No 10 Downing Street has announced that Lord Luce is to be the chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for its selection of the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
Thursday 26 April 2012
Rt Hon the Lord Luce to become Chairman of the Crown Nominations Commission for its selection of the next Archbishop of Canterbury to succeed the Most Reverend and Rt Hon Rowan Williams
The Prime Minister has appointed the Rt Hon the Lord Luce KG, GCVO to be Chairman of the Crown Nominations Commission for its selection of the next Archbishop of Canterbury to succeed the Most Reverend and Rt Hon Rowan Williams. Dr Williams has announced that he will stand down on 31 December 2012.
Commenting on his appointment, Lord Luce said:
“It is a great privilege to have been invited by the Prime Minister to chair the Crown Nominations Commission for the selection of the next Archbishop of Canterbury. I approach the task with humility and a strong sense of the responsibility that I and my colleagues on the Commission share.”
“I am very conscious of the significance of the Archbishop’s role both nationally and across the world. It is, of course, of great importance both to the Church of England and to the wider community in our country, given the Church’s contribution to our society at all levels. The Archbishop is also the head of world-wide Anglican Communion. And the appointment of an Archbishop of Canterbury also means a great deal for other Christian denominations and for other faiths.”
“Archbishop Rowan has made an outstanding contribution in all of these spheres. Finding a worthy successor will not be an easy task for the Commission.”
“The responsibility of chairing the Commission is, of course, a heavy one. But I am fortified by the knowledge that I will be supported and advised by the other members of the Commission who have a wide range of talents and experience.”
The announcement also includes some notes that are copied below the fold.
Notes for Editors
Richard Luce, age 75, has long experience in public affairs. In the House of Lords he sits on the Cross Benches as an independent Life Peer. He is currently High Steward of Westminster Abbey. His career spans the overseas civil service, business, Parliament (Conservative MP for 21 years), a Minister for 10 years (Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Civil Service), Vice Chancellor of the University of Buckingham and Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar.
He retired in 2006 having served six years as Lord Chamberlain to The Queen, the senior official in the Royal Household. He is serving, or has served, as President, Chairman or Trustee of a number of charitable bodies. In 2008 The Queen made him a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter.
Richard Luce is a lifelong Anglican. He and his wife, Rose, who is a lay minister in the Church of England, worship at a parish church near their home in West Sussex.
The appointment has been made by the Prime Minister after taking soundings of senior figures in the Church.
The Crown Nominations Commission will put its recommendation for the next Archbishop to the Prime Minister, who will seek the agreement of Her Majesty The Queen. It is expected that the name of the new Archbishop will be announced in the Autumn.
The Commission is a largely Church-elected body, including both clergy and lay members and representatives of the worldwide Anglican Communion. For the See of Canterbury the Prime Minister appoints its chair.
“The Archbishop is also the head of world-wide Anglican Communion.”
Isn’t there a key word missing here?
“Spiritual”?
Safe pair of hands.
Ah, yes, Roger; but, safe for whom?
I think it is a good appointment. His action over the Falklands War shows he is a man of principle .He worships in a local church and his wife is a Lay Minister so he is in touch with the grass roots.
He will not allow people to be driven to tears or others to bully people in the loo!
Jean Mayland
More to the point, Miranda Hart’s uncle.
“Miranda Hart’s uncle”
My faith in the process is rekindled.
“Such fun!”
When will we know the full make up of the Commission, I wonder? The names of the two bishops and the six from the Diocese of Canterbury.
The Canterbury Vacancy in See Committee will elect the six diocesan members on 3 May.
See about half way down this web page.
http://www.canterburydiocese.org/archbishop/publicconsultation2012.htm
I hope, and I think I say this fairly, that they don’t choose another academic. Dr Williams is a good man and he’s had a horrendously difficult job to do. However I think it’s fair to say that his background has hampered him a little in doing the specific job of Archbishop of Canterbury. The job doesn’t need a man of great intellectual sophistication and prowess. It needs someone who is a good diplomat, got a little cunning and tell which way the wind’s blowing.
Yet, Adrian we look back to Michael Ramsay with great fondness….and William Temple was a man of considerable academic prowess. But they didnt have a completely dysfunctional Anglican Communion to try and keep together! Bishop Venables on the other hand, on the strength of a Dip Ed feels able to make all sorts of theological judgements which many of us find embarrasingly unsophisticated…like the fact there are now two Anglicanisms etc. There is no one of +Rowan’s academic prowess on offer…indeed I think when he retires it will be the first time since the Reformation the Bench has nobody who… Read more »
Truth to tell – sadly, we don’t really have any true academics on the Bench anymore. After a long and distinguished line of academics serving as Bishop of Durham – including the great Michael Ramsey and ending with Tom Wright – now returned to university life – Dunelm is now held by a former executive from the Oil Industry and a man greatly influenced by the ministry of HTB. If ever a diocese was in need of revival it must surely be Durham. If ever a Church was in need of revival it must surely be the Church of England.… Read more »
It is very easy to romanticize Archbishops past and present.
‘spiritual giants’ is probably a bit ott.
Let’s get real, shall we ?
The Roman Catholic Church in John Paul II produced a spiritual giant – the Coptic Church in Egypt in Pope Shenoudah III produced a spiritual giant. The Roman Catholic Church in Cardinal Basil Hume produced a spiritual giant. The Church of England in Michael Ramsey produced a spiritual giant. Hardly OTT and you can cannot get more “real” than this recent assembly of spiritual giants – so where are the spiritual giants of the present age within the CofE?
and I think Father David is very unfair to the newly consecrated Bishop of Durham. Durham hasnt always had academic bishops…and I gather what it has been most in need of in the last decade is someone who will help deal with a lot of financial and other organizational problems with which, I suspect, academics are not the best people to grapple.
Perry, I don’t think I was being in the least “very unfair” to the present occupant of the see of Durham. Indeed, I agree with you that Durham definitely needs assistance in helping to deal with its current financial and organisational problems – no doubt Justin Welby’s managerial experience in the Oil Industry will stand him in good stead in tackling these difficulties and hopefully his Christian formation at HTB will assist in the revival of the faith in Cuthbert’s great diocese. At the same time it greatly weakens the present Bench to be so completely lacking in scholar bishops.… Read more »
Unfortunately spiritual giants are a bit thin on the ground at the moment. I agree that the Bench needs some scholars though they dont have to be tied to particular sees…Durham at this time may well need Bishop Justin’s organisational experience, and from what I have heard from friends in Liverpool ,although formed at HTB his sympathies and indeed subsequent experience is much wider.But academics dont always make good bishops…I think of Richard Hanson’s brief tenure in Clougher…Its a pity Cathedral posts now involve what they do…scholarly canons and deans feeding their learning into the House of Bishops might be… Read more »
The diocese of Durham is very close to my heart and I wish the new incumbent of the highest throne in Christendom within the greatest cathedral on planet earth bar none – every success in his episcopal ministry. I only ever met Richard Hanson, sometime Bishop of Clogher in the emerald isle, once. The only thing I can remember of our conversation is when he asked me – “Are you good at saying thank you? If so you will make a good bishop for bishops are merely thanking machines” I try always to express gratitude and to live the eucharistic… Read more »