Nicholas Frayling

Nicholas Arthur Frayling (born 29 February 1944) is a British Church of England priest. From September 2002 to February 2014, he served as the Dean of Chichester.

Frayling was born on 29 February 1944 in South London, England. He was educated at Repton School, an independent school in Repton, Derbyshire. He studied theology at the University of Exeter, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1969. He trained for ordination at Cuddesdon College, an Anglican theological college near Oxford.

Frayling was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1971 and as a priest in 1972. From 1971 to 1974, he served his curacy at St John's Church, Peckham in the Diocese of Southwark. He then served as Vicar of All Saints Church, Tooting which is also in the Diocese of Southwark.

In 1983, Frayling moved to the Diocese of Liverpool where he served as a Canon Residentiary and the Precentor of Liverpool Cathedral. Then, from 1987 to 2002, he was Rector of Liverpool and as such was Rector of the Church of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas. In 1989, he was appointed an Honorary Canon of Liverpool Cathedral.

In September 2002, Frayling became Dean of Chichester. It was announced in September 2013 that he would retire from full-time ministry in the following year. He subsequently retired on 28 February 2014.

Views

In July 2013, Frayling held a public talk at Chichester Cathedral on the issue of equal marriage, as part of the annual Chichester Festivities. He expressed his view on homosexuality as "not a choice, but a given" - a view which is contrary to that of the Anglican Church.

Frayling is a vocal supporter of interfaith relations and political reconciliation. He has lectured on these subjects in Switzerland, Ireland, the United States, and Israel/Palestine.

Since 1 May 2014, Frayling has served as Dean of the Priory of England and the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (commonly known as the Order of Saint John). As such, he is also a trustee of St John Ambulance.

In 2001, Frayling was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree by the University of Liverpool. In 2003, he was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University. He was granted the Freedom of the City of Chichester in 2014.

• Pardon and Peace: Making of the Peace Process in Ireland