St Davids: Successor to 'never trust a Tory' bishop elected

Dorrien Davies, left and pictured with Archbishop Andrew John, has been picked as the new Bishop of St Davids

St Davids has elected a new bishop to replace one who said people should "Never, never, never trust a Tory".

Dorrien Davies, Archdeacon of Carmarthen, was elected on Tuesday following Dr Joanna Penberthy's resignation in May 2023 because of ill health.

His appointment was announced at St Davids Cathedral by the Archbishop of Wales.

The new bishop said he was "humbled and honoured".

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Bishop Penberthy was in post for for six years and had to apologise after her 2021 tweet.

At the time, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives said her comments would be "troubling" to many parishioners.

Bishop Joanna Penberthy resigned in May this year

"This means a great deal to me and I look forward to leading this diocese to things both wonderful and new," Archdeacon Davies said.

The father-of-two has served in all counties of the St Davids diocese - Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

A Welsh speaker, the keen reader and painter trained at St Michael's College, Llandaff, and was ordained a priest in 1989.

He will be the 130th Bishop of St Davids.

In 2007, he was made Canon of St Davids Cathedral and in 2010, he moved to St Davids as Canon Residentiary.

The diocese of St Davids is the largest in Wales

In 2017 he was appointed Archdeacon of Carmarthen and priest-in-charge of St Clears.

Archbishop of Wales Andrew John said he was delighted by the appointment of Archdeacon Davies.

"His experience of this place and his deep wisdom and his skills will all be deployed in both leading the diocese forward," he said.