Archbishop of York

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Image:Archbishyorkarms.PNG 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 Whithern 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 (16001662) 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.

Archbishops of York, 627–present

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See also

no:Liste over erkebiskoper av York