CALNE’S Jason Kellinger revealed his successor as Chorister Bishop at Salisbury Cathedral would be a girl during an entertaining sermon on Sunday.

Jason, 12, from Calne, gave the sermon as part of a tradition dating back to the medieval period where he became Chorister Bishop for the cathedral’s Choral Evensong service.

It’s been a meteoric rise for Jason, who was only baptised in the cathedral in May and was appointed head chorister in September.

Jason, who joined the choir in 2011, said: “Getting from baptism to being a Bishop in seven months is nothing short of a miracle.

“Traditions are often good things, but some need to change with the times. I am really pleased that, now we are going to have female Bishops, the Chorister Bishop tradition is going to evolve too.

“At next year’s service the Chorister Bishop will be a girl for the first time, the Dean’s Chorister.”

As part of the tradition, Jason received the staff and ring of the Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam, as well as replica Bishop’s robes before leading the congregation in prayer and delivering his sermon.

The former Fynamore Primary School pupil used his sermon, in part, to address the issue of poverty and the approximate 19,000 children living below the breadline in Wiltshire.