This branch of Christianity encompasses some 85 million members in churches across the world. Most of them originated with missionary efforts in the colonial era, including America's Episcopal Church. The archbishop is no pope, and these national churches are self-governing.

There will soon be a new archbishop, due to emergency circumstances. Justin Welby, whose term would normally have ended when he reaches age 70 in 2026, last week became the first archbishop ever to resign, and will depart as soon as feasible.

An independent investigation denounced Welby's handling of a ruinous scandal involving the late John Smyth, a prominent lawyer and lay churchman, who committed "prolific, brutal and horrific" physical, emotional and sexual abuse of boys at evangelical camps in Britain and Africa.

Welby initially vowed to stay on but ensuing church and societal fury made his continuing leadership untenable. Other church figures may also be toppled.

Intriguing and secretive

The Church of England will now undergo many months of intriguing and largely secretive work to find a new archbishop untainted by the scandal.

Adding to the buzz, the Church of England has had female bishops since 2015 so for the first time women are potential candidates to lead world Anglicanism and its mother church.

The new appointee will face huge challenges.

The church is suffering serious decline in a secularsing England. A Foreign Policy magazine analysis sees the archbishop's job as "impossible" amid the worst "crisis" since King Henry VIII's 16th Century break from Roman Catholicism.

And then some churches in Africa no longer recognisze the archbishop as their global leader because England's bishops agreed last year to allow church blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.

Responding to Welby's scandal-ridden departure, Archbishop Stephen Mugalu of Uganda said "unfortunately, this is the same compromised leadership that has led to the fabric of the Anglican Communion being torn at its deepest level."

The archbishop will be appointed pro forma by King Charles III in his role as the Supreme Governor of the church.

Paradoxically, he will receive the name of the person he is to appoint from an atheist, Keir Starmer, who became Britain's prime minister with the Labour Party victory on July 4.

If the scandal had erupted earlier, the new archbishop's name would have been presented by Starmer's predecessor Rishi Sunak, an adherent of Hinduism.

Prior Prime Minister Boris Johnson was Catholic, and members of that church were barred from participation in Anglican affairs under terms of the Catholic Relief Act of 1829, the deal that allowed Catholics to hold public office.

Government entanglements

Such is the situation when England's church is "established" and entangled with government in a way that would be unthinkable in the United States - though far less so now than in former times.

A November 15 press release from the government Cabinet Office summarizes the process for choosing the new archbishop. In the first phase, the church will conduct internal consultations on what's needed in England and in the Anglican Communion.

The Crown Nominations Commission, which handles bishop appointments, will assess potential candidates and choose the finalist.

Starmer appoints the lay Anglican who chairs this commission.

Its other members are the Archbishop of York or else a bishop elected by England's hierarchy, a second elected bishop, in this case three delegates elected by a committee of the historic Canterbury diocese, three priests and three lay members elected by the church's General Synod.

Since a 2023 Synod innovation there are also five foreigners representing regions of the Anglican Communion.

There are three non-voting members: Starmer's appointments secretary, Welby's appointments secretary, and (another innovation) the secretary general of the Anglican Communion.

After investigations, the commission will elect its preferred candidate, and probably also a second "appointable" bishop in case the first choice cannot serve for any reason.

In 2007, Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a Scottish pastor's son, established the policy that the prime minister "has no active role in the decision," as the government release explained things, thus limiting secular political influence. Starmer will automatically send the commission's recommendation to the king.

Twice unable to decide

By coincidence, in September England's bishops decided to propose changes in the system to the General Synod after the Crown Nominations Commission could not agree on two bishop nominations.

Under the new plan, the necessary margin for approval would be reduced from two-thirds to 60 percent, the Archbishops of Canterbury or York could break a deadlock, and commission members would no longer vote by secret ballot.

The early speculation includes several women candidates and three with international backgrounds. Guli Francis-Dehqani's father, the bishop of Iran, was nearly assassinated and her brother was murdered. Martyn Snow was raised in Indonesia by missionary parents, and Graham Usher was likewise raised in Ghana.

Meanwhile, some are demanding that the Canberbury hierarch and other bishops no longer hold the traditional 26 seats in the House of Lords, a chamber of Britain's Parliament.

As for church and state more broadly, Prince William, the king-in-waiting, is thought to be less devoted to church matters than King Charles.

Ruth Gledhill, former religion correspondent with The Times, carps that "dis-establishment in some form is looking increasingly likely in a future that seems less distant by the day.

