Support for our Armed Forces is vital as more and more soldiers are killed on the frontline, says the new Bishop to the Forces.
The Rt Revd Dr Stephen Venner spoke to KOS Media after hundreds of people turned out to bid him farewell from his post as Bishop of Dover and Bishop in Canterbury.
Part of his new role as Bishop to the Forces – given to him by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams - will be travelling to Afghanistan to give support to chaplains helping soldiers trying to cope with the traumas of war.
Bishop Stephen said: “What happens for most people when they are faced with someone they love dying or the fear of dying themselves is they start asking religious questions.
“These are questions such as what life is about, is there life after death, how important are they or how important were the people who died.
“Chaplains, like local vicars, are there to support people when they are going through difficult times or dealing with traumatic moments.
“A Bishop must be there to support the chaplains, which is what I’m doing in this post.”
Bishop Stephen, who has now moved from the Canterbury diocese to Rochester, has retired from his role as Bishop of Dover and Bishop in Canterbury after 10 years.
His official retirement falls at the end of December and the Rt Revd Trevor Wilmott will take over in February, 2010.
A special ceremony was held at Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday where the clergy, church members and the Lord Lieutenant and the Lord Mayor of Canterbury paid tribute to Bishop Stephen.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams described him as “a person of humanity, quality, intelligence and humility” and said their friendship had been “very real and significant personally”.
Bishop Stephen said: “It was an extremely emotional service.
“I was of course very moved by the Archbishop’s words. I’ve said many times before that the relationship between the Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of Dover has to be a good one.
“I’ve always found that our relationship was good, but for him to say it so publicly was very special.”
The Bishop of Dover runs the Canterbury diocese while the Archbishop is away on national and international business.
Bishop Stephen said: “The two really have to trust and support each other.
“Archbishop Rowan said it’s almost like he’s the grandparent and I’m the parent. We’d laugh together but there were times when he had to be strict.”
Rosalind Turner, managing director for children, families and education at Kent County Council, also paid tribute at the service.
She said Bishop Stephen had “led from the front” and praised him for his work as a founding member of the Kent Children’s Trust, as first pro-chancellor of Christ Church University and his work with the Kent Strategic Partnership.
The 65-year-old and his family have now moved out of their home in Canterbury and into a house in Rochester.
“Once a Bishop retires he can’t live in the same diocese,” he said.
“This is because if you’re living next door-but-one to the new Bishop it would be very hard for people in the diocese to give 100 per cent to the new Bishop, especially if he did things differently.”
But despite being sad to leave Canterbury, Bishop Stephen said he has great faith in the Mr Wilmott.
“We know each other well,” he said.
“If there was any advice I would give him I would recall advice given to me when I started which was ‘just love them’.
“It’s short but sweet and hugely profound. If the diocese feels the Bishop loves them they will love him too.”
An announcement was made at Downing Street on October 5 that the Mr Wilmott would take over as Bishop of Dover.
Bishop Trevor said he was very privileged to have been chosen by the Archbishop for the role.
POSTED: 06/12/2009 14:00:00
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