My daily VIS email hasn't arrived yet, but a kind friend pointed out the Catholic Herald report containing the good news that finally we have a bishop in East Anglia. Bishop Alan Hopes was formerly one of the Auxiliaries of Westminster. I try to avoid reading comments on articles but I couldn't resist today (in the hope of finding out something more about the new man). There is the usual mix of completely conflicting nonsense, so I will do what I should have done in the first place and listen to what he says instead. Having such a boring name undoubtedly makes him the ideal candidate to follow in the footsteps of Bishops Alan Clark, Peter Smith and Michael Evans. In any case it is good to have a shepherd at last.
May God bless him in his new ministry and grant him the grace and wisdom to govern this diocese in these challenging times.