That's if there's anything left to dis-establish."

• This article was originally published at Patheos; it was republished by Religion Unplugged
• Richard N. Ostling was a longtime religion writer with The Associated Press and with Time magazine.

Bishop John Sentamu, then Archbishop of York, was the clear favourite with the Bishops of London, Liverpool and Bradford among others in the running.

One of the front-runners said to me: "You mustn't believe the stories in the press about bishops jockeying for position. It's more like a group of men sitting around a table, passing a revolver from one to another, knowing that one of them is going to get the bullet".

On 7 November 2012, both Ladbrokes and William Hill suddenly suspended betting on the new archbishop. They had noticed a "very significant move" in the betting towards a rank outsider. Justin Welby, the Bishop of Durham, hadn't even been at the table.

Welby had been a bishop for less than a year, and some of his five children hadn't even moved schools from his previous posting when his new appointment as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury was announced.

Some time in the coming weeks, Welby will announce that he is leaving Lambeth Palace after 12 turbulent years in the post.

The law requires him to step down by 6 January 2026 when he will be 70 - though an extension of 12 months would be possible in exceptional circumstances. Soon the betting is likely to open on his successor.

What the Archbishop of Canterbury does

The winner (or loser) in the contest (for the archbishop's role) will inherit not one but four jobs.

He or she will be the Ordinary of the Diocese of Canterbury, the Primate of All England, a member of the House of Lords and the spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

A review of the roles in 2001 by Lord (Douglas) Hurd concluded that the job had become unmanageable and needed to be reformed.

His main suggestion was that the Archbishop of Canterbury should be freed up to concentrate on his role as leader of the Anglican Communion around the world, with the Archbishop of York leading on matters in the UK.

Welby might have enjoyed that role. Insiders say that he is rarely caught smiling except when he is out of the country. But none of Lord Hurd's proposals were implemented. As a result, Justin Welby has looked exhausted and stressed for most of his years in office.

Part of the problem is that although the archbishop has considerable convening power and a public voice that can garner headlines positive and negative, he has almost no execu­tive power in the Church.

There's no such thing as an archiepiscopal encyclical letter. The vast majority of Anglican worshippers live outside the UK, but the Archbishop of Canterbury can't even tell other English bishops what to do, let alone those in the rest of the world.

Welby's successor

Some time in the next 12 months, a Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) will convene to choose Welby's successor. It will be made up of the Archbishop of York with another senior bishop, and six members of the General Synod.

They will be joined by three representatives of the Canterbury Diocese and five overseas members chosen from the regions of the worldwide communion.

At Welby's ­initiative, there has been a reduction in the representation from Canterbury and an increase in those from the rest of the world - a move aimed to give the international role greater legitimacy. There will also be a voting chair appointed by Sir Keir Starmer.

In the end, the CNC will make its recommendation to the prime minister who will convey it to the King, who makes the appointment.

In theory, the next archbishop could come from outside England - but that's not likely.

However godly and competent a candidate might be, bringing a bishop in from Africa or the United States and bestowing an automatic seat in the House of Lords together with the job of crowning a future monarch wouldn't help the Church's credibility.

Age matters. If the next archbishop is to have time to make an impact, he or she probably needs to be some fifty years of age.

That narrows the field considerably. The hugely capable Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, might be an interim candidate, but he will be 67 by the time the removal vans pull up at Lambeth Palace.

And anyway, he would hate it. Gender matters too. Rachel Treweek, the Bishop of Gloucester, and Helen-Ann Hartley, the Bishop of Newcastle, are hugely effective. But large parts of the shaky Anglican Communion still see women in leadership roles as ­anathema.

Views on sexuality matter

It may be incomprehensible to the majority of the population, but the decision is likely to hinge on the candidates' views on sexuality. Gay sex is by far the most neuralgic issue in the Church of England.

Even a mild comment from Welby in answer to a question by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart in their podcast The Rest is Politics, suggesting that he and the majority of bishops believed that "all sexual activity should be within a committed relationship … whether it's straight or gay", called down the ire of conservative church leaders across England and around the world.

In recent months, the CNC has been deadlocked over the issue and has failed to appoint new bishops in key dioceses such as Carlisle and Ely.

It is hard to see how Canterbury will be any different, especially when a two-thirds majority of voting members of the CNC is required to make a recommendation. Just six voters could block a candidate.

When and if an appointment is made, be it conservative or liberal, it will be hugely divisive.

