Dominic Walker (bishop)
Heythrop College , London |
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Edward William Murray "Dominic" Walker
Early life
Walker was the eldest child to a Welsh mother and English father. He was brought up on Dartmoor.
Ordained ministry
Walker was ordained priest in 1972.
Walker is a member of the Oratory of the Good Shepherd. He served as Father Superior from 1990 to 1996 and subsequently as Fr Provincial of the European Province.[5]
Walker was appointed
Walker's last episcopal seat was at
Views on animal welfare
Walker has strong views on animal welfare. He joined the RSPCA as a teenager and is president of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals.[3] In 2010 he called for church services to "pray for animal casualties" of warfare[9] and consistently opposes the live animal exportation market. His views were expressed in a speech when he said that:
... I would suggest that we need to stop and repent – to look and think again about our role in creation. If you say to most Christians, what was the great moment in the biblical creation narratives, they will say when God made us in his own image. That's wrong. It was the seventh day when God rested and the world was at peace. There is a theme in the Hebrew scriptures that tells us that we only ate meat after the Fall and it looks forward to a return to Paradise where the lion will lie down with the lamb. Our role in creation is to have dominion – not domination – perhaps stewardship is a better word – to have stewardship of creation knowing that we shall be judged for how we have cared for God's world and that includes all sentient beings. Secondly, I think we need to put animals on the church agenda. We could begin by including them in our prayers. At this time of year I attend various harvest celebrations and we pray for the farmers, the food producers and the crops – but rarely do we pray for animals.[10]
When a vicar in Brighton, he gave permission for animals to be present in the church. Also while in Brighton he, alongside Andrew Bowden, participated in a demonstration against live animal exportation.
As of 2020[update], Walker is still vice-president of the RSPCA.[11]
Paranormal and exorcisms
Walker is an expert on the paranormal and has published many articles on the topic. He is a trained exorcist[12] and has said that during his 35 years of ordained ministry he has performed "countless acts of deliverance along with six exorcisms".[12]
In an August 2015 article, which concentrated on the death of Morgan Freeman's step-granddaughter, Walker rejected the use of violence when performing an exorcism.[13]
Retirement
Upon retirement, Walker became a "humble monk".[14] He has since settled in Monmouth and continues to deliver conference papers and lectures. He lectured in July 2015 at a conference held at the University of Warwick.[15]
References
- ^ a b c "Edward William Murray Murray". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ BBC Wales story
- ^ a b "Putting Animals on the Agenda – Rt Revd Dominic Walker – Sarx". Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Walker, Dominic Edward William Murray". Who's Who. Vol. 2016 (November 2015 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 26 October 2016. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ a b c d "Dominic Edward William Murray WALKER". People of Today. Debrett's. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- ^ Church information Archived 20 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [1] & [2]
- ^ "Bishop to retire in June 2013". Church in Wales. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
- ^ BBC website.
- ^ ASWA website.
- ^ RSPCA website.
- ^ a b Wales Online website.
- ^ Christian Today website.
- ^ South Wales Argus.
- ^ Diocese of Swansea and Brecon website.