- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; New edition edition (7 Feb 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0002740176
- ISBN-13: 978-0002740173
- Product Dimensions: 18.4 x 11 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,443,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
The full story of the respected Scottish bishop who resigned after fathering a child.
In October 1996 the national newspapers began to report the disappearance of the Bishop of Argyll who had been missing for ten days. He eventually reappeared in the North of England supported by a woman he had been having a relationship with. When the news broke another woman disclosed that she too had been involved with the bishop and had given birth to his child.
While the press have not stopped hounding him and his partner, Roddy Wright has given no interviews and made no public appearances. Now, exclusively for the first time, he tells his own shocking story. Set against the background of a childhood in the tenements of Glasgow and his life as a young priest in the Highlands of Scotland, Feet of Clay is a moving and intensely personal story.
Roddy Wright is the first Roman Catholic bishop to have resigned in Britain under such circumstances. Keen to make amends, and full of remorse for his actions, his is a powerful example of human weakness and private passion. A final section reflects on his meteoric career, the pressure of being a ‘professional Christian’ and the temptations of celibacy.
With wide public interest following the press coverage, and a heated debate within the Church about the priesthood, this is more than another ‘shocking vicar’ book but a dignified and touching drama of life, failure and forgiveness.
From the Back Cover
In September 1996 the Bishop of Argyll and the Isles was reported missing by the press. Speculations about his whereabouts was intense. When he was found with his female companion in Cumbria, journalists laid siege to the house. It was the start of a shocking and sustained persecution by the media, hungry for the scandal of a Catholic bishop who had fathered a son by a previous relationship, and how now resigned for the woman he loved.
In' Feet of Clay' Roddy Wright tells his own story; his working class childhood in Glasgow and the Western isles; his rewarding years of Christian ministry; his appointment as bishop and his dramatic departure six years later.
This is a remarkable autobiography of the first Scottish bishop to resign in such circumstances since the Reformation. It reveals a man deeply committed to his faith and his God, and the first to admit that he has 'feet of clay'.
"At midday Kathleen and I emerged into daylight for the first time in several days. We cam through the back door and walked to the top end of the sloping garden. Both of us were shocked by the number of media people present. The flashing and clicking of cameras greeted us as we walked, in what was otherwise an eerie silence. I read my statement in what was the most nerve-wrecking moment of our lives."
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Roddy Wright is a man for whom I have always had considerable regard. On the various occasions our paths crossed he always seemed to combine in a unique way deep spiritual insight, a sense of humour and a down to earth practicality. Although my own dalliance with the priesthood ended almost 30 years ago I was among the many in the Highlands and Islands who felt the Catholic Church had made a particularly wise choice of Bishop. I have also known many priests who have felt it necessary to leave. Most managed to do so without arousing much interest from the press. This was clearly impossible for a Bishop. In the resulting press feeding frenzy it became impossible for anyone to distinguish truth from fiction. I therefore welcome the opportunity to hear Roddy's own side of the story, which is really not that different from that of the many other priests who have found themselves in similar situations. However, this is not a great work of literature. Many, unlike me, who don't share his background in the Glasgow slums and the Westerm Isles will find his emotional descriptions difficult to take. The final chapter, with its endless list of visits by and to relatives, contributes little to the story. The almost total lack of criticism of the church, and its celibacy rule in particular, will disappoint many. I would hazard a guess that he might see things differently in a few years time, when he has had more time to reflect.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
There is nothing wrong with the Catholic Church - no failures in teaching, in pastoral care or in structure. At least that is what you would believe if you ever took this book seriously. Oh, for a mere hint of debate or dissent from this former Prince of the Church. Instead we get only the childish - as opposed to childlike - need for Roddy Wright to bare his soul and reflect on the 'hurt' he has caused. I would not mind this so much, but this book is so badly written that reading it surely merits at least one plenary indulgence. A truly bad book. Put your money in the poor box instead.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
feet of clay
6 Jan 2002
Format:Hardcover
i knew the author and also knew many of the people
and places mentioned in the book i found parts of
the book to be interesting but other parts were
kind of very dragged out but on the whole i thought
it was interesting to read about the rise and fall
of someone who i knew and have not seen in many
years.
and places mentioned in the book i found parts of
the book to be interesting but other parts were
kind of very dragged out but on the whole i thought
it was interesting to read about the rise and fall
of someone who i knew and have not seen in many
years.
Sad, but well written
22 Jun 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Could not help but be moved by the author's account. Also recognize this account varies greatly from the accounts of his Cardinal Archbishop and others who claim the author then denied all romantic allegations before he was outed and married his lover.
Sadly, I have read of his death. A tough life lived but I cannot be critical as he by all accounts was a good priest, somewhat unwilling Bishop Elect. RIP
Sadly, I have read of his death. A tough life lived but I cannot be critical as he by all accounts was a good priest, somewhat unwilling Bishop Elect. RIP
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