The Liverpool Post “Bishop Farewell to city after 15 years in top job” by Alan Weston

MORE than 2,000 people were expected to attend a farewell service for the Bishop of Liverpool last night. The service for the Rt Rev James Jones at Liverpool Cathedral was due to be held ahead of his retirement on his 65th birthday in August. A wide range of civic dignitaries were expected, including Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, plus serving and retired clergy, and congregation members to mark the Bishop’s retirement from the post he has held since 1998. In his final sermon last night, the Bishop was set to blame the crisis in public institutions on the decline of Christianity. He was due to say: “Our laws, our liberty, our language, our literature, our learning, our leisure and our landscape have all been shaped by the Christian faith. “Losing touch with these foundations inevitably has an impact on the superstructure of our society. “The poor performance in Parliament, the police, the press, the banks, and even the NHS have led to a crisis of confidence and lack of public trust. The behaviour of individuals has discredited our institutions. “It is difficult to prove this which is why I simply call it ‘a hunch’ but the erosion of our Christian foundations – or at the very least the taking them for granted – has removed one of the checks and balances on our behaviour both individually and corporately.” But the Bishop believes society is about to enter an age when it would realise how far the “good foundations of the Christian faith” had been ignored. The Diocese was also due to receive a specially-commissioned portrait of the bishop which will hang in Bishop’s Lodge alongside those of his predecessors. The portrait – of Bishop James standing on the Dulverton Bridge of the cathedral – was painted over a period of six months by Aberdeen artist Nicole Porter. She said: “It was an honour to paint Bishop James and the experience is one I will treasure forever. I hope the portrait will inspire people to reflect on all the great things he has done throughout his career.” The Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Rev Richard Blackburn, will have pastoral oversight of the Diocese of Liverpool until a permanent replacement is appointed to one of the most senior roles in the Church of England. The service was planned to end with Bishop James formally handing over the pastoral staff to Bishop Richard. Bishop James’s profile increased hugely towards the end of his ministry, after he was appointed chairman of the Hillsborough Independent Panel and helped to produce the definitive report into the disaster which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool FC fans. The Bishop will continue to have a role within the Hillsborough process as an advisor to Home Secretary Theresa May after his retirement. The Diocese said the next Bishop of Liverpool was not expected to be announced until spring 2014 at the earliest.

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