The Next Archbishop of Canterbury

MOUNEER ANIS MAY 29, 2025

The archbishop of Canterbury’s position is profoundly significant, not only because he leads the Church of England (CoE), but also because he sits on the seat of St. Augustine of Canterbury, the “Apostle to the English.” That historical seat speaks to the heart of global Anglicans because the Church of England spread the gospel and planted churches on many continents during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. For this reason, the appointment of the archbishop of Canterbury must not be made without listening to voices from around the world. I share my reflections as a retired archbishop from the Global South who worked with three successive archbishops of Canterbury.

The decision of the general synod of the CoE in 2023 to bless same-sex couples led to a division in the church that is difficult to mend. Moreover, the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) issued a response—the “Ash Wednesday Statement“—declaring that they no longer recognize the headship of the archbishop of Canterbury for the Anglican Communion. The GSFA constitutes more than 75 percent of the membership of the Communion. As such, the situation has deeply impaired the relationship of the CoE to the rest of the Communion, breaking apart what unity previously existed.

Now, as the process of appointing the next archbishop of Canterbury has begun, it is essential to appoint an archbishop who can bring hope and unity within the CoE and restore its place as a historical sister of the churches of the Communion. He should be deeply rooted in the historic and traditional teachings of Anglicanism. It is now clear that archbishops who supported doctrinal innovations such as gay marriage have not been able to preserve the unity of the church.

The archbishop of Canterbury has traditionally held dual roles: as the spiritual leader of the Church of England and as the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. However, these roles have grown increasingly complicated as the demographics and dynamics of the Communion have shifted. While the office originated in an era when the British Empire gave natural prominence to English ecclesiastical leadership, the realities of the twenty-first century tell a different story. Today, the majority of Anglicans are not in the U.K. but in the Global South—especially in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These provinces typically hold firmly to biblical orthodoxy and traditional Anglican values, making them essential voices in the present and future life of the Communion.

Given this reality, it is imperative that the selection process for the next archbishop reflect the theological convictions and pastoral concerns of the broader Anglican world—not just those of a shrinking liberal Western context. The next archbishop must be more than a national figurehead or a political mediator; he must be a shepherd who is unwavering in the faith once delivered to the saints. This includes upholding the authority of Scripture, the creeds, the Thirty-Nine Articles, and the Book of Common Prayer

Appointing an archbishop who compromises these principles in the name of institutional appeasement will only deepen the fractures already within the Communion. But a leader who is bold in truth, humble in spirit, and committed to reconciliation grounded in orthodox theology can provide the moral and spiritual clarity needed to guide the Church in these turbulent times. He can restore unity where at present there is deep division.

It is also worth considering whether the archbishop of Canterbury should continue to serve as the de facto head of the entire Anglican Communion. While this structure was once fitting in the era of British global dominance, it no longer serves the diverse and decentralized nature of today’s Anglican reality. The time is ripe for a more collegial and representative leadership model that reflects the global character of the Communion. This could open space for greater participation from the vibrant churches of the Global South, whose faithfulness and growth offer hope to the wider body of Christ. The Roman Catholic Church is a great example of this, as popes are now elected from around the world and not necessarily from Rome.

The appointment of the next archbishop of Canterbury is not merely a ceremonial matter or an internal administrative decision. It is a moment of profound consequence for the Anglican Communion worldwide. What is needed now is a faithful, courageous, and wise leader who can stand firm in traditional Anglican belief and serve as a bridge between two deeply divided communions. Anything less would be a disservice to the gospel, to the Anglican heritage, and to the tens of millions of Anglicans who continue to pray and labor for a church that is both holy and united.

 

The sculptor of ‘Homeless Jesus’ talks faith, art and social justice

 

Ten years ago, Regis College in Toronto took a chance on an art piece by the Catholic sculptor Timothy Schmalz. Its design was simple: a metal park bench, with a man lying huddled under blankets and his feet sticking out to reveal gaping wounds. At the time, the artist was struggling to find a place to put his “Homeless Jesus.”

By the end of that year, Mr. Schmalz was giving a small model of the statue to Pope Francis, and today his sculptures line the streets and squares of cities across the world. Schmalz gives all due credit to the source material.

 “People are hungry for the Scripture. People are hungry for Christianity. It just has to be presented in a way that people can see it,” he said in an interview with America.