If we needed an indication of just how deep and personal this rift is, consider the Alliance, a confederation of conservative networks within the Church of England who affirm what they regard as the "orthodox" teaching of the Church on sexuality.

The Alliance has links throughout the Anglican Communion, not least through the founder of the Alpha Course, the Rev. Nicky Gumbel. Ironically, Gumbel was a key mentor to Welby from his conversion onwards, and was vicar of the church that sent him for ordination.

It is highly likely that Gumbel had a significant role in Welby's ­meteoric rise, and it is equally likely that he will play a role in brokering the appointment of his successor.

Part of the power of the Alliance lies in the threat to withhold funds if the Church moves further in a liberal direction. The Church of England may literally not be able to afford to appoint a progressive archbishop.

Which brings us to the figures gathered around the table this time, uneasily passing the revolver. Read more

• Andrew Graystone is a theologian and advocate for victims of church-based abuse.

"This is not about imposing Western values on our Ugandan Anglican sisters and brothers," said Welby, who is the ex-officio leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

"It is about reminding them of the commitments we have made as Anglicans to treat every person with the care and respect they deserve as children of God," the 67-year-old archbishop said in a statement released on June 9

Archbishop Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, primate of the Anglican Church of Uganda, has been a vocal supporter of the new law, which came into effect on May 29.

Read More

What is given today is for the gain of all. For Jesus Christ announced a Kingdom in which the poor and oppressed are freed from the chains of injustice.

The blind see. The bruised and broken-hearted are healed.

That Kingdom sets the aims of all righteous government, all authority.

And the Kingdom also sets the means of all government and authority. For Jesus doesn't grasp power or hold onto status.

The King of Kings, Jesus Christ, was anointed not to be served but to serve.

He creates the unchangeable law of good authority: with the privilege of power comes the duty to serve.

Service is love in action.

We see active love in our care for the most vulnerable, the way we nurture and encourage the young, in the conservation of the natural world. We have seen those priorities in the life of duty lived by our King.

Today we have the honour of being in this Abbey with so many who show such love; you work with charities and organisations, you build community, you serve the nation in Armed Forces, in emergency services, and so many other ways.

Next door are 400 or more extraordinary young people in St Margaret's Church, whose lives speak of service.

Around the world in the Realms and Commonwealth are so many more.

You live your lives for the sake of others.

The unity you show, the example you give, is what binds us together and offers societies that are strong, joyful, happy and glorious.

They bear heavy weights for us.

And the weight of the task given today, Your Majesties, is only bearable by the Spirit of God, who gives us the strength to give our lives to others.

With the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the King is given freely what no ruler can ever attain through will, or politics, or war, or tyranny: the Holy Spirit draws us to love in action.

This is promised by Jesus who put aside all privilege, because, as the first reading tells us, God will give all things for our sake, even His own life.

His throne was a Cross.

His crown was made of thorns.

His regalia were the wounds that pierced his body.

Each of us is called by God to serve.

Whatever that looks like in our own lives, each of us can choose God's way today.

We can say to the King of Kings, God Himself, as does the King here today, ‘give grace that in thy service I may find perfect freedom'.

In that prayer, there is promise beyond measure, joy beyond dreams, hope that endures.

By that prayer, for every King, every ruler, and, yes, for every person for all of us, we are opened to the transforming love of God.

• Justin Welby is Archbishop of Canterbury
• Homily delivered at the Coronation of King Charles III. First published by the Archbishop of Canterbury

Justin Welby encouraged Church of England leaders to "take risks".

"To be silent on the unethical treatment of migrants or on war or oppression, on the abuse of human rights, on persecution, is to be one of the oppressors" he told the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops.

The Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops is convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury once every 10 years. It took place at the University of Kent, Canterbury Cathedral and Lambeth Palace between July 26 and August 8.

Calling climate change an "undeclared war", the former oil executive warned it could create 1.2 billion refugees with consequences "tragic beyond anything in human history".

The Archbishop continued: "Climate change, better called the climate crisis or better still the climate emergency, as we know is the result of the wealthier countries having declared war on God's creation unknowingly and unthinkingly starting from the 19th century.

‘The symptoms of that war now are that the wealthy dump refuse in the oceans.

‘They tell the poor not to use carbon-generating fuels and they say to the world, too often, not by their word but by their actions, we will keep our wealth and you, the poor, must discover new paths".

Welby also criticised the UK government's deal with Rwanda in which UK asylum seekers would be sent to the African country. In exchange for accepting them, Rwanda will receive millions of pounds in development aid.

