What is the history of the bishop in Tynwald?
BBCThe Isle of Man's Constitution Bill which would remove the bishop's vote but retain the post holder's seat in Tynwald is nearing its final stages.
Proponents of the bill argue that removing the vote would make the Manx parliament "more democratically accountable" while those against it say it removes hundreds of years of history.
But what is the history of the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man and the role within the oldest continuous parliament in the world?
When did the Isle of Man first have a bishop?
A report commissioned by a Legislative Council committee found that it was unclear when the island first had a bishop, largely due to there being no records on it.
While some scholars write that the first Bishop of Man - Saint Germain or Germanus - was said to have been sent by Saint Patrick in about 466 AD, others suggest that Christian affairs became more settled during the rule of Viking King Olaf I in the early 1100s.
One scholar acknowledged that while the Diocese of Sodor and Man may have existed earlier, by "fixing the formation of the diocese" to 1154, "we are on firm ground".
When did the bishop become linked to Tynwald?
MANX SCENESThe report finds that the bishop's link with Tynwald dates back to 1417, the first record of a Tynwald gathering which indicated a separate feudal ceremony publicly showing the relationship between the Lord of Man and the island's barons.
The post holder of bishop was automatically a baron at the time, meaning they enjoyed judicial rights of their own, however, there was no evidence they participated in law-speaking.
In 1614, the governor was instructed that the bishop be admitted as one of the council of the island, and the first evidence of the bishop being included as a signatory to legislation was in 1637.
While the council has its roots in the medieval era, when it served as an advisory body to the King of Man and the Isles and later to the Lord of Man, it was subject to significant reform in the 20th Century.
In 1919, the archdeacon and vicar general positions were removed from the Legislative Council by the Isle of Man Constitution Act, which left the bishop as the sole ecclesiastical member in the upper branch of Tynwald.
It was at that time that the council began to include a number of members elected by the House of Keys, as well as those appointed by the crown or the governor.
Why is it called the Diocese of Sodor and Man?
Sodor and Man is the smallest diocese in the Church of England, overseeing 45 churches and 27 parishes.
The ancient Scandinavian name of the Kingdom of Man and the Isles was Sodor, and that name is believed to have been given to Peel due to the cathedral being the seat of the diocese.
But the modern name of Sodor and Man seemed to have arisen from a mistake of a legal draftsman in the 17th Century who was unaware that Man was called Sodor in relation to Christianity, the report said.
The then Bishop Phillips, took advantage of the new title and included Sodor et de Man in his signature in 1610.
What is the current role of the Bishop?
In modern times the Legislative Council functions as a revising body made up of 11 members.
That includes eight members elected by the House of Keys, as well as the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man and the Attorney General - who does not have voting powers.
In late 2024 the Right Reverand Tricia Hillas was installed as the 88th Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, making her the first female post holder in the island's history.
The bishop's membership of the council has been debated on a number of occasions over the past 20 years, with the most recent bid to remove the the role from Manx politics in 2018 being rejected.
Under the proposed Constitution Bill 2023, the Lord Bishop would retain a seat on Legislative Council and Tynwald but - despite still being able to speak during sittings - would lose the right to vote.
A proposed change passed in the Legislative Council would see the Constitution Bill come into effect after the tenure of the currently incumbent, Bishop Hillas.
That change is among those that will be further considered by the House of Keys in January.
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