In March, Mr. Schmalz came to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on the saint’s feast day for the installation of his latest sculpture, entitled “Let the Oppressed Go Free.” A small model, similar to one displayed in the Vatican last year, will reside in St. Patrick’s to serve as a statement on human trafficking.

Mr. Schmalz has been sculpting for over 30 years, in both the religious and public spheres. When it comes to his Catholic art, he said he has a particular agenda: He wants to see art about more than just the same few scenes of the New Testament.

 

“There’s so many wonderful poetic gems within Scripture that have not been interpreted into visual artwork yet,” he said. “And it’s interesting, because you have 2,000 years of Christianity; why hasn’t the whole Bible been represented in artwork?”

In “Let the Oppressed Go Free,” St. Josephine stands and looks ahead defiantly, her hand grasping a trapdoor and heaving it open. From below march a crowd of enslaved men, women and children who are escaping from their captivity.

This mission inspired “Let the Oppressed Go Free,” which takes its title from Isaiah 50:6. For this piece on human trafficking, the artist looked to St. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, a Daju saint from Darfur, in modern-day Sudan. Born around 1849, St. Josephine spent much of her young life enslaved and traded among owners, frequently beaten and abused. Purchased by an Italian family, she encountered the Canossian Sisters in Venice and converted to Catholicism before securing her freedom.

In “Let the Oppressed Go Free,” St. Josephine stands and looks ahead defiantly, her hand grasping a trapdoor and heaving it open. From below march a crowd of enslaved men, women and children who are escaping from their captivity. Mr. Schmalz emphasized that this is not a joyful scene but a solemn one, a reminder of the fight to come rather than a celebration of victory.

Schmalz tends to be a perfectionist—he said that he created a different model for “Let the Oppressed Go Free” that did not include the trapdoor, but once the new idea came to him, he physically destroyed the old model, “so I never had the chance of going back to it.” Work on his projects tends to span years.

He said that for an upcoming project, he has been commissioned to create a monumental Stations of the Cross for the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, in Orlando, Fla. His vision is to include hidden nods to the parables of the New Testament in each scene, from a Pharisee dressed in fine robes to a Roman centurion on his horse.

For an artist whose work has stood on every continent but Antarctica, he had almost no hesitation when describing the most memorable moment of his career. After the success of “Homeless Jesus,” Schmalz was invited to create another sculpture by Michael Czerny, S.J., then undersecretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development. Father Czerny has since then become the dicastery’s prefect and a cardinal.

For this sculpture, Father Czerny asked for a reflection on the plight of immigrants, which prompted Mr. Schmalz to consider another Bible passage: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb 13:2).

Mr. Schmalz got to work on a sculpture based on a passage from Hebrews, which he named “Angels Unawares,” which features a crowd of migrants from various ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds.

 

Mr. Schmalz got to work on a sculpture based on this passage, which he named “Angels Unawares,” which features a crowd of migrants from various ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds. Each unique face wears a different expression—some of hope, others of apprehension.

From the center of the huddled masses emerges a pair of wings, hovering just above the bodies.

Mr. Schmalz said his most memorable moment as an artist was watching that sculpture lowered into St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on the 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which was Sept. 29, 2019.

This installation marked the first time in four centuries—since the Baroque work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini—that St. Peter’s Square gained a new piece of art.

The thread that ties “Angels Unawares” and “Let the Oppressed Go Free” together, Mr. Schmalz said, is the sense of dedication for a marginalized and forgotten group. After seeing statues of famous politicians or athletes, he said he feels honored to pay tribute to refugees and victims of trafficking in such an “auspicious way.”

“These people aren’t even acknowledged at all, let alone have a bronze sculpture made of them,” he said. “It just brings up a very powerful presence [for] them.”

The first full-sized model of “Let the Oppressed Go Free” will be installed at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., after a cross-country tour this summer. Soon after that, St. Joseph’s Oratory in Canada and the tomb of St. Josephine in Italy will receive their own copies.

And as for Mr. Schmalz, he gave no indication of slowing down.

“I have this kind of Platonic idea that these amazing masterpieces are already in heaven. And it’s my job to pull them down,” he said.

