John Hine


John Hine is a Roman Catholic bishop in England. He was an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Southwark, and he holds the titular see of Beverley.

Early life

John Franklin Meldon Hine was born in Tunbridge Wells, part of the Southwark Archdiocese, on 26 July 1938. He is the son of Lieutenant Commander Jack F. W. Hine and Moira E. Hine. He was educated by the Jesuits at Stonyhurst College and the Xaverian Brothers at Mayfield College.
After studying at the Venerable English College, Rome, Hine was ordained as a Catholic priest, on 28 October 1962 for the Archdiocese of Southwark. He served as Vicar General and Chancellor of the Archdiocese before his elevation to the episcopate, and was a Canon of the Cathedral of St George, Southwark and a Monsignor.

Episcopal career

In 2001, the then Pope John Paul II, on the recommendation of the Apostolic Nuncio and the then Archbishop of Southwark, Michael Bowen, appointed Father Hine as auxiliary bishop for Southwark. He was consecrated by Archbishop Bowen on 27 February 2001, with Bishops Christopher Budd and Crispian Hollis as co consecrators, and assigned the titular see of Beverley. Archbishop Bowen gave him pastoral responsibility for the Kent Area of the Archdiocese, which comprises the deaneries of Canterbury, Chatham, Dover, Gravesend, Maidstone, Thanet and Bishop Hine's home area of Tunbridge Wells.
He is the most senior of the three auxiliaries in Southwark, having been appointed five years before Bishops Hendricks & Lynch. He has substituted for the Archbishop at a number of events, such as the 2008 Chrism Mass, during Archbishop Kevin McDonald's convalescence from a heart bypass operation. He was elected as Diocesan Administrator following Archbishop McDonald's resignation, serving from December 2009 to June 2010, when Archbishop Peter Smith was installed as archbishop.
In accordance with Canon Law upon reaching the age of 75, he submitted his resignation from office to the Holy See. In January 2014 he relinquished his responsibilities for the Kent area of the Diocese of Southwark, and was appointed parish priest of St Andrew's Parish, Tenterden, Kent. He retired as auxiliary bishop on 7 May 2016.