Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury, whose see is Canterbury Cathedral, is the head cleric of the Church of England. Since Henry VIII broke with Rome, archbishops of Canterbury have been selected by the English (latterly British) monarch; at present, the choice is made in his or her name, but by the prime minister, from a shortlist of two selected by a committee of clergy and laity.

The current Archbishop of Canterbury, the 104th, is Dr Rowan Douglas Williams, previously Archbishop of Wales. He succeeded Dr George Leonard Carey.

The first Archbishop of Canterbury was Saint Augustine of Canterbury, who arrived in Kent in 597, all Archbishops of Canterbury since have been referred to as occupying the Chair of St Augustine.

The Archbishop has a number of roles to fulfil that include:

Bishop of Canterbury
Primate of all England
'Chaplain to the Nation'
Leader of the Anglican Communion around the World
The Ecumenical Role
The Inter-faith Role

This adds up to a large amount of responsibility, and the current archbishop recently convened an advisory group for suggestions on spreading the workload. One suggestion being considered is the appointment of an auxiliary "bishop in Canterbury" to take on most of the responsibility for the diocese.

Previous occupiers of the Chair of St Augustine:

External Link

http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/ - Official web site