All Archbishop of Canterbury articles
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OpinionExplained: Why it’s taking so long to choose the next Archbishop of Canterbury
The election of Pope Leo XIV has focused attention on another Church in need of a new leader. Yet what took the Catholic Church just two weeks will take the CofE almost a year. Why does it take so long, and what has gone wrong already? Tim Wyatt offers his guide to the appointment of the next ABC
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OpinionI’m praying Pope Leo will bring Catholics and Anglicans closer together
Pope Leo XIV has been elected as the new head of the Catholic Church. Could the curious coincidence of a new Archbishop of Canterbury at the same time present a fresh opportunity for Anglicans and Catholics to work together? George Pitcher makes the case for reunification
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OpinionWho will be the next leader of the Church of England?
The position of Archbishop of Canterbury has been vacant since January 2025. Who will be the person to guide the Church of England through what has been a volatile era of polarisation, safeguarding scandals, yet spiritual awakening amongst the youth and renewal in the UK. Here are seven prospective candidates
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OpinionJustin Welby’s BBC interview was a very bad idea. What was he thinking?
Perhaps the former Archbishop of Canterbury intended to convey remorse and accountability in his conversation with Laura Kuenssberg. But that’s not how it’s been received, observes George Pitcher
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OpinionThe CofE cannot mark its own homework when it comes to safeguarding
To the bewilderment of many, the General Synod has voted against transferring oversight of its safeguarding to an independent body, a decision that George Pitcher says has shown it is well past time to purge the CofE of its hypocrisy
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News AnalysisEvangelical activist or failed reformer? The triumphs and trials of Justin Welby
He brought down predatory payday lenders, turbocharged evangelism and even welcomed refugees to live with him at Lambeth Palace. But unresolved issues of sexuality and safeguarding dogged Welby throughout his tenure. Tim Wyatt looks at the highs and lows of Justin Welby’s time as Archbishop of Canterbury
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OpinionWho would want to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury? It’s an impossible job
As Justin Welby lays down his bishop’s crozier, George Pitcher takes a stab at writing a job description for the next Archbishop of Canterbury
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OpinionThe Children’s Society were wrong to cancel Welby - but I understand why they did
Refusing a donation from the Archbishop of Canterbury makes sense in our ’cancel culture’ society, says Miriam Cates. And until the CofE starts putting people above process, the problems will remain
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OpinionThree cheers for Rev Richard Coles on I’m a Celebrity
While Justin Welby was in the House of Lords exhibiting precisely how not to conduct yourself in the face of safeguarding failures, Rev Richard Coles was in the jungle of the I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here embodying all the qualities we would hope for in leader of the Church of England, says Rev Alex Frost
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OpinionSaint Boris the Skinny shouldn’t be throwing stones at the Church of England
Boris Johnson has blamed the UK’s obesity crisis on the CofE. Jonty Langley thinks he can smell a whiff of hypocrisy
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News AnalysisThe scandal that brought down the Archbishop of Canterbury
After facing mounting pressure, Most Rev Justin Welby has become the first Archbishop of Canterbury ever to resign. Tim Wyatt has the full story
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OpinionJustin Welby’s resignation is too little too late for victims of abuse
The Archbishop of Canterbury had to step down. But it’s what happens next that will decide the fate of the Church of England, says abuse survivor Samantha Smith
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OpinionChurch leaders knew about John Smyth’s child abuse. They covered it up
Andrew Graystone battled for decades to reveal the truth about serial abuser John Smyth. Now as a report confirms Smyth’s abuse was “prolific, brutal and horrific,” Andrew says church leaders must repent of their wilful blindness
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News AnalysisJustin Welby has resigned. What happened?
The Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned after a week of mounting pressure following a report into a prolific child abuser that accused the Church of England of a cover-up. Tim Wyatt takes us through the events that led to Justin Welby’s decision to step down
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OpinionThe CofE is split on sexuality, but structural differentiation is wrong. Christ calls us to unity
In response to the continued acrimony within the Church of England over Living in Love and Faith, Elliot Swattridge puts forward a biblical case against structural differentiation
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Magazine FeaturesWhy touring Central America with Justin Welby was a profound experience
For journalist Kelly Valencia, accompanying the Archbishop of Canterbury on his tour of Central America was more than just a job. It was a personal reminder of the trials faced by her own family – and how the Church helped them
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OpinionExclusive: Christian leaders criticise Justin Welby’s ‘unbiblical’ statement on Israel
The Archbishop of Canterbury has accused Israel of “denying the Palestinian people dignity, freedom and hope”, adding that ending the occupation is “a legal and moral necessity”. Now, over 20 Christian leaders representing a variety of ministries in the UK with links to the Middle East, have united to condemn the legal opinion promoted by the Archbishop as, “biased, uninformed, naïve, and ultimately unbiblical”
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OpinionHTB’s Nicky Gumbel and Archie Coates break silence on same-sex prayers
Eleven prominent Christian leaders, including HTB’s Archie Coates and Nicky Gumbel, have written to CofE bishops to say that introducing prayers for same-sex couples would be “unlawful, unconstitutional, and illegitimate” without a full debate and vote at next week’s General Synod. Here’s the letter in full and what it could mean for HTB’s stance on sexuality
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OpinionCofE leaders have forgotten Church teaching on sex
The proposed Prayers of Love and Faith, offering blessings for LGBT couples, go before General Synod this week. But Rev Dr Christopher Landau says fundamental questions remain unanswered. He’s making a plea for theological coherence
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OpinionJustin Welby is right. The Church must be clearer on teaching about sex
Bobbi Kumari was pleased to hear the Archbishop of Canterbury say the Church should be more unapologetic about the “basic rules of sexual morality” – but is the devil in the detail, she wonders?
