Archbishop Rowan Williams ... how is the next Archbishop of Canterbury going to be chosen?Patrick Comerford
MTh Year II
EM8825: Anglican Studies in an Irish context:
Thursdays: 10 a.m. to 12 noon, The Hartin Room.
Thursday, 29 March 2012, 10 a.m.:
10.2: The next Archbishop of Canterbury
Bishops in the Church of England have sometimes been perceived as presenting the vote on the Anglican Covenant as a vote of confidence in the Archbishop of Canterbury. Was the decision of the Archbishop of Canterbury to announce his retirement before the “Super Saturday” vote an acknowledgment that the Covenant was defeated? Did his decision give the remaining dioceses “permission,” as it were, to vote against the Covenant?
We may never answer these questions. But we may like to ask how is the next Archbishop of Canterbury going to be chosen?
The responsibility for choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury rests with the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC). Its task is to submit the name of a preferred candidate (and a second appointable candidate) to the Prime Minster who is constitutionally responsible for tendering advice on the appointment to the Queen.
The membership of the CNC is prescribed in the Standing Orders of the General Synod of England. When an Archbishop of Canterbury is to be chosen there are 16 voting members:
● The Chair (a layperson) – to be appointed by the Prime Minister
● A Bishop - to be elected by the House of Bishops
● The Archbishop of York or, if he chooses not to be a member of the CNC, a further Bishop to be elected by the House of Bishops
● Six representatives elected from the Diocese of Canterbury by their Vacancy in See Committee
● The six representatives (three clergy and three lay) elected by General Synod to serve as members of the Commission for a five-year period
● A member of the Primates’ Meeting of the Anglican Communion elected by the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion.
In addition, there are three non-voting members of the commission:
● the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion
● the Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary
● the Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments
Before the Commission first meets there will be an extensive consultation process to determine the needs of the diocese, the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. This has several phases;
● The diocesan Vacancy in See Committee prepares a brief description of the diocese and a statement setting out the desired profile of the new Archbishop
● The Prime Minister’s and Archbishops’ Secretaries for Appointments conduct a wider consultation exercise to inform the Commission’s consideration of the needs of the mission of the wider Church of England and the Anglican Communion.
The expectation is that the Commission will have an initial meeting around the end of May to agree its process, which is likely to continue over the summer. The number of meetings to take place is for the Commission to determine.
The process will among other things include:
● A review of background material and results of the consultations, discussion of the challenges for the next Archbishop and, in the light of these, consideration of the personal qualities required
● Consideration of candidates
● Voting to identify the recommended candidate and a second appointable candidate, whose names then go forward to the Prime Minister.
Canterbury Cathedral .... the seat of the Archbishop of CanterburySince 2007, the agreed convention in relation to episcopal appointments has been that the Prime Minister commends the name preferred by the Commission to the Queen. The second name is identified in case, for whatever reason, there is a change of circumstances which means that the appointment of the CNC’s recommended candidate cannot proceed.
Once the Queen has approved the chosen candidate and he has indicated a willingness to serve, 10 Downing St announces the name of the Archbishop-designate.
The College of Canons of Canterbury Cathedral formally elect the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
The election is confirmed by a commission of diocesan bishops in a legal ceremony (the Confirmation of Election), which confers the office of Archbishop on him.
The new Archbishop does homage to Her Majesty.
The new Archbishop is formally enthroned in Canterbury Cathedral.
There are six principal aspects to the job of the Archbishop of Canterbury:
1, The Archbishop is the Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. He has delegated much of his responsibility for the diocese to the Bishop of Dover, who leads a senior staff team of the Dean, three Archdeacons and the Diocesan Secretary. The Archbishop continues to take a keen interest in the affairs of the diocese, to attend staff and other meetings, the annual residential staff meeting, and the Archbishop’s Council of the diocese when possible.
2, The Archbishop of Canterbury is also a Metropolitan, having metropolitical jurisdiction throughout the 30 dioceses of the Province of Canterbury in the Church of England. As such, he can conduct formal visitations of those dioceses. Establishing close links with bishops in his province is an important part of his work and he visits three dioceses each year.
It is a Metropolitan’s responsibility to act as the chief consecrator at the consecration of new bishops, to grant various permissions, licences and faculties, to appoint to parishes where the patron has failed to do so within the prescribed time limits, to act as Visitor of various institutions and release, where appropriate, those who have taken religious vows.
The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York are joint Presidents of the General Synod of the Church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury is Chair and the Archbishop of York Vice-Chair of the House of Bishops and the Crown Nominations Commission. Two Provincial Episcopal Visitors (“flying bishops”) report to the Archbishop in relation to the 163 parishes in the southern province which have petitioned for extended episcopal care under the Episcopal Ministry Act of Synod.
3, As leader of the “Church by Law Established” the Archbishop, in his capacity as Primate of All England, is “chaplain to the nation,” classically exemplified at a coronation. More routinely he has regular audiences with the Queen and the Prime Minister, and is frequently in touch with senior Ministers of State and with the Leaders of Opposition parties. In addition, both Archbishops and 24 other senior bishops have seats in the House of Lords.
4, The Archbishop is the Focus of Unity for the Anglican Communion. He is the convener and the host of the Lambeth Conference, the President of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), and Chair of the Primates’ meeting. In these roles he travels extensively throughout the Anglican Communion, visiting provinces and dioceses, and supporting and encouraging the witness of the Church in very diverse contexts. As primus inter pares among the bishops, he has a special concern for those in episcopal ministry.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is, along with the Bishop of Rome and the Ecumenical Patriarch, widely regarded as an international spiritual leader, representing the Christian Church. On overseas visits, a meeting with the Head of State is almost always a part of the programme, as are meetings with other significant political persons.
5, The Archbishop has a national and international ecumenical role; nationally he is one of the Presidents of Churches Together in England, who provide strategic guidance to ecumenical endeavours.
6, The Archbishop takes the lead in relationships with members of other faith communities both in this country and overseas, reflecting the increasing significance of those communities for the context in which the Church’s mission and ministry take place.
Online later today:
11.1:
11.1: Is there an Anglican culture? Anthony Trollope and the Barchester novels.
Next week:
Tuesday, 3 April 2012, 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.:
2.30 p.m.: 11.2: Is there an Anglican culture? The poetry of TS Eliot.
3.30 p.m.: 11.3: Is there an Anglican culture? Rose Macaulay and The Towers of Trebizond.
Reminder:
1, Essays.
2, Evaluations.
3, Dissertation proposals.
Canon Patrick Comerford is Lecturer in Anglicanism and Liturgy, the Church of Ireland Theological Institute. These notes were prepared for a seminar on the MTh Year II course, EM8825: Anglican Studies in an Irish context, on Thursday 29 March 2012
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