Royston Clifford Wright (4 July 1922 – 14 February 2014) was the Anglican
Bishop of Monmouth from 1986 to 1991.
Church roles
Wright was educated at the
University of Wales, Cardiff, studied for
ordination
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...
at St Stephen's House in Oxford and was ordained in 1946. He held
curacies in
Bedwas
Bedwas is a town situated two miles north-east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly (county borough), Caerphilly county borough, within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshi ...
,
Newport and
Walton-on-the-Hill, Liverpool before 17 years as a
naval chaplain. In 1968 he became
vicar
A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...
of
Blaenavon
Blaenavon () is a town and community (Wales), community in Torfaen county borough, Wales, high on a hillside on the source of the Afon Lwyd. It is within the boundaries of the historic county of Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire and the Pr ...
and then rector of a team ministry in Ebbw Vale from 1974 to 1977. Further appointments as
Rural Dean of
Pontypool, and
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denomina ...
of
Monmouth followed, after which he became the Archdeacon of Newport. Elected to become the Bishop of Monmouth in 1986, he held the bishopric until 1991.
Views
A traditionalist in his theology and an opponent to the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate, he nonetheless served as an assistant bishop to his successors, Rowan Williams and Dominic Walker, ( both of whom supported women's ordination) and did not take a prominent role in the discussions of the issue in retirement.
Although some sources have described him as authoritarian in his approach to administering a diocese, Wright was also known to inject humour into a situation. When a priest of his diocese acquired a phone-answering machine and left on it a message saying "Father has gone to say Mass, he does sometimes", the cleric was somewhat dumbfounded on his return to find a message from his superior saying: "This is Bishop Wright, who is pleased to hear it, could you ring me back please"?
Death
Following his death in 2014, the Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan, said: “Bishop Clifford had a pastoral heart and a good sense of humour. He was also a very able administrator, managing the diocese well and overseeing the purchase of the diocesan office and resources centre. He affirmed the work of Sunday Schools while the value of Church day-schools was asserted by the opening of two voluntary aided schools." The present Bishop of Monmouth, Richard Pain, who had served as a curate and incumbent under Wright, added that his predecessor had "a great love for the Diocese and his wise counsel was appreciated across the Province of Wales.”.
[''South Wales Argus'', 19 February 2014]
References
1922 births
2014 deaths
Alumni of Cardiff University
Bishops of Monmouth
20th-century bishops of the Church in Wales
Archdeacons of Monmouth
Archdeacons of Newport
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