Who is the highest ranking cleric you have ever been in the presence of?

stetsonstetson Shipmate
"In the presence of" being defined as in the same legally and/or physically distinct space, at which the cleric's presence was an arranged event.

(And, for my purposes, something like "President Of The Baptist Union of Great Britain" would count, even though that's technically not a position in a clerical hierarchy.)

For me...

Pope John Paul II. I saw him say mass one chilly September morning in Edmonton, during his 1984 tour of Canada. In his concluding remarks, he marveled at the size of Canada, describing it as a "subcontinent", which has stuck in my mind to this day.

Some guy who was very high up in Ukrainian Catholicism came to my Catholic school a couple of years later, but I'm pretty sure his position was subordinate to Rome.
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Comments

  • Baptist TrainfanBaptist Trainfan Shipmate
    edited May 2024
    Went to an ecumenical conference last year and sat at the same table as the RC Archbishop of Wales (and we had a good chat).

    My wife met Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, when he visited her school, also David Hope when Bishop of London (who was very complimentary about her chocolate pudding).
  • Archbishop Desmond Tutu for me. 1986 I think, in Coventry Cathedral. I can still remember his charisma.
  • Gee DGee D Shipmate
    The Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney. Not just in his presence, but we shook hands (and it was he who offered his hand). The event was the baptism of the first child of friends, and they had some family connection with him.
  • Nick TamenNick Tamen Shipmate
    Archbishop Desmond Tutu for me. 1986 I think, in Coventry Cathedral. I can still remember his charisma.
    Same here. Duke University Chapel, 1985ish. I shook his hand as he walked down the aisle at the end of the service.

    And I’ve been in the presence of moderators of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), as well as of the General Assembly of the (former) Presbyterian Church in the United States, many times. Even had a few conversations.

  • Heh. I suppose it would be our denominational president, but that’s no great thing, he’s everywhere.
  • EnochEnoch Shipmate
    Since Archbishop Justin travels around his province quite a bit, if your reasonably active in the CofE, it isn't all that difficult or unlikely to have attended a meeting where his presence is the purpose of the event. As it happens, I've also met both his predecessors, but in their cases one was at the time when he was still Archbishop of Wales, though nominated to Canterbury, and the other was a personal meeting to discuss something, again when he was in previous role.

    I have also encountered a Patriarch (and Pope) of Alexandria, but there are four of those.

  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    edited May 2024
    Pope John Paul II, giving a blessing to a huge crowd outside Westminster Cathedral, London, during his visit in 1982. Many of us were wearing Solidarność (the Polish trade union Solidarity) badges, reflecting some of the political issues of the time...
  • ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
    A bishop, I suppose.
  • NicoleMRNicoleMR Shipmate
    Went to a Methodist 9/11 Memorial service and I think the bishop was there.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    NicoleMR wrote: »
    Went to a Methodist 9/11 Memorial service and I think the bishop was there.

    What was this bishop's jurisdiction?
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    Nick Tamen wrote: »
    Archbishop Desmond Tutu for me. 1986 I think, in Coventry Cathedral. I can still remember his charisma.
    Same here. Duke University Chapel, 1985ish. I shook his hand as he walked down the aisle at the end of the service.

    If we're including people who were high-profile but not particularly high-ranking(though I'm sure not how Tutu stacks up on the latter), I'll mention that I saw Billy Graham speak in the late 70s some time. (Started a thread on the old Ship on Grahan-related recollections after he died.)
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    Since I was on synod council, I worked with a bishop for six years. I also have met the local Episcopal bishop several times. I am a follower of her facebook page. I have also met the National Bishop of the ELCA a couple of times. I met with the president of one of the processor ALC Synod (they merged with the LCA and the AELC to form the ELCA) Got to know the Roman Catholic Bishop in these parts too. I met with J,A.O. Preus a couple of times too. Lamp Chop may know of him.

