Explained: 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

There were just 17 days between the death of Pope Francis and the appointment of his successor, Leo XIV. Yet the Archbishop of Canterbury resigned in November 2024, and his successor is not likely to be announced until September (at the earliest) - ten whole months since Justin Welby was forced out over his involvement in the John Smyth abuse scandal.  

There is no single reason why the CofE is finding it so hard to appoint a new leader. Partly, the process is designed to be slower and more collaborative. But the drawn-out marathon is also exposing the fractures already present in the Anglican Church. These tensions have already slowed down the process - and could yet flare up again.