Carl N. Cooper

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Right Reverend Carl Cooper, BA, MPhil is the former Bishop of St David's, having resigned after taking a period of leave of absence following press speculation over his personal life.^[1]

Cooper was born in 1960 and grew up in Wigan in Lancashire. He first spent time in Wales as an undergraduate at the University of Wales, Lampeter, where he took a degree in French before reading theology at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford^[2].

Unusually for a non-native Welsh Bishop, Cooper is a fluent Welsh-speaker. He gained a Master of Philosophy degree for a study in bilingualism in the Church in Wales.

Bishop Cooper has served as curate in Llanelli and Parish Priest as the Rector of Ciliau Aeron, Ceredigion^[3]. He has also served Dolgellau and as Archdeacon of Meirionnydd before taking up his post in St David's in 2002.

In February 2008 it was announced that Cooper was to split from his wife of 25 years, Joy.^[4]

There then followed unsubstantiated press speculation linking Bishop Cooper with his Chaplain and communications officer, the Reverend Mandy Williams Potter.

After consultation with the Archbishop of Wales, Cooper took a leave of absence on 12 March 2008;^[5] and then resigned his position on 29 April 2008.^[6]^[7]

[edit] References

^ "Press Release - Bishop of St Davids resigns", Church in Wales, April 29, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
^ Who's Who2008 London, A & C Black, 2007 ISBN 9780713672576
^ Crockford's clerical directory1995, (London, Church House 1994) ISBN 0715180886
^ p7Daily Telegraph Issue no 47,500 dated 22nd February, 2008
^ Bishop given leave over rumours. BBC Wales News (March 12, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
^ "Bishop resigns after speculation", BBC Wales News, April 29, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
^ Bishop and Vicar resign after gossip over "love affair"-article by Tom Peterkin in The Daily Telegraph issue no 47,558 (dated 30th April, 2008)