The Most Revd and Rt Hon George L Carey, 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury, has announced his plans to retire at the end of October 2002.
Enthroned as Archbishop in 1991, the Archbishop and his wife Eileen have become well-known throughout the Anglican Communion over the years, and have visited many of the 38 Provinces of the Communion and many dioceses in the Church of England.
His intentions have been conveyed to the Queen, who is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and who formally appoints an Archbishop of Canterbury. The decision will take effect on 31 October 2002.
Archbishop Carey, who is 66, said today: "By the end of October I shall have served eleven and a half years in a demanding yet wonderfully absorbing and rewarding post. I feel certain this will be the right and proper time to stand down. I look forward to exciting opportunities and challenges in the coming months, and then to fresh ones in the years that follow."
In a telephone conversation from Nigeria, the Most Revd Peter Akinola, Archbishop, spoke warmly of Dr Carey. He said, "Archbishop George has been a wonderful leader, having shown insight and sensitivity in his ministry. His concern for the unity and vibrant life of the Anglican Communion has been much appreciated."
The Most Revd. Frank T Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, spoke of his gratitude to Dr Carey. "His passion for the Gospel and dedication to the faithfulness and unity of the church, together with his insistence that the suffering world is the proper sphere of our common engagement, have made George Carey an inestimable gift to the Anglican Communion and beyond. I am deeply grateful for his ministry, together with that of his wife, Eileen, as are countless Episcopalians who have come to know and love them through their frequent visits to our shores."
The dramatic scenes of the Archbishop in Sudan, Jerusalem and Rwanda, showed an archbishop who took his role as spiritual leader of the world's 73 million Anglicans/Episcopalians very seriously. He consistently spoke of "being alongside" people in their own ministries and gave endless energy in helping the voice of the voiceless in the world to be heard.
When the Lambeth Conference 1998 opened, with Archbishop George at the helm, he was already a familiar friend and pastor to many. Since Lambeth 1998, the Archbishop has taken every opportunity possible to raise awareness and concern over matters of international debt and the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Lambeth 1998 also saw the widest participation of ecumenical representatives and partners ever.
As Primate of All England, his multi-faceted tasks brought him in contact with royalty, celebrities and the world's religious leaders. He was the first Archbishop of Canterbury to enter in procession alongside the Pope, in full episcopal regalia, during one of his several visits to Rome and the Holy Father. In Canterbury Cathedral the Archbishop, as bishop of the diocese, would welcome international congregations at the major festivals, shaking hands with the thousands present for the service. His interest in parish life was evident in his teaching missions, lasting 3 days in a given place in his diocese.
Each Christmas Eve Archbishop and Mrs Carey joined carollers in the Canterbury city centre and spoke to young children and parents along the way.
Dean Robert Willis of Canterbury issued this statement. It read: "Everyone at Canterbury Cathedral wishes the Archbishop and Mrs Carey well in their retirement. They have encouraged and supported all aspects of the work of this great church, and have clearly enjoyed taking a full part in the family life of the Cathedral. At seasons like Christmas and Easter, they have given warm hospitality in their home to members of the cathedral community, including the youngest chorister. They will be greatly missed."
Bishop Graham James, a former chaplain to the Archbishop and now Bishop of Norwich told ACNS, "George Carey's reputation as a reforming archbishop will grow as the years pass. He has led the Church of England and the Anglican Communion with courage and conviction during challenging times. We owe him much gratitude."
The multiple tasks assigned to an Archbishop of Canterbury include his presence in the House of Lords as well as a unique role in inter-faith matters.
During his archiepiscopal ministry the Church of England faced many challenges. He will leave a national church with attendance and financial giving up, as well as an increased number of people studying for the priesthood. The recovery from the losses of the Church Commissioners, and the establishing of the Archbishops' Council, were milestones. Over these past years the General Synod approved the ordination of women as priests and has produced an important document on sexuality. Common Worship was introduced in recent years and the Church of England's relationship with Baltic and Nordic Lutherans was formalised in the Porvoo Agreement. The Archbishop, following a 1996 meeting with the Pope, initiated a high-level meeting of Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops in Canada. The meeting, held in 2001, established a new commission on unity and mission that will support their ongoing work.
