First Black Archbishop Vows to Speak Out on Justice

|PIC1|The Church of England’s first black Archbishop, Dr John Sentamu, vowed to speak out on issues of justice after he was confirmed as Archbishop of York at a special ceremony in London yesterday.

Dr Sentamu, 56, has been at the forefront of efforts to end institutional racism in the UK and has criticised the Church of England on being slow to welcome blacks into the Church.

The new Archbishop of York called upon fellow Christians yesterday to spread gospel values through “words and actions”, reported the Telegraph.

“Together we can help people of all kinds to respond to God’s invitation in Jesus Christ,” he said after the service yesterday in the City of London’s St Mary-le-Bow church.

Dr Sentamu told the Guardian yesterday that he also saw no problem in consecrating women as bishops if the Church of England eventually permitted him to do so.

“No, I don’t see any obstacle to my doing it. I will do what the church feels is right. How can you say, unless you just concentrate on the gender question, that women cannot be bishops? I cannot logically see that is sustainable.”

Dr Sentamu said the Church of England must reconnect with England: “There is such a wealth of tradition, the relationship between Christianity and social order, we are all part of the same society.”

He added: “The whole question of social integration, social justice, must go hand in hand with creating a fraternal society. If we are friends, the chances are that we will help and support one another. That is at the heart of the Christian faith.”|TOP|

Dr Sentamu’s confirmation as Archbishop of York was legally ratified by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and six senior bishops, or “Royal Commissioners”, as well as a band of lawyers in their traditional of wigs.

A congregation which included his wife Margaret and their children, Grace, 30, and Geoffrey, 25, looked on as the Ugandan-born Sentamu was granted the “rights, dignities, honours, privileges and appurtenances” of the post of Lord Archbishop of York, Primate of England and Metropolitan.

Dr Sentamu was educated in Uganda and later became a judge and outspoken critic of the notorious regime under Idi Amin before fleeing to the UK in 1974.

The new Archbishop of York will not take up his public ministry until his enthronement in York on 30 November.