Bishop Tim present as Welby made Archbishop

THE CONFIRMATION OF ELECTION of The Rt Revd Justin Welby as the next Archbishop of Canterbury took place today in an ancient legal ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral.

Following the Confirmation of Election, Archbishop Welby has now formally taken over from the outgoing Rowan Williams, as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Bishop of Winchester, The Rt Revd Tim Dakin, as one of the five senior bishops of the Church of England, and Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Canterbury, played an important part in the ceremony, including reading the Old Testament lesson - from Ecclesiastes - upon which the Archbishop of York based his sermon.

The new Archbishop of Canterbury will be installed in a separate ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March.

Speaking about his appointment, The Rt Revd Justin Welby said: "To be nominated to this post is both astonishing and exciting. It is something I never expected, and the last few weeks have been a very strange experience.

"It is exciting because we are at one of those rare points where the tide of events is turning, and the church nationally, including the Church of England has great opportunities to match its very great but often hidden strengths."