Charles Berington
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Charles Berington (b. at
Stock, Essex Stock is a village and civil parish in south Essex, England. It is about south of Chelmsford, the county town. The village is in the borough of Chelmsford and in the parliamentary constituency of Maldon. History The origins of the village are ...
, England, 1748; d. 8 June 1798) was an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
Roman Catholic bishop In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy orders in the Catholic Church, ordained Minister (Catholic Church), minister who holds the fullness of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, sacrament of holy orders and is responsible for teachin ...
who served as the
Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District The Vicariate Apostolic of the Midland District (later of the Central District) was an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. It was led by a vicar apostolic) who was a titular bishop. The Apostolic Vicar ...
from 1795 to 1798.


Life

At thirteen Berington was sent to the English College at Douai. Four years later he was removed and sent to St. Gregory's Seminary, Paris. According to his cousin, Joseph Berington, he did little better at Paris than at Douai, though he succeeded in taking his doctorate at the Sorbonne in 1776. On his return to England, he became chaplain at
Ingatestone Hall Ingatestone Hall is a Grade I listed 16th-century manor house in Essex, England. It is located outside the village of Ingatestone, approximately south west of Chelmsford and north east of London. The house was built by Sir William Petre, a ...
, a few miles from his birthplace. After travelling for two years with young Giffard of Chillington, on his return, Berington was appointed coadjutor to Bishop Thomas Talbot, Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District, becoming at the same time Titular Bishop of Hiero-Caesarea.Ward, Bernard. "Charles Berington." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 12 January 2019
The Midland District, one of the four into which for ecclesiastical purposes England was then divided, was at that time the stronghold of Cisalpinist opinions. With these Charles Berington was in full sympathy, in consequence of which, in 1788, he was elected a member of the Catholic Committee, who were then agitating for the repeal of the
Penal Laws Penal law refers to criminal law. It may also refer to: * Penal law (British), laws to uphold the establishment of the Church of England against Catholicism * Penal laws (Ireland) In Ireland, the penal laws () were a series of Disabilities (C ...
, for which end they were unfortunately willing to minimize some of their Catholic principles. Two other ecclesiastics were elected at the same time, Joseph Wilkes and Bishop James Talbot,
Vicar Apostolic of the London District The Apostolic Vicariate of the London District was an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It was led by a vicar apostolic who was a titular bishop. The apostolic vicariate was created in 1688 and was dissolved ...
, though the latter's appointment was merely nominal, for he never attended the meetings. Berington took a leading part in the disputes which followed between the Committee and the bishops, and though his sympathies were chiefly with the former, he exerted a restraining influence on them, and was ever trying to bring about an understanding between the two contending parties. He signed his name to the documents which appeared in the official publications of the Committee known as the "Blue Books", and he defended the oath intended to be imposed by
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
on the Catholics, which was afterwards condemned by the Holy See. In the midst of these disputes Bishop James Talbot died, and endeavours were made by the Committee to secure the appointment of Berington in his place, so that he might reside in London and exert the influence attached to the position. These endeavours failed, and John Douglass was appointed Vicar Apostolic. Some of the more extreme laymen, however, maintained that they had a right to choose their own bishop, and called upon the Catholic body to disavow the prelate appointed by Rome, and to rally round Berington; but he published a letter in which he refused to have anything to do with these machinations. Talbot died in 1795, and Charles Berington succeeded as Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District. Again he appeared to have a career before him. Before giving him his special faculties, however, Rome called upon him to withdraw his signature from the Blue Books. For several years he demurred, being still under Cisalpine influence. At length, through the intervention of Charles Erskine, who was living in England as an informal papal envoy, Berington was induced to sign the necessary retraction, on 11 October 1797. After some delay due to the disturbed state of Rome, his faculties were sent, but they never reached him, for he died suddenly of
apoplexy Apoplexy () refers to the rupture of an internal organ and the associated symptoms. Informally or metaphorically, the term ''apoplexy'' is associated with being furious, especially as "apoplectic". Historically, it described what is now known as a ...
while riding home from Sedgley Park School.Brady, William Maziere. ''Annals of the Catholic Hierarchy in England and Scotland'', J. M. Stark, 1883, p. 216
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References

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Sources

* Charles Butler, ''Hist. Memoirs of English Catholics''; *
John Milner John David Milner (December 28, 1949 – January 4, 2000) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from to for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Montreal ...
, ''Supplem. Memoirs''; *
Joseph Gillow Joseph Gillow (5 October 1850, Preston, Lancashire – 17 March 1921, Westholme, Hale, Cheshire) was an English Roman Catholic antiquary, historian and bio-bibliographer, "the Plutarch of the English Catholics". Biography Born in Frenchwood Ho ...
, ''Bibl. Dict. Eng. Cath.''; *Amherst, ''History of Catholic Emancipation''; *
Husenbeth Frederick Charles Husenbeth (born at Bristol, 30 May 1796; died at Costessey, Norfolk, 31 October 1872) was an English Catholic priest and writer. Life The son of a Bristol wine-merchant, who had emigrated from Mannheim, Germany, and his wife ...
, ''Life of Milner''; *Brady, ''Episcopal Succession in England and Ireland'', etc. {{DEFAULTSORT:Berington, Charles 1748 births 1798 deaths Apostolic vicars of England and Wales People from Stock, Essex 18th-century Roman Catholic bishops in England History of Catholicism in the United Kingdom