Two new Piskie bloggers need your attention. They are the Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and the Dean of the same, Cliff Piper. Bishop Mark has some beautiful photos on his blog but everywhere you turn up there makes for a good photo. Cliff has a thousand fonts to play with, it would seem! Both worth a bookmark though.
Come on all you other bishops… lurking is not healthy – get blogging!
RevRuth's Rantings 
Hi Ruth – thanks for promoting my blog please note I have written this comment using only one font! Thanks also for adding me to your blog roll but Deans are not Canons, either the very rev or preferably Cliff’s Blog.
The Dean of the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway is a canon of St Mary’s Cathedral.
Sorry Cliff. I was sure you were a Canon.
One of the things I never expected to be blogging about was Canon’s and The Canon’s. I was appointed a Canon of Inverness Cathedral in 2000, so you are right Ruth in thinking that I was a Canon.
When I became Dean in 2009 I had to resign my Canonry because thats what the current Canon 43 para 4 (revised June 2008) says of the Office of Dean.
Dean’s who have held the office for some time like the currently longest serving Dean in the Province, the Dean of Glasgow, has retained his Canonry under the old Canon 43 as the Provost points out in his comment, so the Provost is also correct (as usual). Of course the Provost has avoided any possible confusion over my status by not including me in his blog role at all under any title!
Hope that clears this up for you Ruth.
Good to see the big guns coming out to clear up canon confusion.
p.s rambling, any of these canons say anything about the correct use of the apostrophe?
Uh oh, the grammar police are coming to get us.
mmm
Hey Ruth you didn’t warn me about the ‘Grammar Police’ I thought it was safe out here. Are they a bit like those folk who know the price of everything and the value of nothing?
I’m indebted to Cliff for a piece of SEC arcaniana that I did not previously know. But just for the avoidance of doubt, is the Dean of the Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness a member of the Chapter of St Andrew’s Cathedral, Inverness?
Yes Kelvin the Dean of the United Diocese of Moray Ross and Caithness is a member of the Chapter of St Andrew’s (note the correct use of apostrophe) Cathedral Inverness.
Yes, and similar to those people who think the Eucharist can only be dispensed by those wearing black shoes.
They’re the ones Cliff.
Agatha, everyone knows that the Eucharist can only be dispensed by those wearing black shoes.
Thank you for clearing that up Ruth. Do let me have Agatha’s address as I would love to send her a little something for Christmas.
Does that not make the Dean of the Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness a canon by virtue of being the Dean then? I think that it does, if that is what the Cathedral Statutes say.
Thus: The Very Rev Canon Cliff Piper.
I interpret Canon 43 para 4 (revised June 2008) as referring to a prior canonry. Is Canon 43 para 4 (revised June 2008) not in place to ensure, for the avoidance of doubt, that the election of a Dean does not prevent a further new Canon being appointed/elected to the Chapter?
I’d hate to include someone in my blogroll without knowing once and for all their status in the Chapter of the Cathedral Church of St Andrew, Inverness. Such a thing would be a sin.
Me thinks you are missing the subtlety of the revised Canon, father.
Prior to becoming Dean I was a Canon and a condition of becoming Dean is to resign one’s canonry so that someone else can become a Canon.
But the real intention of the revision is to limit Dean’s to a five year term of office so that when one ceases to be Dean one is no longer Dean and no longer a Canon, but a simple priest, which thou art forever.
Perhaps the next canonical revision will apply the same wisdom to the office of Catherdral Provost!
Fr Cliff, I agree with all you say, but I still think that whilst you are a dean, then you are a canon by virtue of that office. When you cease to be a dean then you cease to be a member of chapter and thus cease to be a canon.
Am I mistaken?
I became a canon when I became Provost. I will cease to be one should (perish the thought) I cease to be so.
(I do like the way you are teasing Agatha with your apostrophe’s!)
Canon 43 is one thing the differences in Cathedral Statutes is quite another. Inverness is clearly not the same as Glasgow and we are perhaps both grateful for that! Our Provost is also a Canon but that is because when he resigned from his previous post and canonry some years ago and went to Europe he was made an Honorary Canon and he will retain that title even if he resigns or retires as Provost. Complicated isn’t it!
As for me being a tease I have no idea what you mean.
I just don’t understand how anyone can be a member of Chapter and not be a Canon. It seems like a contradiction in terms.
My view is that nothing in Canon 43 automatically prevents a Dean being a Canon whilst also being the Dean. I agree that it does preclude someone who has retired as a Dean then claiming also to be a Canon.
Cathedral Statutes which say that a Dean is not a Canon but is a Member of Chapter don’t make any sense to me.
Presumably the Dean has a stall in the Cathedral.
The Dean has a stall in the Cathedral, St Margaret.
But I still maintain that the Dean is not a Canon. The Bishop is also a member of Chapter but is not a Canon.
I am not going to play anymore as I am not sure I want to be on your blog roll with all those dodgy singles adverts.
Beside’s I think I may have something going with Agatha and may be spending Chirstmass with her.
Fabby, I love getting Christma’s present’s to celebrate Jesu’s birthday.
I have just the thing for you, do let me know where to send it.
There, I’ve added Cliff to my blogroll as there is going to be no peace for the righteous until he is there.
And people think I’m an attention seeker…
Rambling, you are a gift in yourself. Is Catherdral where you have women bishop’s?
(your post 16/11)
Agatha, now now – that’s enough. Play nicely.