FORMER bishop of Winchester The Right Revd Michael Scott-Joynt has died aged 71.

His death on Saturday afternoon, surrounded by his family, came just three years after his retirement from the role, which he held for 16 years.

Bishop Scott-Joynt had previously served as Bishop of Stafford and as a residentiary canon at St Albans Cathedral, during a career in the Anglican church which spanned over four decades.

He was the Bishops’ spokesman on constitutional affairs in the House of Lords and chaired a Church of England committee which advocated relaxing the rules governing the remarriage of divorcees in church.

A strong supporter of traditional relationships, Bishop Scott-Joynt opposed both the appointment of an openly homosexual canon as a bishop in 2003 and the introduction of civil partnerships.

He admitted this was a stance which was uncomfortable to take, when so many of his family, friends and colleagues either disagreed with it, or were embarrassed by it.

The bishop will be additionally remembered for condemning the 9/11 terrorist attacks as “cruelly evil” in his address on Christmas Day 2001.

Following his death, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said the Church of England had lost a “faithful, hard working and distinguished servant”.

“With his ability to grasp detail and a remarkable stamina, he fulfilled all the demands made of him with a willingness that made him highly respected, not only in the church, but far beyond,” he said.

“He was not afraid to say what he believed, even when he knew those views might not be popular.

“But all this he did from his deep faith and after much careful prayer.”

Michael Scott-Joynt was the 96th Bishop of Winchester, one of the five most senior bishoprics within the Church of England.

He is survived by his wife Lou, two sons and a daughter.

The bishop was renowned for his warmth, intellect and his height, as he stood a full 6ft 7ins tall.

Paying tribute, his successor The Right Revd Tim Dakin, said: “Michael led this diocese with great integrity, both through his ministry and his strength of personality.

“Michael was a true servant for the Church of England at home and for the wider Anglican Communion abroad, particularly in Africa.

“He will long be remembered in our parishes and his presence sorely missed.”