Archbishop Welby said the Rwanda proposal would not "stand up to the judgment of God", adding there were "serious ethical questions about sending asylum seekers overseas".

His criticisms, and similar private remarks reported to have been made by Prince Charles, led PM Boris Johnson to acknowledge the Rwanda deal had drawn opprobrium from "slightly unexpected quarters".

Sources

Daily Mail

CathNews NZ

In it, we come to a question - of what we believe about human dignity, including sexuality - that is deeply dividing, not only for Anglicans but for every part of God's global church.

This conference is one of the few places where we can meet and be honest with each other about what we think, listen to others and pray together.

In some churches, like the Anglican Communion, the disagreement is open. In others, it is behind locked doors. But in all it is real. And in all the subject is of the greatest importance.

Most of the Call on Human Dignity (including sexuality) is uncontentious. None of us would want to argue for sexual violence in conflict, abuse of the vulnerable or violence against minorities or women.

But paragraph 2.3 is very different. For some here, it will be a great relief.

There is no attempt being made to alter the historic teaching of the vast majority of Churches of the Anglican Communion. For some, this paragraph will be hugely painful, and agonizing emotionally, for it is felt by many to state that who they are and who they love is wrong, that they are less than fully human.

So in this very brief address, please let me state some important principles.

First, the Call is about Human Dignity and also about Sexuality.

The reason the two are combined is that its central theological foundation is that all human beings are of equal worth, loved by God and are those for whom Jesus died on the Cross and rose to life. As St Paul says again and again in Romans "there is no distinction".

Second, as we discuss this, we are all vulnerable.

For the large majority of the Anglican Communion the traditional understanding of marriage is something that is understood, accepted and without question, not only by Bishops but their entire Church, and the societies in which they live.

For them, to question this teaching is unthinkable, and in many countries would make the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack. For many churches to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.

For a minority, we can say almost the same.

They have not arrived lightly at their ideas that traditional teaching needs to change. They are not careless about scripture.

They do not reject Christ.

But they have come to a different view on sexuality after long prayer, deep study and reflection on understandings of human nature.

For them, to question this different teaching is unthinkable, and in many countries is making the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack.

For these churches not to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.

So let us not treat each other lightly or carelessly.

We are deeply divided.

That will not end soon.

We are called by Christ himself both to truth and unity.

Third, there is no attempt to change people's minds in this Call.

It states as a fact that the vast majority of Anglicans in the large majority of Provinces and Dioceses do not believe that a change in teaching is right.

Therefore, it is the case that the whole of Lambeth 1.10 1998 still exists.

This Call does not in any way question the validity of that resolution.

The Call states that many Provinces - and I say again, I think we need to acknowledge it's the majority - continue to affirm that same-gender marriage is not permissible.

The Call also states that other provinces have blessed and welcomed same-sex union or marriage, after careful theological reflection and a process of reception.

In that way, it states the reality of life in the Communion today.

As is said in the letter, and I re-emphasise, there is no mention of sanctions, or exclusion, in 1.10 1998.

There is much mention of pastoral care.

As Lambeth 1.10 also states: "all baptised, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation are full members of the Body of Christ" and to be welcomed, cared for, and treated with respect (I.10, 1998).

Fourth, many people are watching and listening, both inside and outside the Church.

But we bishops, you alone and I are responsible for what is decided on this Call.

When we will all answer to God on the day of judgement, we will not be able to say - and there is no vote today, but when at some point if ever we make a decision on this - we will not be able to say that I voted this or that way because others told me too.

Please, therefore, be present, in this room or online, today. Do not spend the time looking on your phone at what others outside the room are saying.

You are the shepherds of your flock as I am the shepherd of the flock that I serve.

Let us not act in a way that disgraces our witness.

Speak frankly, but in love.

Finally, a short comment on my own thinking.

I am very conscious that the Archbishop of Canterbury is to be a focus of unity and is an Instrument of Communion.

That is a priority.

Truth and unity must be held together, but Church history also says that this sometimes takes a very long time to reach a point where different teaching is rejected or received.

I neither have, nor do I seek, the authority to discipline or exclude a church of the Anglican Communion.

I will not do so.

I may comment in public on occasions, but that is all. We are a Communion of Churches, not a single church.

I want to end by repeating this line from the Call on Human Dignity: "As Bishops we remain committed to listening and walking together to the maximum possible degree, despite our deep disagreement on these issues.

Sister and brothers, may I thank you for your patience in listening to me."

