Alwyn Rice Jones
Encyclopedia
Alwyn Rice Jones was Bishop of St Asaph
from 1982 to 1999 and also Archbishop of Wales
, the Welsh
province
of the Anglican Communion
, from 1991 to 1999. During Rice Jones' tenure, the Church of Wales reformed its rules in order to ordain women priests, and to allow divorce
es to remarry in church.
in Caernarvonshire, and spoke Welsh
as his first language. He was educated at the grammar school
in Llanrwst
, and was orphaned at the age of 14. He read Welsh at St David's College, Lampeter, graduating in 1955, and then read theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
, graduating in 1957.
He married Meriel Thomas in 1968. They had a daughter together. He suffered from ill health in later life, and was cared for by his wife. He died in St Asaph
in Denbighshire
, and was survived by his wife and daughter.
in Bangor
in 1958 and as a priest
the following year. The early years of his ecclesiastical career were assisted by the patronage of the Bishop of Bangor
, Gwilym Williams, who recognised his talents. He was a curate
in Llanfairisgaer for four years, also serving with the Student Christian Movement in Wales. He was Director of Education in the Diocese of Bangor from 1965 to 1975. He served as Vicar of Porthmadog
from 1975 to 1979, developing close relationships with the local Roman Catholic church, and was an Honorary Canon
at Bangor Cathedral
from 1974 to 1978. He was Prebendary
of Llanfair
for one year, from 1978 to 1979, before becoming Dean
of Brecon Cathedral
. He was installed as Bishop of St Asaph
in 1982, and as Archbishop of Wales
in 1991.
Rice Jones adhered to a liberal theology
, and supported ecumenism
. He supported the ordination of women, but his first attempt to bring a measure in 1994 to make the reform failed. His second attempt, in 1996, was passed, and the first female priests were ordained the following year. He courted controversy by condemning the NATO bombing of Kosovo
in 1999.
He attended the World Council of Churches
Assembly in Canberra
in 1991, and the Anglican Consultative Council
in Cape Town
in 1993. At the Lambeth Conference in 1998, he persuaded the Welshmen present (including Rowan Williams
) to entertain their guests during a Welsh cultural evening by singing or telling jokes.
He was a member of the Welsh Gorsedd of Bards and regularly attended the National Eisteddfod. He supported Welsh devolution
, arguing that the disestablishment of the Church of Wales in 1920 made it stronger. He took part in the special service to mark the opening of the National Assembly for Wales
in May 1999.
He retired in 1999, shortly after his 65th birthday, and was succeeded as Archbishop of Wales by the Rt Revd Rowan Williams
, Bishop of Monmouth
, who later become the Archbishop of Canterbury
.
Bishop of St Asaph
The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of St Asaph in the town of...
from 1982 to 1999 and also Archbishop of Wales
Archbishop of Wales
The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished...
, the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
, from 1991 to 1999. During Rice Jones' tenure, the Church of Wales reformed its rules in order to ordain women priests, and to allow divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
es to remarry in church.
Early and private life
Rice Jones was born in Capel CurigCapel Curig
Capel Curig is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, in Wales. It lies in the heart of Snowdonia, on the River Llugwy, and has a population of 226...
in Caernarvonshire, and spoke Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
as his first language. He was educated at the grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in Llanrwst
Llanrwst
Llanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church....
, and was orphaned at the age of 14. He read Welsh at St David's College, Lampeter, graduating in 1955, and then read theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge in England.The college traces its origins back to 1869 and the foundation of the Non-Collegiate Students Board, a venture intended to offer students from less financially privileged backgrounds a chance to study...
, graduating in 1957.
He married Meriel Thomas in 1968. They had a daughter together. He suffered from ill health in later life, and was cared for by his wife. He died in St Asaph
St Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
in Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, and was survived by his wife and daughter.
Career
Rice Jones trained for the ministry at St Michael's College, Llandaff. He was ordained as a deaconDeacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
in 1958 and as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
the following year. The early years of his ecclesiastical career were assisted by the patronage of the Bishop of Bangor
Bishop of Bangor
The Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor.The diocese covers the counties of Anglesey, most of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire and a small part of Montgomeryshire...
, Gwilym Williams, who recognised his talents. He was a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
in Llanfairisgaer for four years, also serving with the Student Christian Movement in Wales. He was Director of Education in the Diocese of Bangor from 1965 to 1975. He served as Vicar of Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
from 1975 to 1979, developing close relationships with the local Roman Catholic church, and was an Honorary Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
at Bangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral is an ancient place of Christian worship situated in Bangor, Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol....
from 1974 to 1978. He was Prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of Llanfair
Llanfair, Gwynedd
Llanfair is a village and community in the Ardudwy area of Gwynedd in Wales. It has a population of 474.The village of Llanfair is situated to the east of the A496 coastal road between Llanbedr and Harlech....
for one year, from 1978 to 1979, before becoming Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of Brecon Cathedral
Brecon Cathedral
Brecon Cathedral, in the town of Brecon, is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon...
. He was installed as Bishop of St Asaph
Bishop of St Asaph
The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of St Asaph in the town of...
in 1982, and as Archbishop of Wales
Archbishop of Wales
The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished...
in 1991.
Rice Jones adhered to a liberal theology
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
, and supported ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
. He supported the ordination of women, but his first attempt to bring a measure in 1994 to make the reform failed. His second attempt, in 1996, was passed, and the first female priests were ordained the following year. He courted controversy by condemning the NATO bombing of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
in 1999.
He attended the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
Assembly in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in 1991, and the Anglican Consultative Council
Anglican Consultative Council
The Anglican Consultative Council or ACC is one of the four "Instruments of Communion" of the Anglican Communion. It was created by a resolution of the 1968 Lambeth Conference...
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
in 1993. At the Lambeth Conference in 1998, he persuaded the Welshmen present (including Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
) to entertain their guests during a Welsh cultural evening by singing or telling jokes.
He was a member of the Welsh Gorsedd of Bards and regularly attended the National Eisteddfod. He supported Welsh devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
, arguing that the disestablishment of the Church of Wales in 1920 made it stronger. He took part in the special service to mark the opening of the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
in May 1999.
He retired in 1999, shortly after his 65th birthday, and was succeeded as Archbishop of Wales by the Rt Revd Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
, Bishop of Monmouth
Bishop of Monmouth
The Bishop of Monmouth is the diocesan bishop of the Church in Wales Diocese of Monmouth.The see covers the historic county of Monmouthshire with the bishop's seat located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Woolos in Newport, which had been elevated to that status in 1921.The Bishop's residence is...
, who later become the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
.