Stephen Robson was born in Carlisle, in the Diocese of Lancaster, on 1 April 1951. Baptised in the Anglican tradition on 15 May 1951, he became a Roman Catholic while a teenager. After secondary school he attended the University of Edinburgh where he obtained a degree in biological sciences with a specialisation in medical technology at Napier College of Science in Edinburgh. He was heavily influenced by the local Jesuit community while studying in Edinburgh.
Formation and further studies
Robson completed his studies for ordination at St Andrew's College, Drygrange. During his ministry at the Pontifical Scots College in Rome he gained a Licentiate and Doctorate in Spiritual Theology and a Licentiate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 2004 his doctoral thesis, entitled "With the Spirit and Power of Elijah: The Prophetic-reforming Spirituality of Bernard of Clairvaux as Evidenced Particularly in His Letters", was awarded the Gregorian University's Bellarmine Medal, awarded to recognise the best thesis submitted each year in theology. Cistercian P. Alkuin Schachenmayr wrote that "dozens of passages in Robson’s dissertation" seemed identical to passages published by other authors, yet without giving them proper attribution. An investigation by the Gregorian cleared Robson of these charges in 2020.
Priesthood
Robson was ordained deacon on 12 February 1978, and priest on 17 March 1979 for the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh. He subsequently held the following pastoral assignments:
Robson's appointment was announced on 8 May 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI and he received episcopal consecration on 9 June 2012, the Feast of St Columba, from Keith Patrick Cardinal O'Brien with Archbishops Antonio Mennini and Mario Conti serving as co-consecrators. He was assigned the titular see of Tunnuna in Tunisia. Immediately following his episcopal consecration he served as the representative of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland at the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin from 10–17 June 2012. As auxiliary bishop, Robson became a member of the bishops' conference. Following his consecration, he continued in his role as chancellor of the archdiocese and served as parish priest at Ss John Cantius and Nicholas, Broxburn, beginning in September 2012. When Cardinal O'Brien resigned in February 2013 after being accused of sexual misconduct by other priests, Robson was named the delegate of the apostolic administrator and entrusted with running the daily affairs of the archdiocese. Robson and O'Brien had been close for over 30 years; they met while colleagues on the staff of St Mary’s College, Blairs. Robson had been O'Brien's private secretary. In March 2013 Robson was appointed to be one of the twelve members of the controversial McLellan Commission, which was to review how the Scottish Church deals with accusations of sexual abuse; Kevin McKenna of The Guardian called its August 2015 report a "whitewash".
