Feet of Clay: An autobiography - Hardcover

Wright, Roddy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0002740168 ISBN 13: 9780002740166

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1999

Synopsis

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 had a 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.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

In September 1996 the Bishop of Argyll and the Isles was reported missing from his residence by the press. Speculation about his whereabouts was intense. Ten days later he appeared in the North of England announcing his love for his companion.

For Roderick Wright the world was to change forever. In spite of constant media attention he has never put his side of this dramatic personal story. Now, with both honesty and feeling, a life of frailty and faith is revealed.

Roderick Wright was raised in a working class area on the south side of Glasgow. Tall, young and with an attractive personality, he was ordained at twenty-four and quickly became popular in his first parish, situated in the large housing scheme of Drumchapel.

In 'Feet of Clay', Roderick Wright vividly remembers his humble beginnings and many rewarding years of Christian ministry. He explains the background to his appointment as a bishop and his dramatic departure six years later. For the first time he tells of the impact on him of a previous relationship which resulted in the birth of a son.

This is a remarkable and unique 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. A person who is the first to admit that he has feet of clay.

Synopsis:

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 he tells his own 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 an intensely personal story.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0002740168
• ISBN 13: 9780002740166
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272