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Hello, welcome to the editor's desk.

This is the podcast where we take a closer look at the essays and articles and the latest print issue of First

Things magazine. I'm Rusty Reno. I'm the editor of First Things Magazine, and I'm here with you

today at the editor's desk. I'm delighted today to welcome to the podcast, Damien Thompson.

We're going to talk about his piece in the December 2025 issue, Canterbury Fails.

And it's about, well, it's about many things, but the proximate cause of his writing is the appointment of Sarah Malale as the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

Welcome to the podcast.

Thank you very much for having me. It's an honor to be with you.

As I gather the Episcopal appointments in the Church of England were devolved to a C of E committee,

but the appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury remains in the hands of the Prime Minister.

Am I correct on that?

Yes, it's all rather confusing because the appointment of the Absolution of Canterbury

used to be divided between the Church of England and Downing Street.

And then I think when Gordon Brown was Prime Minister, he sort of divested himself of, he not being,

I know, New York and apart from anything else, he divested himself of any role in that. And then I think it's come back to

Downing Street playing a role. The King is consulted, but fundamentally it would be an

annual committee that came up with the shortlist. And so the Church of Inhuman played the largest role

...