 

 

John 15:26-16:4a Saint Philip Neri

St. Philip Neri in Ecstasy, Painting by Guido Reni (1575-1642), Painted in 1615, Oil on canvas © Wikimedia Commons, Santa Maria in Vallicella, also called Chiesa Nuova, Rome

Gospel Reading

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. ‘I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.’

Reflection on the painting

Saint Philip Neri (1515–1595), often called the “Apostle of Rome,” was born in Florence, and moved to Rome as a young man where he lived a simple life, devoting himself to prayer, study, and service to the poor. Ordained a priest at nearly 36 (unusually late for the time), he became known for his confessional ministry and for gathering groups of people—especially the young—for spiritual talks, music, and prayer. He founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a community of secular priests committed to preaching and teaching. His emphasis on joyful Christian living made him one of the most beloved saints of the Counter-Reformation. Philip Neri had a lasting influence on the arts, especially in Rome, where he encouraged the use of music, drama, and visual art in religious life. His Oratory became a hub for sacred music and helped give rise to the “oratorio” genre—a musical form that would influence composers such as Handel and Haydn. He saw the arts as powerful tools for evangelisation and spiritual uplift, engaging both heart and mind. His legacy reminds us that holiness and cheerfulness are not at odds. Faith leads to joy. And joy should lead to faith. This he considered the arts as a path to God. Our painting is by Guido Reni (1575–1642), one of the most admired artists of his time. He may well have personally known Philip Neri, who died when the artist was only 20 years old. At the heart of our painting we see Saint Philip Neri’s in ecstasy before the Lord. God is unseen and unpictured, yet is vividly felt. The overwhelming beauty of God as it radiates through a humble and devoted priest. Created to mark Saint Philip’s beatification in 1615, the painting was originally placed above the altar housing the saint’s relics, in the chapel dedicated to him. The Virgin Mary is shown observing Neri's moment of ecstasy. Some scholars suggest that her inclusion may have been a later addition, possibly at the request of the Oratorian Fathers. The posture and expression of Saint Philip recall the early Christian orans figures found in the Roman catacombs—eyes wide in awe, hands lifted not to grasp but to receive the presence of the divine. He remains grounded, kneeling, as though caught mid-prayer or mid-task, his priestly service momentarily paused by a sudden and unlooked-for grace. Reni’s portrayal captures a moment of gentle yet overwhelming divine intrusion with God entering quietly yet powerfully into the life of a faithful priest, right in the midst of his ordinary duties.

by Father Patrick van der Vorst

 

New Video: Christ in the House of His Parents A Painting That Shocked Victorian England

Fr Patrick visits Tate Britain to reflect on one of the most striking—and once controversial—religious paintings of the Victorian era: Christ in the House of His Parents by Sir John Everett Millais. This painting, also known as The Carpenter’s Shop, is a cornerstone of the Pre-Raphaelite movement and one of the best-recognised works of that period. Millais, a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, painted the Holy Family in a raw and radically naturalistic way, departing from classical, idealised portrayals. His goal, and that of his fellow Brotherhood members, was to revive artistic styles from before the High Renaissance—before Raphael, after whom the movement was named. At the centre stands a red-haired, scruffy teenage Jesus, presenting a wounded hand to his kneeling mother. He looks much like a child of the Victorian era—ordinary, vulnerable. And yet the stigmata-like wound, along with marks on his feet, foreshadow the Passion. His expression carries not anguish but quiet resolve, accepting the destiny ahead. Though now admired, the painting caused outrage at the time. Charles Dickens, writing in his journal Household Words, launched a scathing attack. Standing outside the Dickens Museum in Bloomsbury, Fr Patrick reads from Dickens’ article published on 15 June 1850. Dickens' fury reminds us: even brilliant minds can misjudge art. What one generation sees as shocking, the next may find profoundly moving. Time has softened the painting’s controversy, and perhaps revealed its reverence. Our aesthetic tastes evolve, and so does our faith.

Watch on YouTube

 Cherished moments in the married life of Delia and Detterling...

Detterling: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Delia: No.

 REPOSTED

Friday, 21 January 2022

 The notification that meant the sky falling down on the heads of many TESSERS; Gene and Detterling among them...

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It's no good. I just can't get off to sleep at night fantasizing about this young Finnish lady who sang in the Eurovision final...

One of my fantasies is that she ties me down and administers a severe spanking.

