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Thomas Burns (bishop)
Encyclopedia
Right Reverend
Thomas Matthew Burns, SM
, BA, BD (born 3 June 1944) is a British
Roman Catholic Bishop
. On 16 October 2008 he was appointed as Bishop of Menevia
by Pope Benedict XVI
, becoming Bishop on 1 December 2008 when he took possession of his new See, on which day he ceased to be Bishop of the Forces.
, but his family later moved to Lancashire
. After studying at St. Mary's College, Blackburn
, a sixth form
in an Exeter
school, and a monastery in Paignton
, Burns was ordained
to the priesthood
on 16 December 1971, for the Society of Mary
.
He then did pastoral
work, taught economics
in Sidcup
and Blackburn, and served as a chaplain in the Royal Navy
. In 1986 he was commissioned as a full-time Chaplain in the Royal Navy
. After training at HMS Raleigh and Britannia Royal Naval College he served as a Chaplain in HMS Drake and at Devonport Naval Base. From there he went to sea with the ships of the first Flotilla (to the Falklands, the Gulf and the Caribbean), and then joined the Chaplaincy Team in Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth.
On leaving the Navy in 1992, he took up an appointment as Bursar General at the Marist Fathers' Headquarters in Rome but subsequently rejoined the Royal Navy in January 1994. His first appointment was again to sea, for a period of 18 months, when he joined the staff of the Initial Sea Training Department in the newly created post of Chaplain to the Ships embarking Officer Cadets for their first experience of sea-going life. After completing the Initial Staff Course at Greenwich Royal Naval College, he proceeded to Portsmouth
, where he headed an ecumenical team working in HMS Nelson and the Naval Base.
On 24 May 2002, he was appointed to head the military ordinariate
of Great Britain
, the Bishopric of the Forces
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following 18 June from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, with Bishop Francis Walmsley and Archbishop Patrick Altham Kelly
serving as co-consecrators
.
Burns has been a vociferous critic of the UK Ministry of Defence, complaining that troops in Iraq were "frustrated by restrictions, checks and delays that are placed on them but not on their opponents", and that their "activities are often jeopardised by poor equipment, outmoded vehicles and inadequate apparel".
He also voiced criticism against Harriet Harman
MP's Equality Bill, which helped lead to its withdrawal, Bishop Burns felt that it would force the Catholic Church to govern itself as an industry or business, employing priests as employees, when in actual fact, the Church looks upon its priests as "Brothers of Christ".
Right Reverend
The Right Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain it applies to bishops except that The Most Reverend is used for archbishops .*In some churches with a...
Thomas Matthew Burns, SM
Society of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
, BA, BD (born 3 June 1944) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Roman Catholic Bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
. On 16 October 2008 he was appointed as Bishop of Menevia
Bishop of Menevia
The Bishop of Menevia is the Ordinary of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia in the Province of Cardiff.The Diocese of Menevia covers an area of roughly consisting of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, the City and County of Swansea and the ancient counties...
by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, becoming Bishop on 1 December 2008 when he took possession of his new See, on which day he ceased to be Bishop of the Forces.
Biography
Thomas Burns was born in BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, but his family later moved to Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. After studying at St. Mary's College, Blackburn
St. Mary's College, Blackburn
St Mary's College on Shear Brow , Blackburn, Lancashire, England was established by the Marist Fathers in 1925. It is now a modern college institute for students aged between 16 and 18...
, a sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
in an Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
school, and a monastery in Paignton
Paignton
Paignton is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 48,251. It has...
, Burns was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on 16 December 1971, for the Society of Mary
Society of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
.
He then did pastoral
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
work, taught economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in Sidcup
Sidcup
Sidcup is a district in South East London in the London Borough of Bexley and small parts of the district in the London Borough of Greenwich.Located south east of Charing Cross, Sidcup is bordered by the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bromley and Kent County Council, and whilst now part of...
and Blackburn, and served as a chaplain in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. In 1986 he was commissioned as a full-time Chaplain in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. After training at HMS Raleigh and Britannia Royal Naval College he served as a Chaplain in HMS Drake and at Devonport Naval Base. From there he went to sea with the ships of the first Flotilla (to the Falklands, the Gulf and the Caribbean), and then joined the Chaplaincy Team in Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth.
On leaving the Navy in 1992, he took up an appointment as Bursar General at the Marist Fathers' Headquarters in Rome but subsequently rejoined the Royal Navy in January 1994. His first appointment was again to sea, for a period of 18 months, when he joined the staff of the Initial Sea Training Department in the newly created post of Chaplain to the Ships embarking Officer Cadets for their first experience of sea-going life. After completing the Initial Staff Course at Greenwich Royal Naval College, he proceeded to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, where he headed an ecumenical team working in HMS Nelson and the Naval Base.
On 24 May 2002, he was appointed to head the military ordinariate
Military ordinariate
A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, of Latin or Eastern Rite, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation....
of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, the Bishopric of the Forces
Bishopric of the Forces
The Bishopric of the Forces is the Latin-rite Catholic military ordinariate which provides chaplains to the British Armed Forces across the United Kingdom and overseas. The chaplains are drawn from the dioceses of England, Wales and Scotland, and from some religious orders...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following 18 June from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, with Bishop Francis Walmsley and Archbishop Patrick Altham Kelly
Patrick Altham Kelly
The Most Reverend Patrick Altham Kelly, KC*HS is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of Liverpool and was formerly Vice President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales....
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
.
Burns has been a vociferous critic of the UK Ministry of Defence, complaining that troops in Iraq were "frustrated by restrictions, checks and delays that are placed on them but not on their opponents", and that their "activities are often jeopardised by poor equipment, outmoded vehicles and inadequate apparel".
He also voiced criticism against Harriet Harman
Harriet Harman
Harriet Ruth Harman QC is a British Labour Party politician, who is the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, and was MP for the predecessorPeckham constituency from 1982 to 1997...
MP's Equality Bill, which helped lead to its withdrawal, Bishop Burns felt that it would force the Catholic Church to govern itself as an industry or business, employing priests as employees, when in actual fact, the Church looks upon its priests as "Brothers of Christ".
See also
- Bishopric of the ForcesBishopric of the ForcesThe Bishopric of the Forces is the Latin-rite Catholic military ordinariate which provides chaplains to the British Armed Forces across the United Kingdom and overseas. The chaplains are drawn from the dioceses of England, Wales and Scotland, and from some religious orders...
- Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales
- Military ordinariateMilitary ordinariateA military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, of Latin or Eastern Rite, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation....
- Diocese of MeneviaDiocese of MeneviaThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church based in Swansea, Wales. There are 27,561 Catholics in the diocese which is served by 34 diocesan priests, 19 religious priests, 9 non-ordained male religious and 100 female religious...