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Alumni News
Department News
Queen’s Birthday Honours
ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
THEOLOGY & RELIGION Durham Professor Appointed by Vatican as ‘Consultor’ to Pontifical Council
Our best wishes to all alumni who received a Queen’s Birthday Honour in 2012: Nicholas Pitts, BEM (Education, College of St Hild & St Bede, 1977); Professor Monica Grady, CBE (Chemistry & Geology, St Aidan’s College, 1979); Professor Paul Wellings, CBE (Ecology, Graduate Society, 1976); Jonathan Wilks, CMG (Natural Sciences, University College, 1989); Leslie Ferrar, CVO (Chemistry, St Mary’s College, 1976); Keith Orrell, MBE (Education, University College, 1959); Roy Bentham, MBE (Geography of Middle East, Graduate Society, 1973); Fiona Turner, MBE (English Literature, St Mary’s College, 1995); Charles Judge, MBE (Laws (International & European Legal Studies), College of St Hild & St Bede, 2003); Peter Campbell, OBE (Economics & Politics, University College, 1989); Dr Alison Birkinshaw, OBE (Education, College of St Hild & St Bede, 1984); Dr Ian Bradley, OBE (Medicine, King’s College, 1960); Professor Alison Swinfen, OBE (French & German, St Aidan’s College, 1990); Professor Peter Sharp, OBE (Physics, Van Mildert College, 1969); David Clay, MBE (Middle East Politics, Ustinov College, 2003).
Justin Welby (Theology, St John’s, 1989-92) has been appointed as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. The Right Reverend Welby, currently the Bishop of Durham, will take up the post in March this year, succeeding Dr Rowan Williams, who himself holds an honorary degree from Durham University. Bishop Justin trained in preparation for ordination at Cranmer Hall, St John’s College, and is remembered as a student with a deep faith and personal warmth, and a hard working, but humble ordinand of great ability. The Reverend Mark Tanner, Warden of Cranmer Hall described Justin as ‘a leader, an entrepreneur, a peace-maker, a teacher, and an often prophetic voice speaking wisdom into broken situations.’ Reverend Professor David Wilkinson, Principal of St John’s College, said: ‘We are delighted at the news of this appointment and also want to pledge our support to Bishop Justin and the Church of England at this key time. As one of our former students and our diocesan Bishop, we have had the privilege of experiencing Justin’s creativity, integrity and earthed spirituality. He combines humility with joyful confidence in the gospel.’
Paul Murray, Professor of Systematic Theology and Director of the Centre for Catholic Studies (CCS) at Durham University, has been appointed as a Consultor to the Pontifical Council for the next quinquennial period. Of his appointment, Professor Murray said, ‘I am honoured. I understand that a key part of my role will be to represent the relevant concerns and specific contributions from the many UK-based interests that can usefully be drawn into the work of the Pontifical Council. As such, I in turn look forward to consulting and working closely with appropriate agencies and individuals, and the awakening commercial interests in this area, who identify principles deriving from Catholic Social Teaching as relevant to their mission and who are doing such significant work.’
We would also like to offer very special congratulations to Sir Timothy Smit, KBE (Archaeology & Anthropology, Hatfield College, 1976) who was awarded a knighthood.
www.durham.ac.uk/shop wear it with pride