Bishop Justin Welby has been confirmed as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, replacing Dr Rowan Williams who has been in the position for ten years.
In previous comments he has criticised the Government’s plans to redefine marriage.
Bishop Welby is a father of five who worked in the oil industry for 11 years before training to become an Anglican minister.
Closer
He and his wife Caroline had six children but one, Johanna, died in a car crash aged seven months old.
Speaking last year about the aftermath of the crash, Bishop Welby told a newspaper: “It was a very dark time for my wife Caroline and myself, but in a strange way it actually brought us closer to God”.
During his work as an oil executive with Enterprise Oil, he was also an active member of Holy Trinity Brompton, in London.
Senior
He then went to Durham to train for the Church of England ministry and rose to become the Dean of Liverpool.
Following his selection as Bishop of Durham – one of the most senior positions in the established church – he was appointed to a Parliamentary commission on banking standards.
The rumour of his move to Archbishop of Canterbury was widely reported in the media, but it was officially announced by 10 Downing Street today.