The Bishop of Manchester has revealed he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The Right Reverend David Walker said the disease was picked up after a routine blood test, and he is receiving treatment at The Christie Hospital in Manchester.
The 67-year-old said his prognosis “is pretty good” as the disease was caught early.
About 52,300 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, Prostate Cancer UK said.
“I am feeling well at the moment and have shown no signs of the disease,” Bishop Walker told Radio Manchester.
“My prognosis is pretty good as they have caught it early which was the result of having the test done before I had any symptoms.”
The married father-of-two, who was ordained in 1983, continued: “In the early stages, when we didn’t know how serious it was, it made me think about my own mortality.
“I know I am not going to be on this planet forever, and it makes you think about my relationship with God and what my hopes for heaven are.
“It reaffirmed my Christian faith and made me feel closer to Jesus.
“Death will come to us all.
“I accept that that one in eight men will get prostrate cancer so I have no question of ‘why me?’
“I have not had to take any time off. I just need to manage my energy a bit more as I have noticed a bit more tiredness than I am used to.”
