The Right Reverend

Hugh Gilbert

OSB
Bishop of Aberdeen
Bishop Gilbert in 2016
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
DioceseAberdeen
Appointed4 June 2011
Installed15 August 2011
PredecessorPeter Moran
Orders
Ordination29 June 1982
by Mario Conti
Consecration15 August 2011
by Keith Cardinal O'Brien
Personal details
Born
Edward Gilbert

(1952-03-15) 15 March 1952
Emsworth, Hampshire, England
NationalityBritish
DenominationRoman Catholic
Previous post(s)Abbot of Pluscarden Abbey (1992–2011)
Alma materKing's College London
MottoOmnia in Ipso constant
"All things hold together in Him"

Hugh Gilbert OSB (born 15 March 1952) is an English Catholic Benedictine monk who currently serves as the Bishop of Aberdeen. He previously served as the Abbot of Pluscarden Abbey, of which he is a member, also in Scotland.

Life

Early life

On 15 March 1952, he was born Edward Gilbert in Emsworth, Hampshire, to an Anglican family. He was educated at the private St Paul's School in London. At the age of 18, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church on Christmas Eve of 1970. He studied history at King's College London and graduated in 1974 with a first class honours degree in History.[1]

Monastic life

Gilbert was received into the novitiate of Pluscarden Abbey in Moray, Scotland, in March 1975, at which time he was given the religious name Hugh. He made his temporary profession of monastic vows on 10 March of the following year and was then sent to the former Fort Augustus Abbey, located on the shores of Loch Ness, for studies and preparation for the priesthood. He made his solemn profession of vows on 10 March 1979 and was ordained a priest in 1982 on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June) by Mario Conti, then the Bishop of Aberdeen.[1]

Dom Alfred Spencer OSB, the first abbot in the history of the monastery,[2] subsequently appointed Gilbert to various duties in the community: sub-prior in 1984, novice master in 1985, and prior in 1990. Gilbert was elected by the monastic community to succeed Spencer as abbot on 29 October 1992. He received the abbatial blessing from Conti on 8 December, at which time he formally took office.[1] He was a member of the Council of the Union of Monastic Superiors from 1993 to 1997 and of the Abbot Visitor's Council since 1995. During his time as abbot, the community grew to 27 monks.

Bishop

Gilbert meeting with First Minister Humza Yousaf in 2023

Gilbert was appointed the Bishop of Aberdeen by Pope Benedict XVI on 4 June 2011.[3] He was consecrated for this office at the Cathedral Church of St Mary of the Assumption in Aberdeen by Keith Cardinal O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, on the Feast of the Assumption (15 August) 2011.[4] He chose as his episcopal motto Omnia in Ipso constant (All things hold together in Him), which is a verse from the Letter to the Colossians (1:17).[5]

Same-sex marriage

In August 2012, Bishop Gilbert argued in the Scottish same-sex marriage debate that if the Scottish Government truly believed in equality, it would also make incest and polygamy legal.[6][7]

Author

Gilbert has written a number of journal articles and books on spirituality. His books are:

  • Unfolding the Mystery (Gracewing, 2007), a collection of homilies and conferences on the liturgical year
  • Living the Mystery (Gracewing, 2008), reflections on aspects of the Christian life.[1]
  • The Tale of Quisquis: Reading the Rule of St Benedict as Story (Gracewing, 2014), conferences on the rule of St Benedict
  • Words for the Advent and Christmas Season (CTS, 2014), homilies for Advent and Christmastide
  • Words for the Lent and Easter Saints (CTS, 2015), homilies
  • Words for Feasts and Saints Days (CTS, 2015), homilies

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Abbot of Pluscarden appointed Bishop of Aberdeen". Independent Catholic News. UK. 4 June 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Timeline". Pluscarden Abbey. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "Rinuncia Del Vescovo Di Aberdeen (Scozia) E Nomina Del Successore" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 4 June 2011. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2013.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ "Bishop Hugh (Edward) Gilbert, O.S.B." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  5. ↑ "Rt Rev. Hugh Gilbert OSB". Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen, Scotland.
  6. ↑ "Catholic Bishop: Government should make incest legal if it really believes in equality". Pink News. UK. 5 August 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  7. ↑ Reynolds, Rory (5 August 2012). "Same-sex marriage: Anger over bishop's bigamy and incest jibe". The Scotsman. UK. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
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