    But probably the most important religious person I met was the former speaker of the Lutheran Laymen's League Lutheran Hour Oswald Hoffmann. I had been working at the Lutheran Laymen's League home office. One day, it was my turn to do the daily devotional. I hoped he was gone that day, but as I got up to give the homily, guess who showed up front and center? Felt like preaching to the Big Man (yes, he was big).

    I also got to know the Air Force Chief of Chaplains before he became the Chief. He was a Roman Catholic priest at one of the bases I was assigned to.

    Enough name dropping.

  • TelfordTelford Shipmate
    Back in the late 80s I was a member of a small independant church in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton. One Sunday Keith Sutton, the Bishop of Lichield attended one of our services and I had the opportunity to speak with him.
  • SojournerSojourner Shipmate
    Gee D wrote: »
    The Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney. Not just in his presence, but we shook hands (and it was he who offered his hand). The event was the baptism of the first child of friends, and they had some family connection with him.
    Gee D wrote: »
    The Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney. Not just in his presence, but we shook hands (and it was he who offered his hand). The event was the baptism of the first child of friends, and they had some family connection with him.
    Gee D wrote: »
    The Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney. Not just in his presence, but we shook hands (and it was he who offered his hand). The event was the baptism of the first child of friends, and they had some family connection with him.

    That would have been a few Cardinal Archbishops ago: Jimmy Freeman? Bede Clancy?

  • Gramps49 wrote: »
    I met with J,A.O. Preus a couple of times too. Lamp Chop may know of him.


    I know of him indeed! I pissed him off (DON'T SAY, "Of course you did." :lol:) Poor fellow was in the seminary library one day while my husband and I were there two lowly grad students, and we got to chatting... He showed us the manuscript of his latest work, after Mr Lamb mentioned I was studying English (Renaissance period), and I, um, caught a historical error in his intro. He looked like he'd bitten into a lemon.

    Still, it got fixed, which is the important thing.
  • NicoleMRNicoleMR Shipmate
    I do not know what jurisdiction includes New York City, but whatever that is. Please remember this would have been the Methodist bishop.
  • Our regional assistant bishop was in my living-room last Monday to discuss the commissioning of our new rector, so in terms of physical proximity, the closest. Otherwise, our diocesan bishops on multiple occasions, Harry Goodhew and Peter Jensen in their roles as Metropolitan and Philip Aspinall as Primate. Finally, George Carey as ABC on his Australian tour about thirty years ago - still have a badge with his signature somewhere. I am frequently in touch with our two former rectors who are diocesans.
  • Gee DGee D Shipmate
    Sojourner wrote: »
    Gee D wrote: »
    The Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney. Not just in his presence, but we shook hands (and it was he who offered his hand). The event was the baptism of the first child of friends, and they had some family connection with him.

    That would have been a few Cardinal Archbishops ago: Jimmy Freeman? Bede Clancy?

    It was a long time ago. Cardinal Gilroy.
  • Gramps49 wrote: »
    I met with J,A.O. Preus a couple of times too. Lamp Chop may know of him.


    I know of him indeed! I pissed him off (DON'T SAY, "Of course you did." :lol:) Poor fellow was in the seminary library one day while my husband and I were there two lowly grad students, and we got to chatting... He showed us the manuscript of his latest work, after Mr Lamb mentioned I was studying English (Renaissance period), and I, um, caught a historical error in his intro. He looked like he'd bitten into a lemon.

    Still, it got fixed, which is the important thing.

    Spoken like a true academic!
  • Fred Hiltz, Primate of Anglican Church of Canada
    Linda Nicholls, Primate of Anglican Church of Canada
  • Baptist TrainfanBaptist Trainfan Shipmate
    edited May 2024
    Archbishop Desmond Tutu for me. 1986 I think, in Coventry Cathedral. I can still remember his charisma.

    Yes, he preached at a lunchtime service in King's College chapel (London) and I was in the front pew. Didn't speak with him though.

