Forms to fill in!

The penny finally dropped this morning as to how so much has changed since I was ordained. The bishop on the radio was trying to defend the churches position on priests who have in the past pursued children in a very unhealthy way.
This process started a long time ago, during the last interregnum in fact when I was asked to go through the church registers to see if relevant names were included.
Non were and I’d forgotten the incident until this morning.
But it is the explanation for something which has been puzzling me.
The forms I must fill in to be granted a new PTO license are very long and ask for details about my home, old electricity bills etc , photographic proof that I am who I say I am....it’s all become a bit much but after this mornings interview I do now understand it.
That doesn’t mean I’m going on with it though....finding bits of paper with important information on them is time consuming, and also hard to come by these days.
My rates, my electricity bills etc are not bits of paper. I do everything on line and as I’ve lived here in this house for well over ten years I find myself resenting the process of proving it.
But after listening to the bishop on the radio this morning I do understand now.
Making sure that people are who they say they are is clearly important in this digital era.
So I’m not going on with my job here.. who on earth needs to work when they are 81 , which I will be tomorrow.
I have loved my time as a working priest...but all good things do end. So be it Lord.


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