His Majesty The King has approved the nomination of the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, Downing Street has announced [on Friday 3rd October 2025].Bishop Robert [Innes of the Diocese in Europe] said: "I am delighted that the Crown Nominations Commission has come to the conclusion of a careful and thorough process and agreed on such an inspired choice of candidate. The selection of a woman for Canterbury will be of particular encouragement to the women in our diocese.I have known and worked with Bishop Sarah for many years in the House of Bishops, and I believe she has the qualities and gifts our Church needs at this time. She has presided effectively over one of our largest and most complex dioceses, and I have been particularly impressed by her care for all in our communities across a wide range of backgrounds and traditions.I wish Sarah every blessing in her new role. May God grant her courage, wisdom and strength for all that lies ahead in this huge responsibility. Please hold Bishop Sarah in your prayers."The 106th Archbishop of Canterbury since Saint Augustine arrived in Kent from Rome in 597, Bishop Sarah will be the first woman to hold the office.She will be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026.www.europe.anglican.org/news/latest-news/next-archbishop-canterbury-announced
The Revd Canon Andrew Norman, who most recently served as Director of Ministry and Mission for the Diocese of Leeds, will be consecrated as the next Suffragan Bishop in Europe at a service on Thursday 27th February at Canterbury Cathedral before being installed at the Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity in Gibraltar on Sunday 2nd March. He succeeds Bishop David Hamid who retired in February 2024.More on his background, from the Diocese in Europe's announcement of his appointment on 29th November 2024:Andrew has previously worked and lived in the Diocese in Europe. Prior to ordination he worked in Malta in a banknote-printing factory. His curacy was at St Michael’s Paris. Andrew remembers his time at St Michael’s very fondly and is looking forward to returning to explore more of the Diocese in Europe.Andrew was ordained priest in 1996. Following his curacy in Paris he became Associate Vicar at Christ Church, Clifton in the Diocese of Bristol. He worked with Archbishop Rowan Williams as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Secretary for International, Ecumenical and Anglican Communion Affairs. He was then Principal of Ridley Hall theological college from 2008 to 2016 before moving to the newly-formed Diocese of Leeds. He is author of ‘A Church Observed: being Anglican as times change’. Andrew is married to Amanda, who works for the Leprosy Mission and is a Licensed Lay Minister. They have two adult daughters.
+Robert Innes, Brussels-based Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe, has shared his Christmas video message to everyone in the Church of England's Diocese in Europe (and beyond)You can watch the video here: vimeo.com/1040714361And you can find more news from the Diocese in Europe, which stretches from Madeira to Moscow and from Tangier to Tromsø, on the latest news page of its website
On Sunday 15th December, the Revd Canon Dr Arun John was licensed as the new chaplain of St Andrew's Anglican Church in Moscow, in a service led by the Archdeacon of the Eastern Archdeaconry, the Venerable Dr Leslie Nathaniel, acting as Bishop's CommissaryCanon John, who is originally from India, where he was ordained a priest in the Church of North India in 1977, was most recently chaplain of St Nicolas Anglican Church at the British Embassy in Ankara (Diocese in Europe) and previously served in England (Dioceses of Bradford, Blackburn & Leeds), South Africa and IndiaHe was also licensed as Area Dean for Russia, meaning that he will also support the St Petersburg congregation, and the St Petersburg churchwarden, Maria Karyakina, attended the service, as did a representative from the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church RelationsThe service, streamed live on St Andrew's channel on YouTube, can be viewed here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf_hnXmOudA