    Forgot to say that for some years I was on a committee with Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
  • Baptist TrainfanBaptist Trainfan Shipmate
    edited May 2024
    [Deleted]
  • I met George Carey before he was Archbishop of Canterbury and Dr Rowan Williams several times after he was Archbishop of Canterbury, either at poetry readings or talks.

    I like Dr Williams a lot.

    I met Cardinal Cahal Daly at a talk he gave many years ago now. I was introduced to him and he sent me a lovely note in response to a letter I sent him afterwards.

    I've met the Baptist bishop of Georgia (not the US state) - the Baptists have bishops there - and also heard several former Presidents of the Baptist Union of GB and Ireland speak in one context or another.

    I met, spoke and joked with the late Metropolitan Kallistos Ware a few times and have met a couple of Orthodox bishops and Archbishops briefly.

    I knew a number of 'apostles' (bishops to everyone else 😉) in the UK's restorationist 'new church / house church' scene between the early 1980s and 2000 and occasionally run into one of them from time to time. That was no big deal as they were always visiting the churches that 'related' to them and were practically unknown or invisible to anyone outside their immediate sphere of influence.
  • BroJamesBroJames Purgatory Host
    Archbishop Justin Welby. We’ve met on a couple of once or twice, possibly once when he was Bishop of Durham, and chatted. We were at theological college together.
  • @Baptist Trainfan oh, yes, I've met Bishop Angaelos too. I was impressed by him.
  • Yes. Our committee (and this must be at least 15 years ago) also visited his impressive Cathedral at Stevenage, not quite finished at the time.
  • SpikeSpike Ecclesiantics & MW Host, Admin Emeritus
    I was singing at Canterbury Cathedral a few years ago when Rowan Williams (who was still Archbishop then) turned up unannounced to preside at the Eucharist. I had a chat with him afterwards.

    My Facebook memories reminded me that on this date in 2016 I was at a service to celebrate 140 years of Reader ministry presided by John Sentamu who was then Archbishop of York and in the presence of Prince Philip. As I was leaving I managed to get a fairly close up picture of the two of them. I hope this link works

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0tfrkcGp1LmRa7VhFXUCjCyQg73LJ6vGe1uhdD2vAkQKKFeAjk94bWtL9fQZERrzQl&id=728273206
  • SojournerSojourner Shipmate
    Gee D wrote: »
    Sojourner wrote: »
    Gee D wrote: »
    The Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney. Not just in his presence, but we shook hands (and it was he who offered his hand). The event was the baptism of the first child of friends, and they had some family connection with him.

    That would have been a few Cardinal Archbishops ago: Jimmy Freeman? Bede Clancy?

    It was a long time ago. Cardinal Gilroy.
    .

    That IS a long time ago; ++ Norman died in 1977 and he retired years before then. I’m REALLY getting old🙀😂

  • MrsBeakyMrsBeaky Shipmate
    My father was good friends with Cardinal Basil Hume and I met him at a reception where my Dad was receiving an award. His successor Cardinal Murphy O'connor took my Dad's funeral.
    When I was based in Kenya my husband and I met with the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Kenya.
    All three men were lovely people.
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    I met Mother Teresa, but I don’t know if she counts as a cleric.
  • SojournerSojourner Shipmate
    She most certainly does not
  • SojournerSojourner Shipmate
    Did not, more to the point
  • I recall baiting the Anglican Bishop of Brazil (or something like that, it was a bizarre and obscure claim) in the letters page of the Ringing World...
  • Justin Welby and Rowan Williams several times, alongside several thousand other people, at Greenbelt.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    I recall baiting the Anglican Bishop of Brazil (or something like that, it was a bizarre and obscure claim) in the letters page of the Ringing World...

    Were you responding to letters he had written to the same publication?
  • mousethiefmousethief Shipmate
    Bishop. Boring.
  • KendelKendel Shipmate
    My pastor. That's as high as an independent Baptist can recognize anyway. We are not into this type of heirarchy.
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    Bishop Henderson (UMC Bishop of Florida at that time) preached a special service at the church where I was organist for almost 25 years. He came over to meet the organist and expressed surprise that someone who was all over that organ was so short! He held my hand and bowed to me!!!

