Archbishop of York
The
Archbishop of York,
Primate of England, is the
metropolitan bishop of the
Province of York, and is the junior of the two
archbishops of the
Church of England, after the
Archbishop of Canterbury. Since
5 October 2005, the incumbent is the Most Reverend
John Sentamu; he signs himself
Sentamu Ebor: (Sentamu is actually his Christian name and "Ebor:" is an abbreviation of
Eboracum, the
Latin name for
York).
The archbishop's throne is in
York Minster in central
York and his official residence is
Bishopthorpe Palace in the village of
Bishopthorpe, outside York.
The Province of York includes the 12
Anglican Dioceses north of the
Midlands as well as the Diocese of Southwell (
Nottinghamshire) and the
Diocese of Sodor and Man (the
Isle of Man). The Archbishop is also a member
ex officio of the
House of Lords.
History
There was a bishop in York from very early Christian times. Bishops of York were particularly present at the Councils of
Arles and
Nicaea. However, this early Christian community was later blotted out by the pagan
Saxons. There was no important archbishop of York till the consecration of St.
Wilfrid in
664. His successors acted as diocesan prelates until the time of
Ecgbert of York, who received the
pallium from
Pope Gregory III in
735 and established metropolitan rights in the north. The sees of
Canterbury and York were long struggling for precedence, often leading to scandalous scenes of dissension. In the
11th century, for instance, there was an arrangement which lasted until
1118 that the archbishops of York must be consecrated in Canterbury cathedral and swear allegiance to the Archbishop of Canterbury. In the mid
14th century,
Pope Innocent VI confirmed an arrangement that the Archbishop of Canterbury should take precedence with the title
Primate of All England, and that the Archbishop of York should retain the style of
Primate of England.
Till the Danish invasion the archbishops of Canterbury occasionally exercised authority, and it was not till the
Norman Conquest that the archbishops of York asserted their complete independence. At that time they had jurisdiction over
Worcester,
Lindsey, and
Lincoln, as well as the dioceses in the Northern Isles and
Scotland. But the first three sees just mentioned were taken from York in
1072. In
1154 the suffragan sees of the
Isle of Man and
Orkney were transferred to the Norwegian (Danish-controlled) province of
Drontheim, and in
1188 all the Scottish dioceses except
Whithorn were released from subjection to York, so that only the dioceses of Whithern,
Durham, and
Carlisle remained to the Archbishops as suffragan sees. Of these, Durham was practically independent, for the
palatine bishops of that see were little short of sovereigns in their own jurisdiction.
During the fourteenth century Whithern was reunited to the Scottish Church, but the province of York received some compensations in the restoration of
Sodor and Man. At the time of the
Reformation York thus possessed three suffragan sees, Durham, Carlisle, and Sodor and Man, to which during the brief space of
Queen Mary I's reign (
1553-
1558) may be added the Diocese of Chester, schismatically founded by
Henry VIII, but subsequently recognized by the Pope.
The mutual relations between Canterbury and York were frequently embittered by a long struggle for precedence. In
1071 the question was argued at Rome between Archbishops Lanfranc and Thomas in the presence of
Pope Alexander II, who decided in favour of Canterbury. At a subsequent synod that the future Archbishops of York must be consecrated in Canterbury cathedral and swear allegiance to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and that the
Humber was to be the southern limit of the metropolitan jurisdiction of York. This arrangement lasted till
1118, when
Thurstan, archbishop-elect, refused to make submission, and in consequence the Archbishop of Canterbury declined to consecrate him. Thurstan thereupon successfully appealed to
Calixtus II, who not only himself consecrated him, but also gave him a Bull releasing him and his successors from the supremacy of Canterbury. From time to time during the reign of
Henry II and succeeding kings the quarrel broke out again, leading often to scandalous scenes of dissension, until
Innocent VI (1352-62) settled it by confirming an arrangement that the Archbishop of Canterbury should take precedence with the title Primate of All England, but that the Archbishop of York should retain the style of Primate of England. Each prelate was to carry his metropolitan cross in the province of the other, and if they were together their cross-bearers should walk abreast. The Archbishop of York also undertook that each of his successors should send an image of gold to the shrine of
St. Thomas of Canterbury.
Several of the archbishops of York held the ministerial office of
Lord Chancellor of England and played some parts in affairs of state. As
Peter Heylyn (
1600–
1662) wrote: "This see has yielded to the Church eight saints, to the Church of Rome three cardinals, to the realm of England twelve Lord Chancellors and two
Lord Treasurers, and to the north of England two
Lord Presidents." Until 1559, the bishops and archbishops were part of the
Roman Catholic Church; since then they (along with the rest of the Church of England) have been separate from it.
Walter de Grey purchased
York Place in
London, which after the fall of
Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, was to become the
Palace of Whitehall.
*
Archbishop of Canterbury*
UK topics*
Accord of Winchester
