Bishop of Leeds asks for coadjutor

A spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Leeds announced today that the Rt Rev David Konstant, Bishop of Leeds, has written to the priests of his diocese informing them that he has asked the Vatican to appoint a coadjutor bishop. A coadjutor bishop is an assistant bishop with a right of succession when the diocesan bishop retires, which is normally at the age of 75. In May this year, Bishop Konstant suffered a stroke while on his way to Lourdes and has had to take time to recover. Whilst he has started to do some more active work in the diocese, he feels that now is the time to ask for a coadjutor bishop to be appointed. In his letter he points out that the Nuncio will be asking people to suggest names, but anyone can write to suggest who might make a suitable bishop for the diocese. Bishop Konstant was born on 16 June 1930, ordained priest in June 1954, ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster in April 1977, and appointed Bishop of Leeds in September 1985. He has been chairman of the Department of Catholic Education and Formation of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and is currently Chairman of the Department of International Affairs. source: CMO