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:

1. Augustine of Canterbury

2.

3. Mellitus

4. Justus 624

103. [George Leonard Carey]? 1991