A SMALL but significant change has been made with the Church’s new super-diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales.
The Right Reverend James Bell, until now the Bishop of Knaresborough, has instead been given the title of Bishop of Ripon to reflect his role as area bishop.
The Order in Council changing the bishop’s title to Ripon was approved by the Queen with the Privy Council following a petition from the Bishop of Leeds.
It is the final hurdle for a change of name which first had to be approved by General Synod meeting last November before going forward for royal assent.
Moves to change Bishop James Bell’s official title began with the creation of the new diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales a year ago.
The new diocese is sub-divided into five smaller episcopal areas - Ripon, Huddersfield, Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield - each led by an area bishop.
“It is a small but significant piece of the jigsaw in the formation of the new diocese,” said Bishop Bell.
The Ripon episcopal area is the biggest of the five areas of the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales covering parishes across the North Yorkshire part of the diocese.
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