Family and Society

The Archbishop holds as central to his work and mission the importance of family and civil society. Protecting and supporting those in crisis, the institution of marriage and fostering good childhoods are constant themes in his public remarks.

July 2010

21 July 2010
Archbishop: Victory Outreach gives people 'confidence in themselves before God'
The Victory Outreach charity, of which the Archbishop is patron, provides homes and life skills for young people with great needs. The Archbishop welcomed a group of residents and staff to Lambeth Palace.

February 2010

04 February 2010
Students show Archbishop they have 'Faith in the World'
Around 350 A-Level students and their teachers from more than 60 schools joined the Archbishop of Canterbury at a Sixth Form conference in London one February afternoon.

September 2009

10 September 2009
Archbishop endorses Hamara Project
The Archbishop of Canterbury, vice-president of the children's charity Baranardo's, met parents, young people and staff to learn about the work of the Hamara Family Project.

June 2009

Making a difference on a deadline - Engage magazine
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, says that fuller debate is needed to stem the tide of short-term thinking in sector funding.

February 2009

12 February 2009
Archbishop's speech at House of Lords Debate - Good Childhood Inquiry Report
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams spoke at the House of Lords 'Children: Good Childhood Inquiry Report Debate'. Moved By The Lord Bishop of Leicester, the debate called attention to the publication of the Good Childhood Inquiry report.

02 February 2009
Full text of the Good Childhood Report afterword
Afterword by Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

January 2009

06 January 2009
Archbishop on Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
Interview with the Press Association

July 2008

22 July 2008
Youth Representation on the Archbishops' Council
The Youth Council of the Diocese of Leicester visit the Archbishop at the Lambeth Conference

June 2008

09 June 2008
Newsnight Interview on Childhood
Archbishop shares his concerns about the treatment of children in the criminal justice system, the need to meet targets on reducing child poverty and the broader question of how society values children and families.

May 2008

11 May 2008
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
Article in Mail on Sunday.

April 2008

24 April 2008
Archbishop Pays Visit to The Deptford Churches Centre and 999 Club Homeless Centres
The Archbishop of Canterbury is Patron to both homeless charities in Deptford and paid visit to them to meet staff, supporters and the homeless.

23 April 2008
Archbishop answers stimulating questions at Westminster School
The Archbishop of Canterbury addressed Upper School Pupils at Westminster School's Sir John Locke Society and answered their questions on religion, ethics and politics. Listen to the audio and read the text.

22 April 2008
Crisis Homeless Charity Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Crisis charity aims to fight homelessness and empower people to fulfil their potential and transform their lives. The Archbishop and HRH Princess Alexandra are patrons of the charity. They held a reception at Lambeth Palace to celebrate 40 years of success.

February 2008

26 February 2008
Children need more space, less ultrasound, says Archbishop
The full text of the article by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, published in The Guardian newspaper.

22 February 2008
Archbishop reflects on visit to Emmaus Homeless Community
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York spent time during their joint visit to Cambridge looking at the Churches' response to homelessness by visiting the Emmaus Community in Landbeach.

06 February 2008
Archbishop Criticises 'Indefensible' Treatment of Young People in Prison
The Archbishop of Canterbury has called upon the government to look critically at the use of strip-searching and prison segregation units for children in the criminal justice system.

January 2008

15 January 2008
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
The Archbishop attended the first day in the Lords of the Report Stage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. He spoke during the debate on a government amendment to change the name of 'inter-species' embryos to 'human-admixed' embryos. In doing so, he joined many Peers, including Lord Alton and Lord Tebbit who had expressed concerns about embryo research involving the mixing of human and animal elements. Throughout the passage of the Bill, concerns on this issue and others relating to 'saviour siblings', the impact on fatherhood and the need for a National Commission on Bioethics, had been raised many times by the Lords Spiritual.

December 2007

20 December 2007
Pause for Thought on Terry Wogan, BBC Radio 2
Every Child is Precious

11 December 2007
Tea and Toast with the Archbishop
The Archbishop of Canterbury invited three Kentish teenagers to his home in Canterbury for tea and toast and to answer their questions for a magazine interview

October 2007

27 October 2007
Service of Thanksgiving
For 25 years of Helen House, Oxford

November 2007

19 November 2007
Celebration to mark the Diamond Wedding Anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh

October 2007

21 October 2007
Abortion - fundamental convictions about humanity need to be kept in focus
In an article for the Observer newspaper marking 40 years since the UK parliament passed the Abortion Act, Dr Williams argues that the cautious lifting of retractions on compassionate grounds has had unintended consequences for society's attitude to human life itself.

February 2007

05 February 2007
Get a Life: Speech at Launch of National Marriage Week
The Archbishop spoke about the importance of marriage at the launch of National Marriage Week [beginning 5th February] 2007, which was held in the Jubilee Room of the House of Commons. Other speakers included the Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks, Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP and Anne Atkins.

December 2006

13 December 2006
Commercialisation of Childhood - Archbishop's Interview on BBC 1 Breakfast Show
The Archbishop was interviewed by Bill Turnbull on BBC 1's Breakfast programme on December 13th 2006, on the issue of the growing commercialisation of childhood. A report by the independent group Compass, had been published that day, drawing attention to the problem. The following is a transcript of the interview:

September 2006

18 September 2006
Interview: The Good Childhood Inquiry
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams appeared on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning [18th September 2006] to talk about the Children's Society's The Good Childhood Inquiry which is being launched today. He was interviewed by James Naughtie; a transcript of the interview appears below.

June 2006

16 June 2006
Father's Day interview transcript
The following is a transcript of the Archbishop's interview with Mary Rhodes for Heaven and Earth show and was broadcast on 6th June 2006.

April 2005

11 April 2005
Formation: Who's bringing up our children?
Citizen Organising Foundation lecture, Queen Mary College, University of London, Mile End

March 2005

20 March 2005
Why Abortion Challenges Us All
Article for the Sunday Times

26 March 2003
Children and Parents - House of Lords debate
On March 26th 2003 the Archbishop of Canterbury made his maiden speech in the House of Lords. This came during a debate on Lord Northbourne's motion "to call attention to the role of parents in providing for the needs of the nation's children in the 21st century and to the case for making available more encouragement and support for parents; and to move for Papers." The full text of the Archbishop's speech follows.

September 2004

29 September 2004
Children at War - A lecture given at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London