Bishop of East Anglia

"'For the older "Bishopric of East Anglia", settled in the Anglo-Saxon period at Dunwich, then Elmham, Thetford and finally Norwich, see bishop of Norwich."

The Bishop of East Anglia heads the modern Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia in England.

The current bishop is the Right Reverend Michael Charles Evans, 3rd Bishop of East Anglia. Appointed by Pope John Paul II on 14 February 2003, he succeeded the Most Reverend Peter Smith, who is now Archbishop of Cardiff. Canon Michael was ordained as the third Bishop of East Anglia at the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist, Norwich on 19 March 2003.

History

Bishop Alan Clark

On 2 June 1976, the new diocese received its first Bishop, Alan Clark. Bishop Alan Clark, the son of parents who converted from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism, had previously been Auxiliary Bishop of Northampton and co-chairman of ARCIC (Anglican/Roman Catholic International Commission), with the cathedral being established at the former parish church of St John the Baptist, Norwich. As the first Bishop of the new diocese, Bishop Clark had to set up all the necessary instruments and commissions for the diocese to operate successfully. Following his 75th birthday in August 1994 Bishop Alan Clark retired as Bishop of East Anglia. On 2 June 2001 Bishop Clark celebrated the 25th Anniversary of his installation as the first Bishop of the Diocese.

Bishop Peter Smith

On the 21 March 1995 Peter Smith, Rector of St John's Seminary, Southwark Archdiocese, was appointed the 2nd Bishop of East Anglia by Pope John Paul II. He was ordained Bishop in St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Norwich on 27 May 1995 by Basil Cardinal Hume. He has since become Archbishop of Cardiff, taking over for John Aloysius Ward.

List of the Bishops of the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia, England

ee also

* East Anglia Diocese
*Lists of office-holders

External links

* [http://www.catholiceastanglia.org/ Official website of the Diocese of East Anglia]