    It still makes me blush!
  • stetson wrote: »
    I recall baiting the Anglican Bishop of Brazil (or something like that, it was a bizarre and obscure claim) in the letters page of the Ringing World...

    Were you responding to letters he had written to the same publication?

    I was indeed.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Several dozen Archbishops (including George Carey, who had just been elevated to Canterbury, and Desmond Tutu), at the Primates' Conference which was held in Belfast in the early 1990s. David was conducting and I was singing in the choir, and we were invited to the post-service lunch afterwards.

    We impressed the archbishops who were at the same table as us by leaving early because we had to go and sing Evensong ... :mrgreen:
  • Gee DGee D Shipmate
    Sojourner wrote: »

    That IS a long time ago; ++ Norman died in 1977 and he retired years before then. I’m REALLY getting old🙀😂

    We are not REALLY getting old; we REALLY are old and getting older daily.
  • SojournerSojourner Shipmate
    Yer not wrong.

  • Did anyone here meet Anselm?
  • JapesJapes Shipmate
    edited May 2024
    Archbishops of Canterbury - George Carey, Rowan Williams and Justin Welby. Conversations have been had with all three over the years and pancakes cooked for one of them one Shrove Tuesday.

    I have also been hugged by Desmond Tutu on being introduced to him at an event in London. I had been enjoying politely standing by as he and my friend had been enthusistically exchanging family gossip (her family and his were known to each other in South Africa + he hadn't known N was going to be present at this event ). I mused afterwards I didn't often get hugged by a very excited archbishop my height...
  • Nick TamenNick Tamen Shipmate
    Kendel wrote: »
    My pastor. That's as high as an independent Baptist can recognize anyway. We are not into this type of heirarchy.
    Well, the question in the OP doesn’t require that the leaders in whose presence you’ve been be leaders in your own denomination/tradition. :wink:

  • ForthviewForthview Shipmate
    Over 40 years ago pope John Paul II came to Edinburgh and spent two nights at the residence of the Archbishop's residence (Cardinal Gordon Joseph Gray) just a few metres from where I live.
    On his second day in Edinburgh he met the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland at 8 a.m. then travelled to Glasgow for a Mass with 300 000 people and then returned in the evening. Just close to our house the pope stopped his popemobile and came out and spoke to the small crowd gathered there giving us a his thanks and a special papal blessing.

    Two other memories of that day. Cardinal Gray was in a terrible state because the fridge in the archiepiscopal residence was not working.
    Later on as we were putting out the bins Cardinal Hume and Cardinal Casaroli passed on their way from the Residence to a nearby convent where they were to spend the night and shared a few views on the day. The local police who were supervising our road were obviously not too clued up on ecclesiastical terms as they described Cardinal Hume as an Anglican cardinal.

  • Alan29Alan29 Shipmate
    Pope JPII gave me a set of rosary beads when he came to Liverpool. I was in the Wigwam choir. We all got beads.
    Met Mother Theresa on another occasion and chatted. A tiny wrinkled woman who radiated power more than holiness.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    edited May 2024
    Nick Tamen wrote: »
    Kendel wrote: »
    My pastor. That's as high as an independent Baptist can recognize anyway. We are not into this type of heirarchy.
    Well, the question in the OP doesn’t require that the leaders in whose presence you’ve been be leaders in your own denomination/tradition. :wink:

    For my own current denomination, the Unitarian church I fellowshiped at in the early 2010s was led by a pastor who later helmed a couple of Canadian and international umbrella groups.
  • I do hope they met here: https://tinyurl.com/2weaf7du
  • SojournerSojourner Shipmate
    Alan29 wrote: »
    Pope JPII gave me a set of rosary beads when he came to Liverpool. I was in the Wigwam choir. We all got beads.
    Met Mother Theresa on another occasion and chatted. A tiny wrinkled woman who radiated power more than holiness.

    Exactly my impression of Teresa of Calcutta….

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