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| archbishopric = Canterbury
| archbishopric = Canterbury
| border = Anglican
| border = Anglican
| image = Official portrait of The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.jpg
| image =
| coat = File:Arms ArchbishopOfCanterbury.svg
| coat = File:Arms ArchbishopOfCanterbury.svg
| coat_size = 200px
| coat_size = 200px
| coat_caption = Arms of the [[diocese of Canterbury]]: ''Azure, an [[crosier|episcopal staff]] in pale or surmounted by a [[Pall (heraldry)|pall]] proper edged and fringed of the second charged with four crosses pattée fitchée [[Sable (heraldry)|sable]]''
| coat_caption = Arms of the [[diocese of Canterbury]]: ''Azure, an [[crosier|episcopal staff]] in pale or surmounted by a [[Pall (heraldry)|pall]] proper edged and fringed of the second charged with four crosses pattée fitchée [[Sable (heraldry)|sable]]''
| incumbent = [[Justin Welby]]
| incumbent = ''Seat vacant''
| incumbent_note = since 4 February 2013
| incumbent_note = since 6 January 2025
| style = [[The Most Reverend]] and [[Right Honourable]] (otherwise [[His Grace]])
| style = [[The Most Reverend]] and [[Right Honourable]] (otherwise [[His Grace]])
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Revision as of 00:58, 6 January 2025

"Primate of All England" redirects here. For the Primate of England, see Archbishop of York.
For a list of archbishops, see List of archbishops of Canterbury.

Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishopric
Anglican
His Grace)
Location
Ecclesiastical provinceCanterbury
Residence
Information
First holderAugustine of Canterbury
DenominationAnglican
Established597 (597)
DioceseCanterbury
CathedralCanterbury Cathedral
Website
www.archbishopofcanterbury.org Edit this at Wikidata
Anglican Communion
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Organisation
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Theology
Liturgy and worship
Other topics
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The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the

Gregory the Great and arrived in 597.[2]

From the time of Augustine until the sixteenth century, the archbishops of Canterbury were in full communion with the Catholic Church and usually received the pallium from the pope. During the English Reformation, King Henry VIII broke communion with Rome and proclaimed himself the head of the Church of England. Thomas Cranmer, appointed in 1533, was the first Protestant archbishop of Canterbury and would become one of the most important figures in the development of Anglicanism.

The archbishop is appointed by the

Crown Nominations Commission, a Church of England body.[3][4]

Present roles and status

Currently the archbishop fills four main roles:[5]

  1. bishop of the
    eastern parts of the County of Kent. Founded in 597, it is the oldest see
    in the English church.
  2. metropolitan archbishop of the province of Canterbury
    , which covers the southern two-thirds of England.
  3. the senior
    supreme governor of the church). Along with his colleague the archbishop of York he chairs the General Synod and sits on or chairs many of the church's important boards and committees; power in the church is not highly centralised, however, so the two archbishops can often lead only through persuasion. The archbishop of Canterbury plays a central part in national ceremonies such as coronations
    ; due to his high public profile, his opinions are often in demand by the news media.
  4. spiritual leader of the
    Lambeth Conferences
    .

In the last two of these functions, he has an important

ecumenical and interfaith
role, speaking on behalf of Anglicans in England and worldwide.

The archbishop's main residence is Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth. He also has lodgings in the Old Palace, Canterbury, located beside Canterbury Cathedral, where the Chair of St Augustine sits.

As holder of one of the "five great sees" (the others being

United Kingdom's order of precedence
.

Since

Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals.[6]

The most recent archbishop, Justin Welby is the 105th holder of the office. He was enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on 4 February 2013. As archbishop he signs himself as + Justin Cantuar. On 12 November 2024 he announced his decision to resign.[7]

There are currently two other living former archbishops: George Carey (born 1935), the 103rd archbishop; and Rowan Williams (born 1950), the 104th archbishop.

Additional roles

In addition to his office, the archbishop holds a number of other positions; for example, he is joint president of the

ex officio and others virtually so (the incumbent of the day, although appointed personally, is appointed because of his office). Amongst these are:[8]

Ecumenical and interfaith

The archbishop is also a president of

ecumenical organisation).[11] Geoffrey Fisher, 99th archbishop of Canterbury, was the first since 1397 to visit Rome, where he held private talks with Pope John XXIII in 1960. In 2005, Rowan Williams became the first archbishop of Canterbury to attend a papal funeral since the Reformation. He also attended the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI. The 101st archbishop, Donald Coggan, was the first to attend a papal inauguration, that of Pope John Paul II in 1978.[12]

Since 2002, the archbishop has co-sponsored the

Grand Mufti of Egypt. In July 2008, the archbishop attended a conference of Christians, Jews and Muslims convened by the king of Saudi Arabia at which the notion of the "clash of civilizations" was rejected. Delegates agreed "on international guidelines for dialogue among the followers of religions and cultures."[13] Delegates said that "the deepening of moral values and ethical principles, which are common denominators among such followers, would help strengthen stability and achieve prosperity for all humans."[14]

Origins

Arms of the see of Canterbury. Nearly 500 years after the Reformation, the arms still depict the pallium, a symbol of the authority of the Pope and metropolitan archbishops.

