcdefgh"Insignia and shield of the Diocese".Diocese of Chichester.Retrieved30 September2013.
  21. ^Townend, Peter, ed. (1963).Burke's Peerage(103rd ed.). Burke's Peerage Limited. p. 2650.
  22. ^Batty, David (31 August 2012)."Child sex abuse inquiry damns Chichester church's local safeguarding".The Guardian.Retrieved16 October2012.
  23. ^Williams, Rowan (30 August 2012)."Archbishop's Chichester Visitation — interim report published".Church of England.Retrieved16 October2012.
  24. ^"Church of England criticised over Sussex sex abuse".BBC. 25 May 2011.Retrieved16 October2012.
  25. ^Pugh, Tom (13 November 2012)."Retired bishop Peter Ball held in child sex abuse investigation".The Independent.Retrieved13 November2012.
  26. ^Frank Le Duc (20 January 2015)."Date set for retired bishop and fellow former Brighton priest to face child sex abuse trial".Brighton and Hove News.Retrieved3 April2015.
  27. ^"Vickery House found guilty of historic sex offences".BBC News.27 October 2015.Retrieved3 October2016.
  28. ^"Vickery House: Priest jailed over sex attacks".BBC News.29 October 2015.Retrieved3 October2016.
  29. ^abPugh, Tom (5 April 2013)."Ex-Church of England priest Keith Wilkie Denford and organist Michael Mytton guilty of string of child abuse offences".The Independent.Retrieved22 April2013.
  30. ^Latest Safeguarding news
  31. ^"Father Keith Wilkie Denford jailed over child sex abuse".BBC. 9 May 2013.Retrieved7 July2013.
  32. ^"Church of England makes Chichester child abuse apology".BBC. 7 July 2013.Retrieved7 July2013.
  33. ^Bishop John Gladwin and ChancellorRupert BursellQC (3 May 2013).Archbishop's Chichester Visitation — final report(PDF)(Report). Church of England.Retrieved15 December2013.
  34. ^"Sussex priest bailed over child sex abuse".BBC. 3 December 2013.Retrieved15 December2013.
  35. ^"Eastbourne priest arrested on sex charges".Eastbourne Herald.3 December 2013.Retrieved15 December2013.
  36. ^"Former priest Jonathan Graves charged with sex attack on boy".BBC News.15 April 2015.Retrieved12 October2016.
  37. ^"Retired Eastbourne priest receives further prison sentence for historic sex offences".Eastbourne Herald.12 June 2015.Retrieved3 October2016.

Sources

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