and appealed for church unity.

The Rt. Rev. William Down regretted the storm over the Rev. Ewen Ratteray's appointment.

"Fr. Ratteray is a fine priest,'' he said. "I am confident he will fill the position of Archdeacon with dignity and great ability.'' He added: "It is now time for all Anglicans to unite in giving him the support and encouragement he richly deserves.'' Bishop Down's comments come in a letter to The Royal Gazette .

In it, he stressed it was the duty of the Bishop to appoint the Archdeacon.

And it was "neither customary nor desirable'' to give reasons for such appointments, he added.

Bishop Down also drove home how important it was he had a good working relationship with the Archdeacon.

"This was one of the main reasons why I appointed Fr. Ratteray.'' Fr. Ratteray, of St. John's Church, Pembroke, will replace the Ven. Thomas Dyson, who retires on September 21.

The Royal Gazette understands three senior members of Bermuda's Anglican clergy have confronted the Bishop, angered by his "arrogance''.

The source said the senior clergy believed the Bishop should have shared his views on the appointment with them.

According to the source, the senior clergymen who met the Bishop included Canon Arnold Hollis of St. James' Church, Canon Thomas Nisbett of Christ Church and Canon James Francis of the Anglican Cathedral.

Canon Nisbett told The Royal Gazette senior clergymen were "unhappy'' with the unexpectedness of the announcement, and the lack of consultation with senior priests.

They were also upset the "least senior'' member of the Island's Anglican clergy was ultimately chosen.

In his letter, Bishop Down described the furore as "regrettable''.

He said: "It is the duty of the Bishop to appoint the Archdeacon.

"The Constitution of the Synod of the Anglican Church of Bermuda states unequivocally that `the Archdeacon shall be appointed by the Bishop'.

"Among the most important aspects of the work of the Archdeacon are his roles as the Bishop's deputy and the Bishop's chief executive person in the Diocese.

"In this connection seniority and length of service are important but not determining factors in making the appointment of the Archdeacon.

"The crucial factor is the ongoing working relationship between the Bishop and the Archdeacon.

"This was one of the main reasons why I appointed Fr. Ratteray.'' Bishop Down, who refused to elaborate on his letter, continued: "It is neither customary nor desirable when making senior Church appointments to give reasons for the appointment of a person to a particular position.

"To do so is to risk causing further pain to those not appointed who may have considered themselves to be candidates.''