It has been suggested that the

pagan, Germanic peoples who came to be known collectively as the Anglo-Saxons. Of the kingdoms they created, Kent arguably had the closest links with European politics, trade and culture, because it was conveniently situated for communication with continental Europe. In the late 6th century, King Æthelberht of Kent married a Christian Frankish princess named Bertha, possibly before becoming king, and certainly a number of years before the arrival of the first Christian mission to England.[16] He permitted the preaching of Christianity.[17]

The first archbishop of Canterbury was Saint

Chair of St. Augustine
.

A gospel book believed to be directly associated with St Augustine's mission survives in the Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, England. Catalogued as Cambridge Manuscript 286, it has been positively dated to 6th-century Italy and this bound book, the St Augustine Gospels, is still used during the swearing-in ceremony of new archbishops of Canterbury.

Before the break with papal authority in the 16th century, the Church of England was an integral part of the Western European church. Since the break the Church of England, an established national church, still considers itself part of the broader Western Catholic tradition (although this is not accepted by the Roman Catholic Church which regards Anglicanism as schismatic[20] and does not accept Anglican holy orders as valid) as well as being the "mother church" of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The Report of the Commissioners appointed by his Majesty to inquire into the Ecclesiastical Revenues of England and Wales (1835) noted the net annual revenue for the Canterbury see was £19,182.[21]

Province and Diocese of Canterbury

View of Canterbury Cathedral from the north west c. 1890–1900

The archbishop of Canterbury exercises metropolitical (or supervisory) jurisdiction over the

disestablished Church in Wales
.

The archbishop of Canterbury has a ceremonial provincial curia, or court, consisting of some of the senior bishops of his province.

cross-bearer
.

Along with primacy over the archbishop of York, the archbishop of Canterbury also has a precedence of honour over the other bishops of the Anglican Communion. He is recognised as primus inter pares, or first amongst equals. He does not, however, exercise any direct authority in the provinces outside England, except in certain minor roles dictated by Canon in those provinces (for example, he is the judge in the event of an ecclesiastical prosecution against the archbishop of Wales). He does hold metropolitical authority over several extra-provincial Anglican churches, and he serves as ex officio bishop of the Falkland Islands.

As of 2024 the archbishop has four

suffragan
bishops:

  • The bishop of Dover is given the additional title of "bishop in Canterbury" and empowered to act almost as if the bishop of Dover were the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, since the archbishop is so frequently away fulfilling national and international duties.
  • Two further suffragans, the bishop of Ebbsfleet and the bishop of Richborough, are provincial episcopal visitors for the whole Province of Canterbury, licensed by the archbishop as "flying bishops" to provide oversight throughout the province to parishes which for conscience' sake cannot accept that women can be ordained in the Sacrament of Ordination in the Church of England.
  • The bishop of Maidstone provides alternative episcopal oversight for the province of Canterbury for particular members who take a conservative evangelical view of male headship. On 23 September 2015, Rod Thomas was consecrated bishop of Maidstone.[23] Previously the bishop of Maidstone was an actual suffragan bishop working in the diocese, until it was decided at the diocesan synod of November 2010 that a new bishop would not be appointed.[24]

Styles and privileges

"Primate of All England" redirects here.

The archbishops of Canterbury and York are both styled as "The Most Reverend"; retired archbishops are styled as "The Right Reverend". The archbishop is, by convention, appointed to the

Forenames
, by Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan". In debates in the House of Lords, the archbishop is referred to as "The Most Reverend Primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury". "The Right Honourable" is not used in either instance. He may also be formally addressed as "Your Grace" or, more informally, as "Archbishop".

The surname of the archbishop of Canterbury is not always used in formal documents; often only the first name and see are mentioned. The archbishop is legally entitled to sign his name as "Cantuar" (the

peers of the Realm and peers by courtesy.[citation needed
] Justin Welby as archbishop of Canterbury usually signed as "+Justin Cantuar:".

In the

lord chancellor
and then the archbishop of York.

The archbishop of Canterbury awards academic degrees, commonly called "Lambeth degrees".

