Doubts emerge: Liberal PM Cameron has last say on new Archbishop

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

Britain’s Conservative MP’s have begun lobbying Prime Minister David Cameron to select a traditionalist candidate as the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

In the midst of Britain’s debate on redefining marriage to include people of the same sex, Peter Bone, the MP for Wellingbrough and Rushden is one urging Cameron to choose someone who represents the Church’s traditional views on issues such as gay marriage.

“I don’t want the Archbishop to say we can’t have gay marriage because it is not socially acceptable. I want him to say we can’t have it because it is wrong”, said Bone.

“One Tory MP said there would be widespread upset on the government backbenches if a candidate from the church’s liberal wing replaced Williams, 61, when he leaves in December. He said: ‘It is traditional that we have a conservative after a liberal and if David Cameron doesn’t deliver then it will confirm the fears of everyone who already has doubts about him,’ ” reports The Guardian.

The responsibility for selecting the next Archbishop of Canterbury lies with the Church of England’s Crown Nominations Commission.

The Commission will submit the name of a preferred candidate and a second appointable candidate to Prime Minister Cameron who has the final say.

Cameron tenders his advice to Her Majesty the Queen.

The committee comprises:

the Chair (a layperson) – to be appointed by the Prime Minister
a Bishop – to be elected by the House of Bishops
the Archbishop of York or, if he chooses not to be a member of the CNC, a further Bishop to be elected by the House of Bishops
six representatives elected from the Diocese of Canterbury by their Vacancy in See Committee
the six representatives (three clergy and three lay) elected by General Synod to serve as members of the Commission for a five year period
a member of the Primates Meeting of the Anglican Communion elected by the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion.

Some observers have commented that David Cameron is shown to have “hidden shallows” since becoming Prime Minister. They put it down to his trying to appear “groovy” to his Liberal Democrat coalition partners, and warn him he might be on a collision course with the Queen who is not only fond of the Church of England, but is its supreme governor.

Sources