Mandate

BENEDICT, BISHOP, SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD, sends greetings and his Apostolic blessing to his beloved son Peter Doyle who, until today, has been a priest of the community of Portsmouth, and Vicar General of the said Diocese, and is now appointed Bishop of the vacant See of Northampton.

After taking appropriate advice, it is my wish to contribute to the building up of the various Churches around the world through the appointment of holy pastors and especially to provide for the pastoral need to have labourers in the vineyard.
In this light I have considered the situation of the Church of Northampton which previously was presided over by Venerable Brother, Archbishop Kevin John Patrick McDonald who has been recently transferred to care for the flock of the Archdiocese of Southwark.
In order therefore to provide more effectively for the needs of this vacant See and to plan for the future of this Church, which I love dearly, we are eager to send a particular trusted minister to Northampton, granting to you, because of his giftedness and expertise in pastoral matters, would know how to govern, on Christ's behalf, this portion of the Lord's Flock.
You, my beloved son, have exercised your priesthood among the faithful people of Portsmouth in a praiseworthy fashion You have been prepared for this task by the full range of the everyday ministry that you have until now carried out, and also by the diligence with which you fulfilled your role as Vicar General in Portsmouth

Having consulted the Congregation for Bishops, by virtue of the Apostolic authority vested in me in all its fullness I have chosen you and establish you as Ordinary for the Cathedral Church of Northampton, granting to you all the privileges and rights of the episcopate.

At the same time I impose upon you equally the specific obligations and duties of the same office, which according to canon law are associated with the dignity of the office of bishop and with governance in the Church. You must first make your profession of faith and your oath of fidelity towards me and my lawful successors. Then clearly you may receive Episcopal ordination outside of the city of Rome according to the liturgical norms. From the moment of your appointment to them you must never cease to properly instruct the clergy and people of Northampton as their spiritual leader. At the same time I also encourage your people, these beloved sons and daughters, in the name of the Divine Shepherd, to willingly embrace you as their own Shepherd and afterwards to follow whatever you lay down as legitimate teaching.
May you grow and be strengthened in the most effective leadership and spiritual renewal of the Church of Northampton in such a way, my beloved son that you will excel even more in all the love and care which you have already shown towards people in need of salvation.