Source

• Anglican.ink

Questioning biblical teaching is "unthinkable" for "a large majority" of conservative Anglicans, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced at the ten-yearly Lambeth conference.

"In many countries, [it] would make the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack," he said.

"For many churches, to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence."

He sent a letter to bishops shortly before a "robust discussion" on sexuality at the conference. In the letter, Welby said the 1998 resolution, known as Lambeth 1.10, was "not in doubt".

However, he would not seek the authority to discipline or exclude churches - including those in Scotland, Wales and the US - that conduct or bless same-sex marriage, he clarified.

He hinted there could be change coming up in the Church of England.

For churches in liberal democracies, not updating traditional teaching could also challenge their very existence, he observed.

They, too, could be "a victim of derision, contempt and even attack," he said.

Speaking after the session, Michael Curry, the primate of the US episcopal church (who preached at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding) said churches exist in "very different cultural contexts".

In the US, "it would have been unthinkable for us not to bless and sanctify loving relationships between LGBT folk".

This is the first time Welby has publicly said he understands the reasons for that, he added.

Some campaigners for LGBTQ+ equality within the church were unhappy with Welby's attempt to reaffirm the church's traditional stance.

"Yet again priority has been given to saving a manmade institution over protecting LGBTQ+ people's lives," said one.

"Lambeth 1.10 encourages ‘conversion therapy' and negates the God-given love between two individuals. It is a stick with which many of us have been beaten and will continue to suffer under around the world."

Ninety bishops, including eight archbishops, signed a statement saying "many LGBT+ people have historically been wounded by the church and particularly hurt by the events of the past few weeks".

They added that they "look forward to the day when we all may feel truly welcomed, valued and affirmed".

Conservative church leaders from the Global South want the opposite. They're asking bishops at the conference to explicitly restate the 1998 declaration.

Lambeth 1.10 rejects "homosexual practice as incompatible with scripture" and "upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union". It says same-sex unions should not be legitimised or blessed.

Justin Badi Arama, the archbishop of South Sudan, said: "We are living at a time of great spiritual confusion and moral flux.

"Based on the need to establish clear doctrine on marriage and sexuality at this defining moment for the Anglican communion, this conference must reaffirm the biblical teaching of Lambeth conference 1998 resolution 1.10."

He says he's confident most bishops at the conference will back him.

The issue is the conference's most contentious.

Source

• The Guardian

Friday's announcement at the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury, England came from the Global South orthodox bishops as they pressed for re-affirmation of traditional teaching on marriage.

The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) claims to represent 75 percent of the Anglican Communion.

They declared their position a day after 100 people, including twelve bishops, joined a walk at the Conference's campus venue. The walk aimed to show solidarity with LGBTQ people.

Even before the conference began, documents referring to gay relationships were already causing tempers to flare.

The GSFA says it will table its own resolution at the conference. It will reaffirm Lambeth Resolution 1.10 as the Church's official teaching on marriage and sexuality.

That resolution was formally passed at the Lambeth Conference in 1998. It describes marriage as a life-long commitment between a man and a woman. Same-sex unions are therefore outlawed, the GSFA says.

The 2022 Lambeth Conference organisers have got it wrong, the GSFA adds.

They have failed to recognise the resolution "is not just about sex and marriage".

Rather, it's "fundamentally about the authority of the Bible which Anglicans believe to be central to faith and order".

GSFA chair Archbishop Justin Badi says the GSFA also wants the sanctions imposed on provinces that ordain bishops in same-sex relationships. Provinces allowing same-sex marriages should also be sanctioned.

The Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is among them, he says.

Badi says the Communion has been "for far too long driven by the views of the West". It has ignored voices from the Global South.

"Today, in Canterbury, we may be ‘gathered together' but we most certainly cannot ‘walk together'".

For that to happen, provinces which have gone against scripture — and the will of the consensus of the bishops — must "repent and return to orthodoxy," he says.

The row over same-sex marriage erupted on the eve of the conference.

The draft conference documents said "It is the mind of the Anglican Communion as a whole that same-gender marriage is not permissible."

Protests from supporters of same-sex marriage followed.

The documents were then amended to note differences among Anglican provinces.

The statement now notes while many provinces ban same-gender marriages, others have a different view.

Besides the 650 bishops from around the globe attending the conference in person, hundreds of others have boycotted it.

They are protesting the support from some parts of the Communion for same-sex marriage.

Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, says the conference is not a synod or a legislative body.

Rather, it is a place where bishops could come together.