 

Hospice Ministry and the ‘Assisted Suicide’ Bill 

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By Fr Hugh Mackenzie

The life and death of each of us has its influence on others

(Romans 14:7)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is heading for its third reading in Parliament. I am deeply concerned about the impact its passing into law would have on my regular ministry to dying people, of all religions and none, at St John’s Hospice in North London. 

The role of the Multi-Disciplinary Team, of which I am a member, is to foster the lives of patients, body and soul, right up to natural death. This has been the guiding principle of medical care since the pre-Christian Hippocratic Oath, which still endures in our largely post-Christian culture.

An Anti-Hope Bill

When people whose pain is under control ask, ‘Can’t you just sedate me?’, this is simply a result of fear or depression. Rather than complying with their request, which we currently cannot do, we try to help them recover a sense of hope, not for a long life but for a meaningful one, no matter how brief. 

If this ‘anti-hope’ bill becomes law, when someone says: ‘My life is not worth living’, we could legitimately reply, ‘Yes, you’re right! Shall we help you to commit suicide? In fact, one of the more common-sense amendments that was rejected at committee stage by MPs was to forbid the doctor to be the first to mention the idea.

A Counsel of Despair

Terminal suffering may understandably tempt us to despair, but that’s not inevitable. It’s lack of hope that makes suffering appear unbearable and gives death its bitter sting, not the other way around. This bill actively promotes despair.

Even before implementation, it will emphasise avoidance of suffering as the highest value in life. It will increase fear of death and promote the idea that only a physically active life is worth living. 

Flawed Humanism

Suffering and death challenge the idea that we control our own destiny. At the end of our lives, as at the beginning, we are dependent on others and upon God. This bill is an attempt to eliminate this last barrier to creating a fully ‘humanistic’ culture. 

Yet asserting individual autonomy is not, in fact, what it means to be human. We are interdependent and relational by nature. Legalising assisted suicide will weaken, not strengthen, what makes us truly human.

The Transforming Power Of Love

Many hospice patients say they are not religious. They or their family may ask: ‘Surely there’s no point to a life of suffering?’ I naturally respond with sympathy, but I might point out the ways in which they, not least their love through big challenges, inspire me. 

Suffering can open up more honest communication with those closest to us. In my 12 years of experience in this work, I find that as people approach death, they often discover new opportunities for expressing love and gratitude, and can repair damaged relationships.

Some come to acknowledge the importance of connecting to a higher power and discover, or rediscover, prayer. Prayer becomes especially pure in the midst of suffering, opening us to God and each other in surprising ways.

The Spiritual Dimension

The Catholic Church has a unique emphasis on end-of-life care. A priest will immediately drop whatever he is doing to minister to a dying person.

And we have a lot in the Catholic toolbox for dying people. Prayers, blessings, sacraments, sacramentals and the Saints unite us with Christ, who suffered and died on the cross. Those were the most powerful and fruitful moments of his life on earth. While awful, suffering is not in itself a good thing; through sacrificial love, it heals its causes, our fallen world.   

With the right spiritual care, the acceptance of terminal suffering can be fruitful and transformative for our own lives, too. To reject this out of fear or the assertion of individual autonomy is to rob ourselves of important opportunities of grace. 

Legalising assisted suicide crosses a fundamental line in our attitudes to life as well as to death. If passed, this bill will rob us all vital dimensions of our shared humanity.

Contact your member of Parliament to oppose this bill

My word! Did any of you see that Spanish entry in the Eurovision last night? What a corker!

 My word! Did any of you see that Spanish entry in the Eurovision last night? What a corker! I had to go and have a cold shower after watching her.

 

John 14:7-14 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also

The Heads and Hands of Two Apostles, Drawing by Raphael (1483-1520), Executed circa 1519, Pencil on paper © Courtesy of Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Gospel Reading

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.’

