St
Mary
le
Bow
Church

Public Notice

Court of the Vicar General

Confirmation of Election of the Bishop of Winchester

Justin Portal by Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitan

To all persons in Our Province of Canterbury and in particular to the Reverend George Raymond Bush and to the Churchwardens of the Parish Church of Saint Mary-le-Bow in the City of London Greeting

Whereas The Episcopal See of Winchester having become vacant by the resignation of the Right Reverend Father in God Timothy John Dakin the College of Canons of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun of Winchester after having petitioned for and obtained the Royal Licence for an Election to be held for a new Bishop did assemble and elect The Right Reverend Philip Ian Mountstephen to be the Bishop and Pastor of their Cathedral Church

And Whereas His Most Excellent Majesty Our Most Gracious Sovereign Lord Charles the Third by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith has at the humble Petition of the College of Canons of the Cathedral Church given His Royal Assent and Consent to such Election of Philip Ian Mountstephen as His Majesty has signified to Us by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm requiring Us to confirm such Election according to the tenor and exigency of the Laws and Statutes of England with all convenient speed (as more fully appears by His said Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm inscribed and directed to Us)

And Whereas in obedience to His Majesty’s Royal Command We have decreed that any persons who shall except to or question the validity or form of such Election or the identity of the person elected shall be cited and summoned to appear on the day at the hour and place for the purposes underwritten (justice so requiring)

Now We commit and strictly enjoin and require you the said Incumbent and Churchwardens to cite or cause to be cited (by affixing these presents in some proper place at the Parish Church of St Mary-le-Bow in the City of London or such other public place as shall be most expedient) any persons who may desire to raise any such objection that they appear before the Vicar General or his surrogate in the Parish Church of Saint Mary-le-Bow aforesaid on 10 October 2023 at the hour of Four o’clock in the afternoon And all persons intending so to oppose shall make their objections in writing and deliver the same at the Principal Registry 2 Chawley Park Cumnor Hill in the City of Oxford before Four o’clock in the afternoon of 4 October 2023

The Vicar General will sit in Chambers at the Parish Church of St Mary-le-Bow aforesaid on Tuesday 10 October 2023 at Fifteen minutes to Five o’clock in the afternoon to consider any objections that may have been delivered and no objector who shall not have given such notice and appeared in Chambers at such time may appear or be heard during the business of Confirmation

We and Our Vicar General or his Surrogate will then proceed in the business of Confirmation as our duty shall require according to the exigency of the Laws and Statutes of England

And what you shall do our cause to be done in the premises you shall duly and authentically certify Us Our Vicar General or his Surrogate or so to let one of you certify who shall execute this Our Mandate

Dated the fourteenth day of September in the year of Our Lord Two thousand and Twenty-three and of Our Translation the Eleventh

(Sgd.) Darren Oliver

Principal Registrar of the Province of Canterbury for and on behalf of the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury