The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is to enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral later today.
The Most Rev Welby, the 150th Archbishop of Canterbury, is the principle leader of the Church of England and the symbolic head of the world's 85 million Anglicans (including over 2 million Episcopalians in North America).
The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron as well as bishops and archbishops from the world-wide Anglican Communion and leaders from Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist faiths will be among the 2,000 expected guests attending the ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent this afternoon.
Archbishop Welby, 57, is married with five children. He went to school at Eton, and later Cambridge University.
He rose to the top of the oil industry - ending up as treasurer of Enterprise Oil - and gave up a six-figure salary to train as a priest.
He was a vicar in Warwickshire, a canon of Coventry Cathedral, and the Dean of Liverpool, before being appointed as Bishop of Durham in November 2011.
Ahead of his enthronement, the Most Rev Welby spoke of his opposition to gay marriage.
While he did not doubt the Church's policy on same-sex relationships, he was "challenged as to how we respond to it", he added.
"The Church of England holds very firmly, and continues to hold to the view, that marriage is a lifelong union of one man to one woman," he said.
"At the same time, at the heart of our understanding of what it is to be human, is the essential dignity of the human being. And so we have to be very clear about homophobia."
Asked if the Church would turn a blind eye to some gay relationships, he said: "It's not a blind eye - it's about loving people as they are and where they are.
"You'll find that in every church and you'll find that because it imitates the character and the practice of Jesus himself."
Canterbury Cathedral
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21860447
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/City-prepares-Archbishop-Canterbury-Justin-Welby/story-18482252-detail/story.html#axzz2OAYFjWeR
The Most Rev Welby, the 150th Archbishop of Canterbury, is the principle leader of the Church of England and the symbolic head of the world's 85 million Anglicans (including over 2 million Episcopalians in North America).
Street cleaners were out in force in the early hours ensuring the city of Canterbury looked its best for the VIPs expected to attend the enthronement at the cathedral this afternoon.
A strong police presence is in place, with undercover officers and police dog handlers patrolling the streets surrounding the cathedral.
The Archbishop started his big day with an early morning run in the city, followed by prayers with his family in the chapel of his home within the cathedral precincts.
He tweeted: “Out early this morning, Canterbury is beautiful, human scale and history falling out of the walls everywhere. Grateful to be here.
“Everywhere signs of preparation for the service today on Canterbury. So many people working so hard, profound thanks to them all, incl media.”
His daughter Katharine Welby also tweeted: “Morning prayer in the chapel in our house at 8.15 in our pj's. Pretty awesome!”
The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron as well as bishops and archbishops from the world-wide Anglican Communion and leaders from Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist faiths will be among the 2,000 expected guests attending the ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent this afternoon.
Archbishop Welby, 57, is married with five children. He went to school at Eton, and later Cambridge University.
He rose to the top of the oil industry - ending up as treasurer of Enterprise Oil - and gave up a six-figure salary to train as a priest.
He was a vicar in Warwickshire, a canon of Coventry Cathedral, and the Dean of Liverpool, before being appointed as Bishop of Durham in November 2011.
Ahead of his enthronement, the Most Rev Welby spoke of his opposition to gay marriage.
While he did not doubt the Church's policy on same-sex relationships, he was "challenged as to how we respond to it", he added.
"The Church of England holds very firmly, and continues to hold to the view, that marriage is a lifelong union of one man to one woman," he said.
"At the same time, at the heart of our understanding of what it is to be human, is the essential dignity of the human being. And so we have to be very clear about homophobia."
Asked if the Church would turn a blind eye to some gay relationships, he said: "It's not a blind eye - it's about loving people as they are and where they are.
"You'll find that in every church and you'll find that because it imitates the character and the practice of Jesus himself."
Canterbury Cathedral
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21860447
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/City-prepares-Archbishop-Canterbury-Justin-Welby/story-18482252-detail/story.html#axzz2OAYFjWeR
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