The Archbishop of Canterbury

Description 10

The incumbent is Dr. Rowan Williams.

Dr Williams is the 104th in the list of Archbishops of Canterbury, a line stretching back more than 1400 years to Saint Augustine of Canterbury, who founded the see, the oldest in England, in the year 597. Along with the Church of England as a whole, these archbishops were Roman Catholic until the English Reformation, around 1534, when the independence of the English Church was established.

Since the twentieth century, the appointment of Archbishops of Canterbury conventionally alternates between Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals.

Description 10 Present roles and status

Today the archbishop fills four main roles:

1. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, which covers the east of the County of Kent and extreme north-east Surrey. Founded in 597, it is the oldest see in the English church.
2. He is the metropolitan archbishop of the Province of Canterbury, which covers the southern two-thirds of England.
3. As Primate of All England, he is the chief religious figure in the Church of England (the British sovereign is the "Supreme governor" of the church) and its primary leader. Along with his colleague the Archbishop of York he chairs the General Synod and sits 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; thanks to his high public profile, his opinions are often in demand by the news media.
4. As head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop, although without legal authority outside England, is recognized by convention as primus inter pares ("first among equals") of all Anglican primates worldwide. Since 1867 he has convened more or less decennial meetings of worldwide Anglican bishops, the Lambeth Conferences.

In respect of the last two of these functions, he has an important ecumenical and interfaith role, speaking on behalf of Anglicans in England and worldwide. He is also Joint President of the Council of Christians and Jews in the UK.

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" (along with those of York, London, Durham and Winchester), the Archbishop of Canterbury is ex officio one of the Lords Spiritual of the House of Lords. He is one of the highest-ranking men in England, ranking directly below the Royal Family.

20th Century Archbishops