The Diocese of Birmingham is a diocese founded in 1905 in the Church of England's Province of Canterbury, covering the north-west of the traditional county of Warwickshire, the south-east of the traditional county of Staffordshire and the north-east of the traditional county of Worcestershire (now the central section of the West Midlands and small parts of south Staffordshire, north Warwickshire and north Worcestershire) in England. Cathedral The see is in the centre of the City of Birmingham, where the seat of the diocese is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Philip. The 18th-century parish church of Saint Philip in Birmingham was elevated to cathedral status in 1905 when the see was founded, on 13 January 1905. Previously the area had been part of the Diocese of Worcester. Bishops Besides the diocesan Bishop of Birmingham (vacant) and the Bishop suffragan of Aston (Anne Hollinghurst; which see was created in 1954), there are three retired bishops resident in (or near) the diocese who are licensed to serve as honorary assistant bishops: 2002–present: Maurice Sinclair is a retired Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone living in Selly Park. 2003–present: Mark Santer is a retired diocesan Bishop of Birmingham living in Moseley. 2005–present: Iraj Mottahedeh is a retired diocesan Bishop of Iran who lives in Church Aston, Shropshire, in the neighbouring Lichfield diocese. Since 1994, alternative episcopal oversight (for parishes in the diocese who reject the ministry of women priests) is provided by the provincial episcopal visitor, the Bishop suffragan of Oswestry (since 2023 Paul Thomas), who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there. Archdeaconries and deaneries The former deaneries of Yardley and Bordesley were merged in 2000. Central Birmingham was known as Birmingham City until 1996 and then Birmingham City Centre until 2004. *including Cathedral Churches Last fully updated 8 September 2018. Not in a deanery Deanery of Aston Deanery of Coleshill Deanery of Polesworth Deanery of Solihull Deanery of Sutton Coldfield Deanery of Yardley and Bordesley Deanery of Central Birmingham Deanery of Edgbaston Deanery of Handsworth Deanery of King's Norton Deanery of Moseley Deanery of Shirley Deanery of Warley Safeguarding Controversy In December 2018 the diocese was criticised for its use of a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) in relation to an abuse case. The survivor described the ten-year process since her first complaint as "haphazard" and claimed she was warned by an