Archbishop Justin Welby and Cardinal Vincent Nichols took part in an unscripted discussion from Lambeth Palace.

They answered questions that came in and spoke on a variety of topics including Pentecost and prayer.

One hour after the live video, more than 4000 people had watched it.

Many comments expressed disappointment that the video only lasted for nine minutes and 20 seconds.

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In the last month, Archbishop Justin Welby discovered that his biological father is not Gavin Welby, but rather the late Sir Anthony Montague Browne.

This was revealed by DNA testing.

Sir Anthony was Sir Winston Churchill's last private secretary.

In a statement, Archbishop Welby noted that his mother, Jane Williams, and his father, Gavin Welby, were both alcoholics.

Mr Welby died in 1977 as a result of alcohol and smoking, when Justin was 21.

"My mother has been in recovery since 1968, and has not touched alcohol for over 48 years. I am enormously proud of her," the archbishop said.

He went on to say: "My own experience is typical of many people. To find that one's father is other than imagined is not unusual.

"To be the child of families with great difficulties in relationships, with substance abuse or other matters, is far too normal."

Archbishop Welby added that the revelation about his father "has, of course, been a surprise, but in my life and in our marriage, Caroline and I have had far worse".

"I know that I find who I am in Jesus Christ, not in genetics, and my identity in him never changes.

"Even more importantly my role as archbishop makes me constantly aware of the real and genuine pain and suffering of many around the world, which should be the main focus of our prayers."

Archbishop Welby agreed to the DNA testing after media reports about his family background.

After discovering the result just before Easter, his first thought was reportedly for his mother, and he contacted her.

Lady Williams, whose marriage to Gavin Welby broke up in 1958, had worked as secretary to Sir Winston during his final spell as prime minister.

She said the news of Justin's paternity result had come as an "almost unbelievable shock".

She said: "Although my recollection of events is patchy, I now recognise that during the days leading up to my very sudden marriage, and fuelled by a large amount of alcohol on both sides, I went to bed with Anthony Montague Browne."

Sources

• Archbishop of Canterbury
• BBC
• Image: Christian Today

The Telegraph reported Archbishop Justin Welby saying faith leaders seemed desperate to hide behind "bland" and "anaemic" statements about what they have in common.

This is instead of facing up to the "profound differences" between them, the archbishop told the annual dinner of the Board of Deputies of British Jews in London.

He warned that the pretence that mainstream religions agree on everything is simply "dishonest".

It risks leaving them impotent to halt the spread of extremism.

The audience included hundreds of Jewish community leaders as well as Muslims, Christians and representatives of other faiths.

Archbishop Welby said religious leaders must work together to provide an "alternative vision" to combat the influence of extremists.

"If we don't do that we leave all the good arguments in the hands of the radicals and that is the great challenge I face, and I believe we all face," he said.

"If we're going to do that we have to come together and we have to have the difficult conversations in safe spaces and that's a very, very difficult thing up do."

He added: "We need to move beyond inter-religious interaction in which we the usual suspects issue bland statements of anaemic intent with which you could paper the walls of Lambeth Palace - and much good would it do you - all desperate to agree with one another so that the very worst outcome could possibly be that we end up acknowledging our differences."

"That is not enough in the face of the dangers we face at this time."

The archbishop said it "is disingenuous and ultimately dishonest because alongside all that we hold in common and all that we share there are profound differences between what we believe and the outworking of our faith".

"True friendships and relationships can withstand honesty about differences in values, opinions and religious understandings and a common commitment to mutual flourishing in diversity," he said.

Source

• The Telegraph
• Image: The Guardian