Reflection on the Old Master Drawing

I’ve always loved these kinds of Gospel readings, where we’re given a glimpse into what feels like a Q&A session between Jesus and His disciples. By this point, they’ve been walking with Him for nearly three years, still holding on to the hope that Christ would soon establish an earthly kingdom where they might rule alongside Him. But as they begin to realise that they don’t yet grasp the full picture, they start asking questions. They are seeking clarity, perhaps even reassurance as to what that new kingdom may look like. It is then that Jesus delivers what must have felt like a bombshell: He speaks of His impending death and His return to the Father in the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet, it is a quieter sentence at the beginning of the reading that holds profound meaning: “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.” The repetition of the word ‘know’ is striking. Jesus isn’t speaking here of intellectual knowledge or facts; He is inviting us into something far deeper. True knowing, as we experience with close family or friends, comes through intimacy: sharing life’s joys, struggles, and vulnerabilities. It is this kind of relationship, rich in emotional and spiritual closeness, that Christ desires us to have with Him. For today’s artwork, we turn to a delicate drawing by Raphael, created in 1519, just a year before his untimely death at the age of 37. There is something uniquely personal about a drawing; unlike grand finished paintings, a drawing reveals the immediacy of the artist’s mind at work. It captures the raw process of thinking, searching, observing, and imagining. In every line and contour, we see not only the expressive heads and hands of two apostles, but also something of Raphael himself. Drawings offer us an intimate window into the artist’s world, allowing us to ‘know’ them in a way that polished masterpieces often conceal. We witness the moments of inspiration, the hesitations, the creative flow and those private exchanges between hand and heart that give rise to art. The posture of the apostles, leaning forward with intent expressions, mirrors the attitude of Philip in today’s Gospel—eagerly leaning towards Jesus, seeking understanding and answers. This subtle gesture captures the very essence of discipleship: a posture of attentiveness, openness, and a genuine desire to grasp the deeper truths that Christ reveals. This idea of knowing through intimacy brings us back to Jesus’ words. Just as we come to understand Raphael better by contemplating his drawing, so too are we called to engage personally and deeply with Christ: not from a distance, but through ongoing relationship, prayer, and shared experience. The ‘knowing’ Jesus speaks of is not theoretical; it is lived, relational, and transformative. It is only by entering into this closeness with Him that we come to truly know the Father.

by Father Patrick van der Vorst

 

Pope Leo offers Vatican for Ukraine peace talks

The Holy See’s top diplomat said the failure of this week’s Russia-Ukraine meeting in Istanbul was “tragic.”

The Holy See’s top diplomat spoke to reporters on the fringes of a Vatican event in Rome, May 16, 2025. | Simone Risoluti/Pool photo by Vatican Media via Getty

May 16, 2025 12:22 pm CET

By Hannah Roberts

The new pope wants to host Ukraine peace talks after a summit in Istanbul failed to bring together the main players in the conflict.

Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s no-show at peace talks in Turkey that he himself suggested, the Vatican called the outcome “tragic” and said Pope Leo XIV wants to make the Holy See available to host the two sides in an effort to end the war, which has been raging for more than three years.

“This is all tragic because we hoped that it would be a, maybe slow, process, but with a peaceful solution to the conflict, and instead we are back at the beginning,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s top diplomat, told reporters on the fringes of a Vatican event in Rome on Friday. “Now we will see what to do, but the situation is difficult. “The pope plans to make the Vatican, the Holy See, available for a direct meeting between the two sides,” said Parolin, Pope Leo’s No. 2, according to news agency Ansa.

Leo XIV, who was elected last week, has made it clear that working for peace in Ukraine will be a major priority of his pontificate. He spoke to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by phone on Sunday, and referred to “the suffering of the beloved Ukrainian people” in his first Sunday blessing in St. Peter’s Square.

At an audience with Eastern Church representatives on Wednesday, Leo appealed to the two leaders “with all his heart” to negotiate. “The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together face to face … Let us meet, let us talk, let us negotiate,” adding: “Those who make history are the peacemakers,” the pontiff said.  

On Thursday, in his first post as pope on X, Leo called for peace saying: “I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, and among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world.”

His predecessor Pope Francis sent an envoy to Ukraine and Russia, and worked to facilitate the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families and the exchange of prisoners-of-war. Francis defended Ukraine, although earlier in the conflict he had attributed blame to NATO expansion.  

Parolin also said that the Vatican was working on a possible meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at Sunday’s papal inauguration. Before Leo was elected pope, a social media account under the pope’s name repeatedly criticized the Trump administration — and Vance in particular — over strict U.S. immigration policies. 

Asked about a potential meeting between Leo and Vance, Parolin said: “I don’t know, the problem is that there are so many delegations; there is very little time and so they will see each other if there is time. Protocol is working on it.”