PRESS RELEASE Graeme Pringle To: News desk From: Communication Officer for the Diocese of Coventry Date: 07 MAR 2013 Email:
[email protected] Office: 024 7452 1336 Mobile: 07507 196 495 Bishop of Coventry makes his maiden speech in the House of Lords The Bishop of Coventry, the Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth, has used his maiden speech in the House of Lords to pay tribute to the vital role of women in Coventry and Warwickshire. “The Church will need their like to guide its life as our Bishops in the future”, he said. Bishop Christopher also spoke about the great relevance of Coventry’s history to the world today. He called for the centenary anniversary of the First World War to remember that the tears of German widows and mothers flowed with the same agony as those of British and Commonwealth women. He concluded by saying, “It is alongside and with our former enemy who is now our friend that we reflect with Germany and our European partners on the impact of war on our continent and share a commitment to work for a reconciled and peaceful future for the world.” On the eve of International Women’s Day, Bishop Christopher spoke about women who work tirelessly and with great skill for the good of their communities. He began by paying tribute to his “excellent women clergy colleagues who give of themselves with extraordinary dedication to the people of Coventry and Warwickshire”. Bishop Christopher then said: “The common life of Coventry and Warwickshire depends on the leadership of women in every other sphere – in political and civic life, in business activity and public institutions, in the arts and sport, and in the myriad of charities and agencies that care for those in need and raise the quality of our life together.