Residences

The Archbishop of Canterbury's official London residence and office is Lambeth Palace, photographed looking east across the River Thames

The archbishop of Canterbury's official residence and office in London is Lambeth Palace. He also has an apartment within the Old Palace, next to Canterbury Cathedral which incorporates some 13th-century fabric of the medieval Archbishop's Palace.

Former seats of the archbishops include:

  • Croydon Palace: the summer residence of the archbishops from the 15th to the 18th centuries.
  • Addington Palace: purchased as a replacement for Croydon Palace in 1807; sold in 1897.
  • Archbishop's Palace, Maidstone: constructed in the 1390s, the palace was seized by the Crown at the time of the Reformation.
  • Otford Palace: a medieval palace, rebuilt by Archbishop Warham c. 1515 and forfeited to the Crown by Thomas Cranmer in 1537.
  • Archbishop's Palace, Charing: a palace existed from at least the 13th century; seized by the Crown after the Dissolution. Remnants survive as a farmhouse.
  • Knole House
    : built by Archbishop Bourchier in the second half of the 15th century, it was forfeited to the Crown by Archbishop Cranmer in 1538.

List of recent archbishops

Main article: List of archbishops of Canterbury
See also:
Assistant Bishop of Canterbury

Since 1900, the following have served as archbishop of Canterbury:[26]

Archbishops who became peers

From 1660 to 1902, all the archbishops of Canterbury died in office. In 1928, two years before his death, Randall Davidson became the first to voluntarily resign his office. All his successors except William Temple (who died in office in 1944) have also resigned their office before death.

All those who retired have been given

life peerages after the enactment of the Life Peerages Act 1958. Such titles have allowed retired archbishops to retain the seats in the House of Lords
which they held ex officio before their retirement.

Archbishop Title Notes
Randall Davidson
Baron Davidson of Lambeth
in 1928 		Extinct in 1930
Cosmo Gordon Lang
Baron Lang of Lambeth
in 1942 		Extinct in 1945
Geoffrey Fisher
Baron Fisher of Lambeth
for life in 1961 		Extinct in 1972
Michael Ramsey
Baron Ramsey of Canterbury
for life in 1974 		Extinct in 1988
Donald Coggan
Baron Coggan
for life in 1980 		Extinct in 2000
Robert Runcie
Baron Runcie
for life in 1991 		Extinct in 2000
George Carey
Baron Carey of Clifton
for life in 2002 		Extant
Rowan Williams
Baron Williams of Oystermouth
for life in 2013 		Extant (retired from the House in 2020[27])

See also

References

  1. ^ "Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns over Church abuse scandal – live updates". BBC News. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Announcement of the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury". Archbishop of Canterbury Website. 9 November 2012. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  3. ^ Bailey, Pippa (12 November 2024). "The race for Lambeth Palace". The New Statesman. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Outline of procedures for the appointment of an Archbishop of Canterbury". 16 March 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  5. ^ Archbishop's Roles and Responsibilities Archived 14 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Archbishop of Canterbury website. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  6. ^ The Archbishop of Canterbury Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, website of the Archbishop of York. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
  7. ISSN 0261-3077
    . Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Register of Lords' interests". House of Lords. Archived from the original on 7 August 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
  9. ^ "Archbishop installed as first Chancellor". Canterbury Christ Church University. 12 December 2005. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
  10. ^ "Justin Welby becomes patron of mental health charity". Premier. Christian News. 14 September 2021. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  11. ^ "The Presidents of Churches Together in England". Churches Together in England. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  12. ^ Hickman, Baden (19 May 2000). "Lord Coggan of Canterbury". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  13. ^ "Madrid Interfaith Dialogue Conference: Beginning of a Process". Saudi-US Relations Information Service. Archived from the original on 15 May 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  14. ISBN 9782825409640
    .
  15. ^ Wacher, J., The Towns of Roman Britain, Batsford, 1974, especially pp. 84–86.
  16. ^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Bertha.
  17. Ecclesiastical History
    , i, 25.
  18. ^ Bede, Ecclesiastical History, i, 29.
  19. ^ Brooks, N., The Early History of the Church of Canterbury, Leicester University Press, 1984, pp. 3–14.
  20. ISBN 978-1-58617-499-6
    .
  21. ^ The National Enclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, Vol.III, Charles Knight, London, 1847, p. 362
  22. ^ "Order of Service from the Enthronement of the 104th Archbishop in 2003" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2007.
  23. ^ "Articles".
  24. ^ "Canterbury Diocese – Synod News". Archived from the original on 15 June 2011.
  25. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 2008, p. 43 – Precedence, England and Wales
  26. ^ Johnson, Ben. "Archbishops of Canturbury". Historic UK. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  27. ^ "Retirements of Members – Hansard – UK Parliament".
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