Bishop hits out at selfish leadership

The Bishop of Lichfield has called on leaders in the Church and secular society to put serving others before their own comfort.

The Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill criticised the MPs’ expenses scandal and banking practices, as he compared some of today’s leaders to the tyrant kings spoken of by the prophet Ezekiel.

“Those who should have been looking after the people, the flock, were apparently fiddling their expenses, awarding themselves huge bonuses, while at the same time cutting the pensions of the ordinary folk. In other words they were in leadership for what they could get out of it,” the bishop said.

“A nation loses its social coherence if a few very comfortable leaders enrich themselves at the expense of the majority.”

The bishop was delivering a homily at Lichfield Cathedral on Sunday to install the new Bishop of Stafford, the Rt Rev Geoff Annas.

Bishop Lichfield said a bishop’s task was not to “major on keeping the church going for another 10 years”.

“He is here to help us serve our country and those who are scattered like sheep without a shepherd,” he said.

He went on to say that Christians were called to demonstrate that “faith, hope and love can work in our day”.

“The Church and its leaders are not here to promote a private religious club for those that like that sort of thing," he said.

“We are called – all of us – as the Pope said so eloquently last week, to be part of God’s plan for rescuing our planet; for healing the wounds of conflict; for standing up for the right, when it’s unfashionable; for standing with the poor and to be the voice of the voiceless.”

Bishop Annas echoed his sentiments as he spoke of his desire to work with the church and local authorities in transforming lives and communities.

Pointing to his vestments, he said: “All of this is lovely but at the end of the day what we are about is enabling people to discover the love of Jesus Christ for themselves.”