The Lords Spiritual of the United Kingdom, also called Spiritual Peers, are the 26 bishops of the established Church of England who serve in the House of Lords along with the Lords Temporal. The national yet free Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian in polity, is not represented by spiritual peers. The Anglican churches in Wales and Northern Ireland are no longer established churches and are therefore not represented either.
The Lords Spirit...
more
The Lords Spiritual of the United Kingdom, also called Spiritual Peers, are the 26 bishops of the established Church of England who serve in the House of Lords along with the Lords Temporal. The national yet free Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian in polity, is not represented by spiritual peers. The Anglican churches in Wales and Northern Ireland are no longer established churches and are therefore not represented either.
The Lords Spiritual normally do not vote on matters of law or state in the House of Lords, but they have done so in special cases, such as during the passage of the Parliament Act 1911.
The Church of England comprises 44 dioceses, each led by a bishop. The diocesan bishops of Canterbury and York are archbishops, who also have oversight over their respective provinces. Two dioceses—the Diocese of Sodor and Man (the Isle of Man) and the Diocese of Gibraltar (Continental Europe) —lie outside Great Britain.
The occupants of the five "great sees" — Canterbury,...
less
