Priesthood, Catholicate of the West

On 27 February 1971, Norton was ordained priest by his uncle, Hugh George de Willmott Newman, with co-ordainers Peter Martin Smethurst and Michel France Marie Raoult. On 9 July 1977, the same three people consecrated him bishop, with Newman as main consecrator.^[3]: 294

In 1979, Norton succeeded Newman as head of the Catholicate of the West which was sometimes called Orthodox Church of the British Isles.^{[3]: 294 [6]}

In the Coptic Patriarchate

The Orthodox Church of the British Isles split from the Celtic Orthodox Church in 1994, under Mar Seraphim (Norton): the Orthodox Church of the British Isles joined the Coptic Orthodox Church and changed its name to British Orthodox Church.^[7][8][9]

On 6 April 1994, a protocol enacting the merger of the Orthodox Church of the British Isles into the Coptic Orthodox Church was signed by both parties. The Orthodox Church of the British Isles, headed by Norton, changed its name to British Orthodox Church for the union, and became "a diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria with jurisdiction over the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands". The British Orthodox Church was distinct from the other communities in the British Isles of the Coptic Church.^[8][9]

Norton, primate of the British Orthodox Church, was not reordained, but received a chrismation. On 19 June 1994, Norton "was consecrated as a Metropolitan in the Coptic Patriarchate by His Holiness Pope Shenouda assisted by some seventy Metropolitans and Bishops". Norton then became member of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church.^[8][9]

In the independent British Orthodox Church

On 4 October 2015, the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, in response to a request from the British Orthodox Church, agreed to the British church returning to its pre-1994 status as an independent jurisdiction, with Norton as primate.^[10] This action led to a restoration of the situation in which the British Orthodox Church was not in communion with any of the Oriental Orthodox churches.

On 7 January 2019, it was announced that Metropolitan Seraphim (Norton) would be once again considered as Patriarch, and referred to as "His Beatitude". Norton had ceased to use the title of Patriarch since union with the Coptic Orthodox Church out of courtesy to Pope Shenouda III. The church he leads continues to be known as the British Orthodox Church. He is considered by the British Orthodox Church as its seventh patriarch.^[2]