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Election of the Archbishop of York
Published: on 19th July 2005 by Eleanor Course in Press Releases
The Right Reverend Dr John Sentamu will be elected as the 97th Archbishop of York by York Minster's College of Canons, in York Minster on Thursday 21 July.
The Election is one of a sequence of events leading to Dr Sentamu's Enthronement in York Minster on the 30 November 2005. His appointment as Archbishop of York was formally approved by HM the Queen on the 17 June 2005. He is currently Bishop for Birmingham.
All diocesan bishops are elected by their cathedral's college of canons, following an announcement by the Crown. This tradition dates back to the reign of King John, who, in 1214, granted cathedral chapters permission to elect their bishop, following the appointment by the King.
Nowadays, the Crown Nominations Commission (a committee of the Church of England) suggests two candidates to HM the Queen, who chooses the bishop with the advice of the Prime Minister, whose advice is based on that of the church. The election of a bishop by a college of canons gives the consent of the diocese to the Crown's decision: it is a procedure for giving legal validity to a decision that has already been taken.
At the private ceremony in the Chapter House of York Minster on 21 July, the members of the College of Canons will elect Dr Sentamu as Archbishop of York. During this meeting, the Dean of York, the Very Reverend Keith Jones, will publicly announce the outcome of the election in front of the Minster's Quire Screen, at approximately 11.30am.
This election will be confirmed on Wednesday 5th October at 5.00pm at a ceremony in the Church of St Mary-le-Bow in London, by the Archbishop of Canterbury and six senior bishops appointed by the Crown as Royal Commissioners. It is at this ceremony that Dr Sentamu becomes Archbishop of York, but his ministry in York and the north of England will not begin until after he is enthroned in York Minster on 30 November.