Former Bishop of Durham enthroned as new Archbishop of Canterbury (From The Northern Echo)
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Former Bishop of Durham enthroned as new Archbishop of Canterbury
3:45pm Thursday 21st March 2013 in News
The former Bishop of Durham arrives at Canterbury Cathedral
ROYALTY, religious leaders and politicians watched as the former Bishop of Durham, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, was enthroned as the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
They watched as the 57-year-old was formally confirmed as the new head of the Church of England - the 105th Archbishop.
The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron were among the 2,000 guests at Canterbury Cathedral.
In his enthronement sermon, the Archbishop fired a warning shot to the listening Prime Minister, speaking out in defence of the NHS and social care.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby said the two had been established through “Christ-liberated courage” and warned the “present challenges of environment and economy, of human development and poverty, can only be faced with extraordinary courage”.
He conceded society “may differ” on the degrees of state and private responsibility and said this was “proper”.
But his overtly social address will be seen as a signal that he will not be silenced by the Government and will continue to voice concerns over welfare and poverty.
In a short sermon, the former Bishop of Durham also praised the new pope, Francis, for his “humility and simplicity” and praised church initiatives to support the poor, such as food banks, homeless shelters, education, debt counselling and bereavement support.
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