While Resolution 1.10 is "still very much part of the Anglican Communion, there's deep division," he says.

"It will need to be decided in each province and diocese."

The Conference - the first to be held in 14 years - will continue after it ends on Friday, when bishops return to their provinces.

Source

• Religion News Service

The team behind the Difference Course worked with prison chaplains, and conducted trials in prisons, before offering the training to chaplains of all denominations. One inmate who tried the course said that it felt like the closest thing to rehabilitation that he had experienced in prison.

The sessions use film, Bible readings, discussions, prayers, and exercises to help inmates to heal relationships.

A chaplain who has run the course in prisons said: "For us, as hosts, it's very exciting when you see things start to click with people as the course goes on."

Read More

The Most Rev. Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, is visiting Canada from April 29 to May 3 to highlight the church's desire to pursue reconciliation with indigenous people. Besides the local stop, he will meet with Anglican indigenous leaders and other indigenous people in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Toronto.

Welby's visit on May 2 to the Woodland Cultural Centre, which is adjacent to the former Mohawk Institute residential school, will include a meeting with survivors. A prayer service with indigenous leaders will be held afterwards at the nearby Mohawk Chapel which was built in 1785 and is the first Protestant church in Upper Canada.

The Mohawk Institute is considered Canada's longest-running residential school, operating from 1828 to 1970. It was run by the Anglican Church that has apologised to indigenous communities for its role in the school system. Continue reading

Father Alan Griffin, 78, died last in November. He had been under investigation although the allegations were never explained to him.

The claims were "supported by no complainant, no witness and no accuser", said Coroner Mary Hassell.

The events leading to the gay priest's suicide began after an official in the Anglican Diocese of London retired in 2019.

He suggested to his archdeacon that he undertake a "brain dump" of information he had acquired over the preceding two decades.

This included both substantiated and unsubstantiated information, some of which the official said was gossip.

The archdeacon decided assessing whether it was "gossip" was not his job and left it for the director of safeguarding.

The director of safeguarding said deciding what to do should be for "safeguarding professionals".

No-one took responsibility for making reasonable decisions based on the evidence.

"The origin of the information in the entries was in places obvious and factual, but in places entirely nebulous," Hassell's subsequent report says.

"He was an HIV positive ... gay priest. He killed himself because he could not cope with an investigation into his conduct, the detail of and the source for which he had never been told."

During the year-long investigation before his suicide, Griffin converted to Catholicism. Last June, the Catholic safeguarding team met him to discuss a background check.

The Anglican Church had given the team a summary of allegations against Griffin. It was inaccurate and omitted mention of Griffin's earlier suicide when he learned of his HIV status.

Hassell's report is unequivocal about Griffin's innocence of the allegations against him.

One allegation maintained he "used rent boys", which suggests the use of male sex workers, but is often interpreted as involving the abuse of children.

"Fr Griffin did not abuse children. He did not have sex with young people under the age of 18. He did not visit prostitutes. He did not endanger the lives of others by having sex with people whilst an HIV risk," Hassell wrote.

"There was no evidence that he did any of these things."

Hassell also wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury (pictured) informing him of the "breadth of the systemic and individual failings which had come to light.

"It is often the case that organisations have already themselves recognised their errors and have undertaken meaningful attempts at improvement by the time of the inquest.

"This was not the case here."

The Bishop of London has vowed to ensure any allegations is taken seriously, and referrals made where appropriate to statutory agencies and other relevant parties. She also says there will be a review, which will look for ways "to shape any necessary changes to our reporting processes in the future."

Welby is also planning to work with all those involved in the safeguarding process, "especially the Diocese of London."

Source

• BBC
• Image: BBC

Where to get help:

Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.

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Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

Dr. Williams grew up in Wales during the 1950s where "you still couldn't quite avoid the sense that Catholics were exotic and a bit frightening."

He attended an Anglican parish church in his early teens, and "a new world of Christian imagination opened. It was a moderately Anglo-Catholic church where the liturgy was celebrated with unfussy dignity and care."

Williams continued, "But the real blessing was a parish priest of extraordinary gifts - a man with a profound and informed enthusiasm for theology, poetry and drama, whose sermons I still recall as models of what preaching should be, and whose pastoral generosity was limitless."

Williams' interest in the roots of Catholic spirituality stirred during his mid-teens. A visit by Franciscans "was perhaps the first time I thought about the religious life, and whether my exploration of vocation ought to take stock of this."

