A Launceston priest has received a high honour, being elected as the Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Catholic Church of Australia.
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Bishop David Robarts, the priest of the Parish of the Annunciation in Launceston, was enthroned into his new position on Thursday. He said the appointment is privilege.
“I don’t, in a way, look forward to it because my own sense of reverence and regard for God make me feel very unworthy,” he said.
“I think it’s very important for, especially bishops, to keep humble otherwise you listen to the sound of your own voice and think how important you are, which is fatal in my view.”
Bishop Robarts was not raised in a religious family, but found himself searching as an adolescent and was drawn towards a christian life.
“I had a great sense of the beauty of the world and I think both that and the human contact with other christians ... led me towards a christian way,” he said.
After reflecting on what he could do for and with the church, Bishop Robarts was ordained in 1964.
Over his time in the ministry Bishop Robarts has served in communities across the country, from Alice Springs, to Darwin, to Perth and finally Tasmania.
Music has always been important to Bishop Robarts and it still forms a fundamental part of his religious life and worship.
“It’s been a rich part of worship, Saint Augustine has a saying, ‘He who sings prays twice,’,” Bishop Robarts said.
“Music has such a way of communicating and it reaches people’s hearts in a way that nothing else can.”
In his new role Bishop Robarts will perform ordinations and confirmations and will lead the church in positive directions.
Bishop Robarts takes up this senior position at a time of great change and challenge for the world and for formalised religion.
Clearly moved by the terrible happenings in the world, Bishop Robarts said this is a chance to examine how oneself can contribute to positive change. He said declining numbers of christians also prompts reflection.
Despite these challenges, Bishop Robarts is hopeful for the future.
“I think there’s a great danger today to abandon hope, and it’s a great temptation because there's so much doom and gloom around, there’s so much anxiety and fear and I think hope is so vital,” he said.
