Newly enthroned Archbishop Justin Welby says there'll be a woman in my job one day

 
Pilgrim’s progress: the Archbishop in Chichester this week on the final day of his pilgrimage in prayer before today’s enthronement
Maxine Frith21 March 2013

The Archbishop of Canterbury was today formally enthroned in front of more than 2,000 people — after saying he is convinced a woman will one day be made an archbishop.

The Most Rev Justin Welby also became the first leader of the Church of England to be installed by a woman.

Archdeacon Sheila Watson led him to the diocesan throne in Canterbury Cathedral during a service attended by Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and David Cameron.

The 105th Archbishop has already put the divisive issue of female ordination at the top of his agenda, using one of his first interviews to predict that there will be a future woman archbishop.

And he extended an olive branch to gay rights campaigners by saying he believes some gay couples have loving and monogamous relationships of “stunning quality” and inviting leading activist Peter Tatchell to discuss the issue of same-sex marriage with him.

Before this afternoon’s ceremony, the 57-year-old Archbishop replied to a question about whether a woman would ever hold the same post by saying: “Yes I think there certainly will — when the right person turns up.”

In November the ruling Synod voted against the ordination of women bishops, sparking a crisis in the 77 million-strong Church, but the Archbishop said he hoped for a breakthrough when the Synod meets again in July.

“We’re going to bring in new proposals this summer and then they work through the synodical system and we’ll see how long that takes,” he said.

“The issue is about how all those who in the Church are valued and allowed to exert their faith and their ministry.” The former oil executive, who has five children with wife Caroline, said he also wants to tackle the issue of homophobia in the Church, saying: “You see gay relationships that are just stunning in the quality of the relationship.”

Mr Tatchell — once convicted and fined for trying to climb into the pulpit of Canterbury Cathedral during an Easter Sunday service — wrote an open letter to the Archbishop following his appointment, accusing him of discrimination because of the ban on gay marriage. It emerged today that the Archbishop emailed his thanks for the “thoughtful” arguments and offered a meeting after Easter. Mr Tatchell said the response was “commendable”.

The Archbishop will celebrate a service at Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday and will be on BBC Radio 4’s Thought For The Day on Good Friday.

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