He attended Cambridge University where he wrestled with questions. "Was there a clear call to the religious life, and if so did that entail becoming a Roman Catholic?"

"Looking back now, what comes most clearly into focus is that the Roman Catholics with whom I discussed this never exerted the least pressure. I think of them as setting out to help me be a better Christian rather than to secure a convert," writes Williams.

Fr Joseph Warrilow became Williams' spiritual director for many years "up to and beyond my ordination in the Church of England, and my debt to him is beyond calculation."

"The Anglican I am today is who he is because of those uncomfortable years of exploration and because of the sensitivity of the Catholic guides who so generously accompanied, encouraged, warned and inspired," Williams finished.

Sources

Catholic Herald

"Our founder Jesus Christ was of course not white, middle class and British - he certainly wouldn't have got a visa - unless we're particularly short of carpenters," Welby told the CBI conference in London.

There would have to be a "shortage of carpenters" in Britain for Jesus to be granted entry, Welby said.

The Archbishop was talking as part in a discussion on social inequality chaired by the BBC Business Editor Faisal Islam who shared a clip on his Twitter feed.

Source: The Mirror

Justin Welby told the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA): "I am convinced that we need to move to mandatory reporting for regulated activities."

Regulated activities cover areas where professionals come into routine contact with children and vulnerable adults, such as teaching, healthcare and sporting activities. In a church context, this would cover clergy and youth leaders. Read more

In a significant moment for relations between the Anglican and Catholic Church, the interview was recorded on the Archbishop's mobile phone during a recent meeting in Rome.

The recording was made for Thy Kingdom Come, a global movement of prayer between Ascension and Pentecost on June 9, and will be played at a major rally of Christians taking place in Trafalgar Square on Pentecost. Read more

The "unprecedented" spiritual retreat, which finished yesterday, was described by Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti as a "propitious occasion for reflection and prayer".

He says it offered "an occasion for encounter and reconciliation, in a spirit of respect and trust, to those who in this moment have the mission and the responsibility to work for a future of peace and prosperity for the South Sudanese people."

The leaders representing the South Sudanese civil authorities were the members of the Presidency of the Republic of South Sudan. They will assume positions of great national responsibility in May. They were joined by eight members of the South Sudan Council of Churches, representing South Sudan's ecclesiastical authorities.

South Sudan - the world's youngest country - has spent most of its eight years in a state of civil war. A peace deal brokered last year by the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the nation's Churches is fragile.

Organisers of this week's retreat say they hope it will bring the parties together and aid efforts at reconciliation.

Prior to the retreat, a spokesperson for the Archbishop of Canterbury said the joint Anglican-Catholic initiative "could be a step on a journey .. to build confidence and trust between parties and give them spiritual nourishment."

Participants at the retreat were given a Bible signed by Pope Francis, Archbishop Justin Welby and the former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, John Chalmers.

The Bibles included the message: "Seek that which unites. Overcome that which divides".

Source

• Anglican Communion News Service
• Vatican News
• Image: Anglican Communion News Service

Welby led the service in London to commemorate the 25 years since the first woman was ordained to the presbyterate in the Church of England.

Over 80 women priests were at the celebrations. Some were among those who were in the first group of 32 who were ordained on March 12, 1994.

Among the five female bishops in attendance was Libby Lane, who in 2015 was the first woman to be consecrated in the Church of England.

Other women at the service included Dr Isabelle Hamley, who is the Archbishop of Canterbury's chaplain and Prebendary Angela Berners-Wilson, who was the first woman to be ordained in the Church of England. (A prebendery is an honorary canon.)

Isabelle Hamley preached the sermon at the service.

In her sermon, she reflected on the gift of Jesus that Mary and Joseph were given, and the risks and responsibilities of nurturing it.

"Let us cherish this gift where it is public and obvious, and where it is hidden, private and yet equally powerful. Together, may we witness to the gift that lives in us, and the God who has called us to follow him," she said.

Speaking at the service, Welby said: 'Many of those here today have been pioneers as they work out what it means to be an ordained woman in the Church of England - not just for themselves and their communities, but for the whole of the Body of Christ.

"Today let us bear witness to those who paved the way in 1994, as well as upholding those whose way into ministry has been opened up since," he added.

Berners-Wilson said it was "amazing to be — by a few seconds — the first woman to be ordained to the priesthood in the Church of England.

"For 25 years it has been the greatest privilege to finally be able to live out my calling, after a 15-year probationary period first as a deaconess then as a deacon," she said.

