BISHOPS AND DEMOCRACY

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4327, 17 August 1937, Page 6

BISHOPS AND DEMOCRACY

modern tendencies “PA SAYS YOU MUSTN’T ” The news that the - lately-appointed Bishop of Stepney has asked workers in his diocese not to address him as “ My lord ” carries a step further the slow democratisation of the Episcopate, says the ‘ Manchester Guardian. It is quite common now for bishops to object to the word “ palace ” when applied to their residences, and it may be doubted whether even an archbishop ever expects to receive letters on giltedged paper as was considered proper not so very many years ago. We may be quite sure that the present Archbishop of York (though he may employ a greater “horse power ”) does not drive about his diocese in a “ chariot ” behind six horses as his predecessor Harcourt used to do a century ago. It is true that some slightly earlier bishops forestalled the modern movement towards democracy. In the later parts of the 19th century it used to be said that one bishop addressed his

clergy largely by postcard with one of his many daughters as secretary and that nothing like “His Lordship asks me to say ” was ever used. Indeed, a common form was reputed to be, “Pa says you mustn’t.” Bishop Stubbs about the same period was told that the Bishop of Norwich kept no carriage (one believes that he cycled). So Stubbs sat down and sent his right reverend brother this little poem: The bishops once in days of yore Would drive about in coach and four, And when the bishops dropped their wigs They drove about in single gigs. But now so handy have we got That if you want us on the spot Just drop a penny in the slot. That was before “ on the spot ” became an ominous phrase.