Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head cleric of the Church of England. Since Henry VIII broke with Rome, archbishops of Canterbury have been selected by the British monarch; at present, the choice is made in her name, but by the prime minister.

Dr [George Leonard Carey]? is the current 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury, enthroned on 19 April 1991.

The 1st Archbishop of Canterbury was Saint Augustine of Canterbury, who arrived in Kent in 597.

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

1. Bishop of Canterbury
2. Primate of all England
3. 'Chaplain to the Nation'
4. Leader of the Anglican Communion around the World?
5. The Ecumenical Role
6. 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.

Past Archbishops:

Saint Augustine of Canterbury 597 -- Saint Laurence of Canterbury 604-619 -- Mellitus (St.)619 -- Justus (St.)624 -- Honorius (St.)627 -- Deusdedit (St.)655 -- Wighard 666 -- Theodore (St.)668 -- Bertwald (St.)693 -- Tatwin (St.)731 -- Nothelm (St.)735 -- Cuthbert (St.)740 -- Bregwin (St.)761 -- Jaenbert (St.)765 -- Aethelhard (St.)793 -- Wulfred 805 -- Feologild 832 -- Ceolnoth 833 -- Aethelred 870 -- Plegmund 890 -- Athelm 923 -- Wulfhelm 926 -- Oda the Severe (St.)941 -- Aelfsige 958 -- Berthelm 959 -- Saint Dunstan 960 -- Athelgar 988 -- Sigeric the Serious 990 -- Aelfric 995 -- Aelfheah (St. Alphege)1006 -- Lyfing 1013 -- Aethelnoth 1020 -- Edsige 1038 -- Robert of Jumieges 1051 -- Stigand 1052 -- Lanfranc 1070 -- Saint Anselm 1093 -- Ralph d'Escures 1114 -- William de Corbeil 1123 -- Theobald of Bec 1139 -- [Thomas A'Becket]? (St.)1162 -- Richard of Dover 1174 -- Baldwin of Exeter 1184 -- Reginald FitzJocelin? 1191 -- Hubert Walter 1193 -- Reginald 1205 -- John de Gray 1206 -- Stephen Langton 1207 -- Walter d'Eynsham 1228 -- Richard le Grant 1229 -- Ralph Neville 1231 -- John of Sittingbourne 1232 -- [John Blund]? 1232 -- Edmund Rich (St.)1234 -- Boniface of Savoy 1245 -- Adam of Chillenden 1270 -- Robert Kilwardby 1273 -- Robert Burnell 1278 -- John Pecham 1279 -- Robert Winchelsey 1294 -- Thomas Cobham 1313 -- Walter Reynolds 1314 -- Simon Mepeham 1328 -- John Stratford 1333 -- John Offord 1348 -- Thomas Bradwardine 1349 -- Simon Islip 1349 -- Simon Langham 1366 -- William Whittlesey 1368 -- Simon Sudbury 1375 -- William Courtenay 1381 -- Thomas Arundel 1396 -- Roger Walden 1397 -- Thomas Arundel 1399 -- Henry Chicheley 1414 -- John Stafford 1443 -- John Kemp 1452 -- Thomas Bourchier 1454 -- John Morton 1486 -- Thomas Langton 1501 -- Henry Dean 1501 -- William Warham 1503 -- Thomas Cranmer 1533 -- Reginald Pole 1556 -- Matthew Parker 1559 -- Edmund Grindal 1576 -- John Whitgift 1583 -- Richard Bancroft 1604 -- George Abbot 1611 -- [William Laud]? 1633 -- William Juxon 1660 -- Gilbert Sheldon 1663 -- William Sancroft 1678 -- John Tillotson 1691 -- Thomas Tenison 1695 -- William Wake 1716 -- John Potter 1737 -- Thomas Herring 1747 -- Matthew Hutton 1757 -- Thomas Secker 1758 -- Frederick Cornwallis 1768 -- John Moore 1783 -- Charles Manners Sutton 1805 -- William Howley 1828 -- John Bird Sumner 1848 -- Charles Thomas Longley 1862 -- Archibald Campbell Tait 1868 -- [Edward White Benson]? 1883 -- Frederick Temple 1896 -- Randall Thomas Davidson 1903 -- Cosmo Gordon Lang 1928 -- William Temple 1942 -- Geoffrey Francis Fisher 1945 -- Arthur Michael Ramsey 1961 -- Frederick Donald Coggan 1974 -- Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie 1980 -- [George Leonard Carey]? 1991 --