Former bishop Barry Rogerson, who welcomed the women to the ranks of clergy 25 years ago, sent a relayed message that was broadcast at the chapel during the special service.

Congratulating them on their success, he urged attendees to spare a thought for "all those women worldwide whose vocations to the priesthood have still been neither recognised nor tested."

Source

• La Croix
• Christian Today
• Image: The Telegraph

He made the statement while giving evidence on the second-last day of a clergy sex abuse inquiry.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is looking into the Diocese of Chichester, where dozens of clergy have been accused of abuse.

Welby said he could not read the transcripts from the hearing without being moved and ashamed.

"The apologies are fine, but you have got to find ways of making it different and we have got to do it as soon as possible."

In his opinion, the Church's discipline process for accused priests was "not fit for purpose" and needed reform.

"The damage it does to victims and survivors, the damage it does to people against whom a complaint is made, is extraordinary," he said.

When he was asked about the lack of responsibility taken by individuals for failings in the church, he said "tribalism in the Church of England" had allowed paedophile clerics to thrive.

Welby told the inquiry he has "seen afresh the insanity of clericalism and of a deferential culture" within the church.

Reforms he is instigating include performance reviews for bishops and archbishops. He is in the midst of a review of his own performance at present.

In his view, psychosocial or psychometric assessments should be used when selecting people for ordination.

"If it can be demonstrated that [such tests] will be helpful in identifying pathologies that are likely to lead to behaviours, then it is worth doing.

"You want to [use these tests to] pick up people who are not going to use power well or who are going to abuse it," he said.

He said bishops and other members of the clergy were now given training, which made it "quite clear" that if a safeguarding issue was not reported it was a disciplinary matter.

He said clergy who abuse children can never be trusted again, even if they confess or repent.

Welby also said the culture of parish churches needed to change, so safeguarding failures were as unacceptable as drink-driving.

In this way "if anything is seen as untoward … everyone who knows, who is around, says 'this isn't right and I'm going to do something about it'."
Source

• The Tablet
• The Telegraph
• BBC
• Image: ITV.com

The Archbishop must grant a licence for marriages not held in parish churches.

Since 2002, following a ruling by the General Synod, divorced people have been allowed to marry in the Church of England "in exceptional circumstances".

Couples must ask the minister who is to conduct the service whether they are prepared to let the marriage go ahead, and clergy may refuse on grounds of conscience to officiate.

The Archbishop of Canterbury usually presides over Royal weddings, although whether he will officiate has not been confirmed.

However, Welby says he is "absolutely delighted" about the forthcoming nuptials.

"Marriage is a special and joyous commitment, one that Jesus celebrated with friends at the wedding in Cana (where Jesus turned water into wine).

"I am so happy that Prince Harry and Ms Markle have chosen to make their vows before God.

"I wish them many years of love, happiness and fulfilment and ask that God blesses them throughout their married life".

Although she is not a Catholic and is said to identify as a Protestant, Markle was educated at a Catholic school.

According to several news sources, she will be both baptised and confirmed before she marries Prince Harry.

The date and place of the wedding has not been announced, although Kensington Palace has said it will take place in the spring.

Markle's first marriage took place in September 2011, to film producer Trevor Engelson.

Shortly before she and Engleson married, Markle's role in the TV drama Suits was confirmed and she began commuting between LA and Toronto to meet filming schedules.

The couple separated in early 2013 and divorced in August, citing irreconcilable differences.

Engelson kept the marital home and Markle moved to Toronto.

Source

• Stuff
• Daily Mail
• Vogue
• Image: Billboard

The Vatican confirmed that although it has been looking into the possibility of Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, visiting South Sudan, it has decided it's too dangerous to visit the country at present.

The Church of England has not yet said whether Welby will visit the country on his own.

He and Francis had planned to use their trip to help raise the profile of the people living in the war-torn country and to help them find peace.

South Sudan is in a bad way, reports show.

After gaining independence in 2011, the country has suffered violent outbreaks since December 2013.

That was when fighting followed a dispute between President Kiir, who is Dinka, and former vice-president Machar, who is Nuer.

The Dinka and Nuer are South Sudan's two largest ethnic groups.

An ethnic war followed, which continues to this day. The United Nations says the South Sudanese government forces' "ethnic cleansing" is "teetering on the edge of genocide".

About 300,000 people have died and three million have been displaced.

Around half the country's 10 million people are on the brink of starvation.

Source

• International Business Times
• National Catholic Reporter
• The Tablet
• Image: CNN.com