Holy Smoke: The mystifying process – and problems – behind choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury

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🗓️ 27 May 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

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Summary

After Pope Francis died, it took the Roman Catholic Church just 17 days to choose a successor in Pope Leo XIV. It has been well over 6 months since Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned and we are only just making sense of those chosen to sit on the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), that will recommend his successor. Even then, it’s unlikely we will know more until the autumn. Why has it taken so long?

Journalist, commentator – and quite frankly expert – Andrew Graystone joins Damian Thompson and William Moore, the Spectator’s features editor, to take listeners through the process. From committees to choose committees and confusion about the rules, as William comments, even acclaimed Conclave writer Robert Harris would struggle to make a fast-paced and riveting story out of the Anglican succession. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of intrigue though: from bishops effectively ruling themselves out, to opaque appointments, and even a former head of M15 appointed to lead the CNC.

Andrew, Damian and William discuss the process, the problems plaguing it and unpack those in contention to be the next Primate of All England. The chosen successor will ultimately lead the third largest Christian communion, with around 100 million members worldwide, and play a prominent role in British society with a seat in the House of Lords and as a spiritual advisor to King and country – no pressure.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Spectator magazine is home to wonderful writing, insightful analysis and unrivaled books and arts reviews.
0:06.4	Subscribe today for just £12 and receive a 12-week subscription in print and online,
0:11.7	along with a free £20 £10 £10 or Waitrose voucher.
0:14.6	Go to spectator.com.uk forward slash voucher.
0:30.8	Welcome to Holy Smoke, the Spectator's Religion podcast. I'm Daniel Thompson.
0:39.5	It took just 17 days between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor, Pope Leo the 14th. In contrast, it has been many months since Justin Welby was forced out of office as
0:46.8	result of the John Smythe scandal, and it looks as if it's going to be well into the autumn
0:53.5	before the Church of England's
0:57.0	bureaucratic machinery comes up with the name of a new primate of all England.
1:03.8	I'm mystified by the delay.
1:08.5	It's many years since I was a religious correspondent of the Telegraph. I used to understand
1:12.0	the intricacies of the appointment of bishops and archbishops then, since when the whole process
1:19.9	has been changed and reformed. So fortunately, I have here, as my guest, Andrew Graystone,
1:31.8	theologian, and author of a book about the John Smythe scandal,
1:37.1	and also joined by the Spectator's Features Editor, William Moore.
1:39.2	Andrew, welcome.
1:47.5	Could you please give me an idiot's guide, this is me, the idiot, not the listeners, to how the Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed and then give me some idea of how it's going?
1:53.4	Oh, Damien, it's very, very simple. The king appoints the new Archbishop of Canterbury,
1:58.8	the king being the supreme government of the Church of England.
2:02.1	Of course, the King needs someone to tell him who to appoint, and he looks to Sir Keir Starma, the Prime
2:08.1	Minister, to give him a name.
2:11.0	And Keir Salma is an atheist.
	...

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