Bishop Welby, 56, the 105th archbishop of Canterbury, is said to have been chosen over three other leading contenders: the archbishop of York, John Sentamu; the bishop of Norwich, Graham Jones; and the bishop of London, Richard Chartres. Bishop Welby is regarded as an evangelical conservative in opposing same-sex marriage, but he is also said to take a more liberal position on the ordination of female bishops, favoring the elevation of women to senior church positions.
He told reporters that, at a forthcoming ballot, he would vote in favor of the ordination of women bishops. On the issue of same-sex marriage, he said: “We must have no truck with any form of homophobia.”
“I am always averse to the language of exclusion,” he said, suggesting some readiness to listen to the arguments of those who disagree with him. But he made clear that he supported a statement earlier this by Anglican bishops opposing government plans to legalize same-sex marriage.