Stay up to date with notifications from The?Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Politics Explained

Why the choice to replace Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury is important for British politics

As the Church of England looks for a new leader, David Maddox examines how the appointment will be as important for British politics as it is for religion

Sunday 17 November 2024 18:10 GMT
Comments
?
Justin Welby resigns as Archbishop of Canterbury

Justin Welby has resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury over his failure to deal with the matter of serial sex abuser John Smyth.

But as the search begins for his replacement, the choice has relevance well beyond the 984,000 practising members of the Church of England, or even the 85 million who belong to the worldwide Anglican community.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has for centuries been a significant political figure, and Welby redefined the role in a post-Brexit era. But at a time of huge political change and uncertainty, the next incumbent has the potential to be the last head of the Church to lead the lords spiritual in parliament.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, announced his resignation last week
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, announced his resignation last week (PA Wire)

Constitutional position

The Archbishop of Canterbury is not the Anglican equivalent of the Pope in the Catholic Church, because the monarch is the official head of the Church of England. But that does not mean the position does not hold considerable power.

In effect, the holder is the most senior cleric, not just in the state Church but also within the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Most importantly, though, he sits as of right in the House of Lords as one of 26 bishops known as the lords spiritual. This gives him a powerful platform from which to influence British politics and public life, well beyond religious matters.

The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, broke ranks to suggest that Welby should step down
The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, broke ranks to suggest that Welby should step down (AFP/Getty)

Future of bishops in parliament

This appointment comes at a very uncertain time for the Church of England, which is currently beset by scandal surrounding the John Smyth case and a crisis in safeguarding. On top of this, the rapidly dwindling size of its church congregations has given rise to serious questions about its relevance.

But the biggest question is whether the Church should maintain the medieval right to send its bishops to the House of Lords.

The decision by Labour to get rid of the last hereditary peers leaves an obvious question about the status of the lords spiritual. While Labour resisted ejecting them this time round, it is interesting that the push to end the tradition came from the Tories, the party that at one time could be relied on to support their continued place in parliament.

As former Tory defence secretary Gavin Williamson, who pushed for them to be removed, recently noted, Iran is the only other state to give clerics an automatic role in the legislature.

The next Archbishop of Canterbury is going to have to justify the continued existence of the lords spiritual.

Some would argue that in regard to ethical issues – such as assisted dying, with Kim Leadbeater’s bill currently the subject of intense discussion in parliament – there is a greater need than ever for bishops to provide a moral voice. Others would question why their religious views are being given priority.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, proposed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, will be debated at the end of the month
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, proposed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, will be debated at the end of the month (PA Wire)

Welby’s legacy

Welby used his position to great effect before his resignation, and became an important figure in British political life. After the referendum in 2016, the archbishop became a leading critic of Brexit and a supporter of remaining in the EU.

Further, he led the bishops in making the moral case against the Tory government’s draconian anti-migrant legislation, and was fiercely opposed to the Rwanda scheme.

Welby stood up for workers’ rights when Rishi Sunak tried to bring in legislation to restrain the trade unions. He also pronounced on Boris Johnson’s lack of morality during the Partygate episode.

Canterbury was a major pilgrimage centre in medieval times – because one of its archbishops, Thomas Becket, had been murdered at the altar by assassins encouraged by King Henry II. This 13th-century image depicts the event
Canterbury was a major pilgrimage centre in medieval times – because one of its archbishops, Thomas Becket, had been murdered at the altar by assassins encouraged by King Henry II. This 13th-century image depicts the event (Unknown author/Wikipedia)

Not the only turbulent priest

Welby was particularly outspoken on politics – more so than his immediate predecessors – but there is a long history of Archbishops of Canterbury being at the forefront of the political debate.

The most famous “turbulent priest” was Thomas Becket, appointed for political reasons by Henry II in 1162 and then infamously murdered by the King’s supporters in 1170 for opposing him. He was later made a saint.

Stephen Langton, 1207-1228, was the driving force behind the introduction of Magna Carta, the first document to enshrine rights.

Thomas Cranmer, 1533-1555, was arguably history’s first Brexiteer, arranging the break with Rome for Henry VIII. He was burnt at the stake by the Catholic Queen Mary.

William Laud, 1633-1645, an ardent supporter of King Charles I in the civil war, was executed by parliament.

William Howley, 1828-1848, led opposition to opening up the electoral franchise in the Great Reform Act of 1832.

Cosmo Lang, 1928-1942, was partly responsible for the forced abdication of Edward VIII over his desire to marry a divorcee.

The King with bishop Graham Usher, one of the favourites to succeed Welby
The King with bishop Graham Usher, one of the favourites to succeed Welby (PA Wire)

How will the next archbishop be chosen?

A Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) will be established to identify and submit the name of a preferred candidate to the prime minister, who is constitutionally responsible for advising the King on the appointment.

The CNC comprises a chair appointed by the prime minister, a bishop elected by the House of Bishops, the Archbishop of York, three representatives elected from the Diocese of Canterbury, six representatives (three clergy and three lay) elected by the General Synod, and five representatives from other churches in the Anglican Communion (one each from Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia, Oceania, and Europe).

Who could it be?

If the appointment were to come from the next generation within the Church, and be based on integrity, then the current Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, 51, would be the favourite. She was the only one to break ranks and insist that Welby and others resign. She has also led the way on LGBT+ rights in the Church.

But, for those same reasons, she is now unlikely to be given the role. The Church will have a choice between a status quo candidate, one who can speak on political matters, or someone who wants to bring the Church into the 21st century.

It seems that another woman, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, is among the frontrunners. Having fled Iran when the ayatollahs took over, she has an interesting backstory, and is more qualified than some to pronounce on some of the great crises of the current day in the Middle East, as well as on the topic of migration.

Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich, was Bishop Hartley’s ally in the LGBT+ modernisation process, and is now another of the favourites.

Martyn Snow, the Bishop of Leicester, is another contender. He took the knee for George Floyd, but is less liberal on same-sex couples, having abstained on the crucial reforms.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top