Robert James Saner-Haigh (born 1973) is a British Anglican bishop. He has been the

Bishop of Penrith The Bishop of Penrith is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Penrith in Cumbria. The title was first mentioned (as Pereth) in the Suffragan Bishops Act 1534 (alongside a see for Penreth – now called Penrydd – in Pembr ...

— the sole suffragan bishop of the

Diocese of Carlisle The Diocese of Carlisle was created in 11 April 1132 by Henry I out of part of the Diocese of Durham, although many people of Cumbric descent in the area looked to Glasgow for spiritual leadership. The first bishop was Æthelwold, who was the ...

— since 2022; he was previously a

residentiary canon A canon (from the Latin , itself derived from the Greek , , "relating to a rule", "regular") is a member of certain bodies in subject to an ecclesiastical rule. Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, ...

Newcastle Cathedral Newcastle Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, is a Church of England cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Newcastle and is the mother church of the Diocese of Newcastle. ...

and Director of Mission and Ministry for the

Diocese of Newcastle The Diocese of Newcastle is a Church of England diocese based in Newcastle upon Tyne, covering the historic county of Northumberland (and therefore including the part of Tyne and Wear north of the River Tyne), as well as the area of Alston Mo ...

since 2020.

Early life and education

He was educated at

Birmingham University The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...

, graduating with a BA in Ancient History and Archaeology in 1994 and an MPhil in Archaeology in 1998, followed by training for ministry at

Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Wycliffe Hall is a Church of England theological college and a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is named after the Bible translator and reformer John Wycliffe, who was master of Balliol College, Oxfor ...

, receiving a BA in 2004, upgraded to an MA in 2008.

Ordained ministry

He was ordained deacon in 2005, and priest in 2006. He was curate of

Appleby-in-Westmorland Appleby-in-Westmorland is a market town and civil parish in the Eden District of Cumbria, England, with a population of 3,048 at the 2011 Census. Crossed by the River Eden, Appleby was the county town of the historic county of Westmorland. ...

in the

from 2005 to 2007, then from 2007 to 2010 held the joint post of bishop's domestic chaplain, and curate of

Dalston Dalston () is an area of East London, in the London Borough of Hackney. It is northeast of Charing Cross. Dalston began as a hamlet on either side of Dalston Lane, and as the area urbanised the term also came to apply to surrounding areas incl ...

with

Cumdivock Cumdivock is a hamlet in Cumbria, England. Ian Caruana unearthed several 17th-century Tyneside Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. ...

, in the same diocese. From 2008 to 2010, he was also

director of ordinands Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform vario ...

for the diocese. In 2010, he was appointed

priest in charge A priest in charge or priest-in-charge (previously also curate-in-charge) in the Church of England is a priest in charge of a parish who is not its incumbent. Such priests are not legally responsible for the churches and glebe, but simply hold ...

Kendal Parish Church Kendal Parish Church, also known as the Holy Trinity Church due to its dedication to the Holy Trinity, is the Anglican parish church of Kendal, Cumbria, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade& ...

, and held that position until 2020 when he became a

and Director of Mission and Ministry for the

. On 27 May 2022, it was announced that he was to become

in the Diocese of Carlisle. He was consecrated as a bishop by

Stephen Cottrell Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell (born 31 August 1958) is a Church of England bishop. Since 9 July 2020, he has been the Archbishop of York and Primate of England; the second-most senior bishop of the church and the most senior in northern England. He ...

Archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers ...

, on 15 July 2022 during a service in

York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archb ...

. Since the retirement of

James Newcome James William Scobie Newcome, (born 24 July 1953) is an English Anglican bishop and Lord Spiritual. Since 2009, he has been the Bishop of Carlisle, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Carlisle. He has been a member of the House of Lords as a ...

as Bishop of Carlisle in August 2023, Saner-Haigh has been acting diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Carlisle.

Views

He holds a "traditional view of Holy Matrimony" (i.e. one man and one woman).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saner-Haigh, Robert Living people 21st-century English Anglican priests 1973 births Alumni of the University of Birmingham Alumni of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford 21st-century Church of England bishops Bishops of Penrith