Province Cardiff Denomination Roman Catholic Predecessor Mark Jabale Installed 1 December 2008 Ordination December 16, 1971 | Birth name Thomas Matthew Burns Name Tom Burns Consecration June 18, 2002 Nationality Irish Role Bishop Appointed October 16, 2008 | |
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Born 3 June 1944 (age 79)
Belfast, Northern Ireland ( 1944-06-03 ) Diocese Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia | ||
Previous post Bishop of the Forces | ||
Bishop tom burns from the diocese of menevia
Thomas Matthew Burns SM (called Tom; born 3 June 1944) is a British Roman Catholic Bishop. On 16 October 2008 he was appointed as Bishop of Menevia by Pope Benedict XVI, becoming Bishop on 1 December 2008 when he took possession of his new See, on which day he ceased to be Bishop of the Forces. He is now Bishop Promoter for the Apostleship of the Sea, A Catholic organisation that provides pastoral and practical assistance to all seafarers.
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Biography
Tom Burns was born in Belfast, but his family later moved to Lancashire. After studying at St. Mary's College, Blackburn, a sixth form in an Exeter school, and a monastery in Paignton, Burns was ordained to the priesthood on 16 December 1971, for the Society of Mary.
On 24 May 2002, he was appointed to head the military ordinariate of Great Britain, the Bishopric of the Forces. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 18 June from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, with Bishop Francis Walmsley and Archbishop Patrick Altham Kelly serving as co-consecrators.
Burns has been a vociferous critic of the UK Ministry of Defence, complaining that troops in Iraq were "frustrated by restrictions, checks and delays that are placed on them but not on their opponents", and that their "activities are often jeopardised by poor equipment, outmoded vehicles and inadequate apparel".
He also voiced criticism against Harriet Harman MP's Equality Bill, which helped lead to its withdrawal, Bishop Burns felt that it would force the Catholic Church to govern itself as an industry or business, employing priests as employees, when in fact, the Church looks upon its priests as "Brothers of Christ".