In the August edition of the Catholic Voice, it was announced that Bishop Terry is re-organising the diocese, in order to simplify and streamline our work, so that we can better fulfil our mission of proclaiming the good news and serving the kingdom of God. In that article, we looked in very general ways at the changes in deaneries and in vicariates which are to be introduced in the autumn.

In this article, we will look take a closer look at the various bodies who work with the bishop in guiding the life and mission of the Diocese of Middlesbrough. Sometimes people – especially those outside the Church – think that in a hierarchical Church, its simply a question of the bishop making a decision and then everyone simply falls into line. Happily, far more discussion and consultation takes place before any major decisions are taken. Much of the bishop’s time goes into seeking advice and information from a whole host of groups of people. Some of the more formalised consultative bodies are outlined below:

Bishop’s Council

Every diocese has a Bishop’s Council to support and advise the Bishop in his leadership of the diocese. Our Bishop’s Council will be made up of the Vicar General and the four new Episcopal Vicars. These will be joined from time to time at the Bishop’s invitation by

• the Judicial Vicar (Canon Alan Sheridan), who has responsibility for administering justice and Church Law
• the Moderator of the Curia (Fr Derek Turnham), who has responsibility for the work of the Curial Office
• the Financial Administrator (Dr Jim Whiston), who cares for the finances of the diocese

The Bishop’s Council normally meets fortnightly to advise the Bishop on day to day as well as long term issues. In a sense, it functions as the Bishop’s “Cabinet”, helping him to formulate policy and develop strategies so that we can more effectively proclaim the good news of Christ in a rapidly changing world.

Council of Priests

This Council represents the whole body of priests in the diocese and acts as the Bishop’s ‘senate’. The Council is a consultative body and is made up of 12 priests, half of whom are members by virtue of their office (‘job’), and half of whom are elected by their fellow priests. They assist the Bishop in the governance of the diocese with a particular emphasis on the pastoral welfare of the people of God.

College of Consultors

This is a group of priests required by Canon (Church) Law, which the bishop must consult before making certain important decisions in the administration of the diocese. In addition, if the see falls vacant (e.g. if the bishop dies or resigns) the College of Consultors elects the person who is to head the diocese (as Diocesan Administrator) until a new bishop is appointed.

Chapter of Canons

This body of priests is required to celebrate the more solemn liturgical functions in the cathedrals (e.g. to pray for the dead), and the bishop may consult them on certain issues. Your parish priest (or a neighbouring one) may well be a canon and therefore a member of the Chapter.

Finance Committee/Trustees

Every diocese is required by the Church to have a Finance Committee, which the bishop must consult in making major decisions which affect the financial life of the diocese. In our diocese this body is made up of clergy, lay people (male and female) and religious.

It is at this point that Church Law meets Civil Law, especially in the shape of the Charity Law of England and Wales. As a registered charity, the diocese is obliged by Charity Law to have a body of Trustees to ensure that the diocese works within the lay of the land. In our diocese, the Finance Committee is also the Trustees. You might think of them like a Governing Body of a school – ensuring that correct policy and procedures are being followed, without being responsible for the actual day to day running of the school.

At times in the life of the diocese, the requirements of Church Law and of Civil Law seem to be pulling in opposite directions. This can be problematic in many areas, from our Catholic schools, to how we use our money and how we dispose of our buildings. Jesus describes his disciples as being “in the world but not of the world” (John 17:11,14). The Church insists on her independence and freedom from secular authority in her proclamation of the gospel (since the Church is ultimately obedient to God himself) – and in times past this has resulted in severe persecutions. However, it is also true that secular authorities have a legitimate role in society (see Mark 12:17; Matthew 22;21, 1 Peter 2:13-17). The relationship between the Church and civil society can take different forms in different countries. However, Vatican 2 has affirmed that the Church and Society should enter into mutual dialogue and cooperation (Gaudium et Spes, #36, 40; Lumen Gentium, #36). Though there may at times be tension between Church Law and Civil Law, this can be a creative tension. Without doubt, there are major advantages for the Church arising from civil recognition of the diocese as a registered charity (a trust). The Trustees of the diocese have a particular responsibility in working through the legitimate demands of both Church and Civil Law.

Voice of the Laity

You may have noticed that the only place where lay people have a formal voice in the consultation process is on the Trustees. Bishop Terry is keen to address this lack in two ways:

Parish Pastoral Councils

The Bishop wishes to promote the role of pastoral councils in parishes so that parishioners can exercise their legitimate voice in the life and mission of their parish. As a first step, some work has begun to research the various forms of parish council and parish forums throughout the diocese. Watch this space for further developments.

Council of the Laity

Bishop Terry intends to establish a Council of Laity, as a parallel to the Council of Priests. Just as the Council of Priests consists of a representative group of priests, so the council of Laity will be representative of lay men and women throughout the diocese. This new Council will feed into the Bishop the views, concerns and experience of the lay faithful from across the diocese.

This is the second of three articles outlining changes in the structures of governance of our diocese. We hope you can see that there is a whole network of bodies in place (and due to come into place) to advise the Bishop in his task of leading the Church of Middlesbrough. In the final article (in October’s edition of the Catholic Voice), we will look at the new Deaneries and new Vicariates which are being established throughout the diocese.

Fr John Lumley