CONFIRMED: JUSTIN WELBY FOR ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

 

Sources have confirmed that the Eton-educated bishop will be announced as successor to Dr Rowan Williams as early as Friday, after the Crown Nominations Commission put his name forward to Downing Street. 

It marks a meteoric rise for the former oil executive who has been a bishop for only a year, but insiders described Welby as "the outstanding candidate".

The bookies and Ruth Gledhill were right.

Bishop Welby supports women bishops, but so far as I can discern, he probably does not favor either same-sex marriage or gay bishops.

UPDATE FROM THE BBC:

In a pastoral letter to his diocese on the issue he wrote how he was "committed to and believes in the ordination of women as bishops".

He has been less forthright about his views on homosexuality. While he has rigorously defended the Church's right to oppose single-sex marriages, he has also been keen to accommodate opposing views expressed from a position of deeply held faith.

BREAKING...MAY EVEN BE TRUE

Ruth Gledhill in the Times says:

Speculation grew tonight that the Bishop of Durham Justin Welby is about to be unveiled as the next Archbishop of Canterbury after a leading bookmaker suspended betting on the race.

Well, if the bookies and Ruth don't know, who does?

H/T to Ann Fontaine at The Lead.

Just a little something to take your mind off the election. Whew! I need a break.

RUTH GLEDHILL SAYS RUMORS ARE LIKELY TRUE

In the comments, Lapin notes that Ruth Gledhill believes the rumors about Archbishop Rowan Williams' resignation are likely true, because Lambeth Palace did not issue a denial but said only that the palace will not comment. You can listen to the BBC interview with Gledhill this past Sunday on BBC Radio for only a few days more. Gledhill bravely speculates on who will be named to replace Rowan. She says Abp. John Sentamu of York is very popular.

UPDATE: On the other hand, Bishop Dan Martins of the Diocese of Springfield reports on his blog, Confessions of a Carioca, from Quito, Ecuador, where the Episcopal Church House of Bishops just completed their semi-annual meeting:

It's not often that I indulge in news mongering, but my ears perked up this afternoon when the Bishop of Bath & Well, a guest of this meeting of the HoB, brought his greetings to the house.

First, he addressed the rumor, first appearing in the British press a week or so ago, that Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will have resigned within a year's time in order to return to academia. This, Bishop Price told us, will not happen. He told us this emphatically, and without a hint of doubt. One might be forgiven for inferring that he had some inside information.

The word from Bishop Price.