Six
main roles nowadays fall to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
In a situation where the last two stem from the first
four, these roles are as follows:
Diocesan
Bishop of Canterbury
Since
597, the Archbishop’s See has been at Canterbury.
The current Archbishop is the 104th. His diocese in East
Kent has a population of 825,000 people and comprises 270
parishes in an area of nearly 1,000 square miles.
Metropolitan
for the Southern Province of the Church of England
The
Archbishop of Canterbury has what is known as
metropolitical authority (that is, a supervisory
authority for defined purposes) in relation to all
bishops and clergy in the 30 dioceses in southern England.
The Archbishop of York has the same authority in relation
to the 14 dioceses in northern England.
Primate
of All England
The
Archbishop has this title in recognition of his lead
ecclesiastical role in England. The Church of England has
13,000 parishes and 13,000 full-time parochial and other
clergy. He is regarded as the nation’s senior
Christian and spiritual voice.
Leader
of the Anglican Communion
The
Anglican Community includes all 38 provinces in communion
with the See of Canterbury, a total of about 70 million
members throughout the world.
Ecumenical
role
The
Archbishop of Canterbury takes the lead in respect of
Anglican relationships with other Christian churches in
the United Kingdom and abroad.
Inter
faith role
Similarly,
the Archbishop of Canterbury leads in respect of Anglican
relationships with other faiths.