Anglican Bishop Paul Richardson talks of Catholic conversion

Feb 19 2010 by Lisa Hutchinson, The Journal

A RETIRED Anglican bishop has converted to become Roman Catholic – only weeks after stepping down from his Newcastle post.

The former Assistant Bishop of Newcastle Paul Richardson, who predicted the death of the Church of England, has crossed over to Rome.

Just weeks after retiring from the senior clergy position for the city he has moved to London and is a regular worshipper at St George’s Cathedral in Southwark.

And his move has come with the blessing of his Anglican colleagues.

Mr Richardson has been a clergyman for almost 37 years but has never been one to keep tight lipped over his thoughts.

He hit the headlines in June 2008 when he backed a controversial display of graphic images of Jesus, by American artist David Kinsey, which shocked Christians across Tyneside. And he publicly said he would have bought one, if it wasn’t for the £3,000 price tag.

Last summer he claimed that the fall in church marriages and baptisms suggested that Britain was no longer a Christian nation, and predicted the end of the Church of England as the established religion within a generation. Ordained in 1972, he spent much of his ministry overseas. He held the Newcastle post from 1998 until the end of last year.

However, Mr Richardson has denied his religious conversion was influenced by the Church of England’s move towards ordaining women bishops, which many traditionalists do not agree with.