Abba Seraphim

William Henry Hugo Newman-Norton (born 27 February 1948) is a British independent Oriental Orthodox bishop. He is the Patriarch of Glastonbury and head of the British Orthodox Church (BOC)^[1] with the title of British Patriarch^[2] and is known as Abba Seraphim.

His Beatitude Abba Seraphim
William Newman-Norton in 2012
Church	British Orthodox Church
Metropolis	Metropolis of Glastonbury
See	Glastonbury, United Kingdom
Appointed	28 February 1979
Predecessor	Mar Georgius
Orders
Rank	Patriarch
Personal details
Born	William Henry Hugo Newman-Norton (1948-02-27) 27 February 1948 (age 74)
Denomination	Independent Oriental Orthodox
Coat of arms

In 1975, Norton also succeeded William Bernard Crow as head of the Order of the Holy Wisdom.^[3]: 294

Early and private life

Norton was born on 27 February 1948.^[3]: 294

 

John Betjeman Reads Norton's petition to save Lewisham Town Hall, 23 August 1961

In August 1961, when Norton was just 13 years old, he led a petition which was supported by the poet, writer and broadcaster John Betjeman to save the original vestry hall of Lewisham Town Hall.^[4] However, the new civic leaders insisted that the vestry hall had to be demolished in 1968 to make way for a "Civic Suite" which was designed by A. Sutton and completed in November 1971.^[5]

Ministry

Priesthood, Catholicate of the West

On 27 February 1971, Norton was ordained priest by his uncle, Hugh George de Willmott Newman, with co-ordainers Peter Martin Smethurst and Michel France Marie Raoult. On 9 July 1977, the same three people consecrated him bishop, with Newman as main consecrator.^[3]: 294

In 1979, Norton succeeded Newman as head of the Catholicate of the West which was sometimes called Orthodox Church of the British Isles.^{[3]: 294 [6]}

In the Coptic Patriarchate

The Orthodox Church of the British Isles split from the Celtic Orthodox Church in 1994, under Mar Seraphim (Norton): the Orthodox Church of the British Isles joined the Coptic Orthodox Church and changed its name to British Orthodox Church.^[7][8][9]

On 6 April 1994, a protocol enacting the merger of the Orthodox Church of the British Isles into the Coptic Orthodox Church was signed by both parties. The Orthodox Church of the British Isles, headed by Norton, changed its name to British Orthodox Church for the union, and became "a diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria with jurisdiction over the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands". The British Orthodox Church was distinct from the other communities in the British Isles of the Coptic Church.^[8][9]

Norton, primate of the British Orthodox Church, was not reordained, but received a chrismation. On 19 June 1994, Norton "was consecrated as a Metropolitan in the Coptic Patriarchate by His Holiness Pope Shenouda assisted by some seventy Metropolitans and Bishops". Norton then became member of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church.^[8][9]

In the independent British Orthodox Church

On 4 October 2015, the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, in response to a request from the British Orthodox Church, agreed to the British church returning to its pre-1994 status as an independent jurisdiction, with Norton as primate.^[10] This action led to a restoration of the situation in which the British Orthodox Church was not in communion with any of the Oriental Orthodox churches.

On 7 January 2019, it was announced that Metropolitan Seraphim (Norton) would be once again considered as Patriarch, and referred to as "His Beatitude". Norton had ceased to use the title of Patriarch since union with the Coptic Orthodox Church out of courtesy to Pope Shenouda III. The church he leads continues to be known as the British Orthodox Church. He is considered by the British Orthodox Church as its VIIth patriarch.^[2]

Private life

As of 2022, Norton is Vice Chairman and a Trustee of the Lewisham Local History Society.^[11]

See also

• Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain and Ireland

References

1. "About the British Orthodox Church". Retrieved 8 November 2015.
2. "The British Patriarchate Restored After 24 Years In Commission". 7 January 2019. from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
3. Ward, Gary L.; Persson, Bertil; Bain, Alan, eds. (1990). "Newman-Norton, William Henry Hugo". Independent Bishops: An International Directory. Preface by J. Gordon Melton. Apogee Books. ISBN 978-1-55888-307-9.
4. "The Faded Grandeur Of London's Old Town Halls". The Londonist. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
5. "Lewisham Town Hall, Civic Suite Prior To Official Opening Nov 1971". Borough Photos. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
6. Melton, J. Gordon (2009). "Apostolic Episcopal Church-Order of Corporate Reunion". Melton's encyclopedia of American religions (8th ed.). Detroit: Gale Cengage Learning. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-7876-9696-2.
7. Pearson, Joanne (27 June 2007). Wicca and the Christian Heritage: ritual, sex and magic. Taylor & Francis. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-415-25413-7. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
8. . The British Orthodox Church within the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
9. . British Orthodox Church. Archived from the original on 5 November 2004.
10. "Joint announcement from the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom and the British Orthodox Church of the British Isles" (PDF) (Press release). 5 October 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
11. "Lewisham Local History Society Officers 2023-". Lewisham Local History Society. Retrieved 15 January 2023.

External links