Profile: Who is the Archbishop of Canterbury?
Tom Bristow
Thursday, March 14, 2013
11.10 AM
Like his predecessor, the new Archbishop is not afraid to get involved in political debates in areas away from religion.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby has already clashed with chancellor George Osborne, accusing him of lacking the political will to break up banks.
The old Etonian has also made his views clear on government welfare cuts, warning they would plunge children into poverty.
Born in 1956 in London, Archbishop Justin was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied history and law.
For 11 years - five in Paris and six in London – he worked in the oil industry for the FTSE 100 oil exploration group Enterprise Oil Plc.
His work focused on West African and North Sea oil projects.
In 1989 he left the oil industry for the clergy.
He took a theology degree at St John’s College, Durham, in which he focused on ethics – particularly in business. He has since published articles on ethics, international finance and reconciliation in conflict zones.
Archbishop Justin has a particular interest in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria.
In the Niger Delta he has worked on reconciliation with armed groups.
Archbishop Justin quickly rose through the clergy ranks and after being ordained Deacon in 1992, he spent 15 years serving Coventry Diocese.
Between 2000 and 2002 he also chaired an NHS hospital trust in South Warwickshire.
In 2002, he was made a Canon of Coventry Cathedral.
The Archbishop was named Dean of Liverpool in December 2007 and in 2011, he was announced as the new Bishop of Durham,
In the summer of 2012, he was asked to join the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards where he has spoken out
The Archbishop’s father’s family were German Jewish immigrants who moved to England to escape anti-Semitism in the late 19th century. His British ancestors, on his mother’s side, include several clergymen.
His interests include French culture, sailing and politics.
He is married to Caroline, who studied Classics at Cambridge, where they met. They have two sons and three daughters.