He has written several books and has given hundreds of sermons and addresses.
On the global pastoral side, the Archbishop came in contact with those living in dire poverty. He led prayers in a Rwandan Roman Catholic Church where the skeletons of those massacred were still in evidence, and he joined in worship with a community living in a rubbish site outside Recife, Brazil.
Archbishop Robin Eames, Primate of All Ireland, said: "Archbishop George Carey has led the Anglican Communion during a period of immense change and re-alignment for the Anglican family world-wide. "The burdens of his office have been intense as he has combined the needs of an international Church with his leadership of the Church of England. Together with his wife Eileen he has visited each part of the Anglican Communion and they have made friends in every part of the world."
Mrs Carey's leadership was seen in the way she led the Spouses Programme at the Lambeth Conference 1998. She made every effort to deal with the requests and needs that the spouses presented to her. The group included several men, a first for a Lambeth Conference gathering. On their visits, Mrs Carey is often seen bringing together members of the Mothers Union and other women's ministry workers.
As primus inter pares (first among equals), the strength of the Archbishop's leadership was much in evidence in the meetings he called of the Primates (Archbishops and Presiding Bishops) of the world communion. The bonds of affection were strengthened as Dr Carey showed firmness in his desire for unity in this growing and widely diverse Communion of Churches.
The Revd Canon John L. Peterson, Secretary General, Anglican Communion, said, "The announcement of Archbishop Carey's retirement gives many of us the opportunity to thank him for his tireless efforts on behalf of the Anglican Communion around the world. Anglicans, especially in places where the church is under persecution, have known his support, not only in statements but also in his personal visits. His many visits to the Sudan are just one example of that care and concern."
Having had the privilege of travelling on numerous pastoral visits with the Archbishop over the 11 years, Canon James Rosenthal, Director of Communications, Anglican Communion, said, "He is as comfortable with wearing gold vestments with a censer in his hand in a London Anglo-Catholic parish as he is preaching to 100,000 in the open air in the Sudan. I have seen both. His visits around the Communion have challenged Anglicans to respond to the needs of those who are voiceless in today's world. The scope of experience he and Mrs Carey have had, from royalty to the slums of Recife, has helped form a church leader that will be remembered affectionately in the years to come."
The Archbishop will join Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at events honouring her Golden Jubilee and will welcome her to Canterbury Cathedral for the Royal Maundy in Holy Week.
Archbishop Carey is expected to visit New York in several days time to preach at Trinity Church, Wall Street, and to pray at Ground Zero. A recent festival, supported by Mrs Carey, and held in Canterbury, helped raise funds for St Nicholas Orthodox Church, destroyed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in September.
Bishop Geoffrey Rowell from the Diocese in Europe said, "Although it has been widely recognised that the time was not far off when Archbishop George Carey would wish to relinquish the major burdens of his office, now that the announcement of his retirement later this year has been made we all recognise that we shall lose an Archbishop of humanity, warmth and resilience, who has worked tirelessly to encourage and sustain the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. His pastoral support has been valued by many, not least the 'traditionalist' constituency in the Church of England, and the contribution made to his ministry by Eileen Carey has been outstanding. In an often cold and hostile public climate, George Carey's ability to communicate in parishes and dioceses has been greatly appreciated, and his initiatives in building bridges between faith communities, and between them and institutions such as the World Bank, have been important and significant. Above all he has been concerned to witness, and encourage the Church to witness, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the revelation of God's truth and love which the Church exists to proclaim - and for that we give thanks."
Speaking by telephone from Hong Kong, Archbishop Peter Kwong praised Dr Carey for his "leadership and contributions to the worldwide Church and his own Province." He said, "I am sure he will go down in history as one of the greatest Archbishops of Canterbury."
Bishop Peter Lee of Virginia, USA, told ACNS, "George and Eileen Carey are at the center of a worldwide community of affection and compassion. Archbishop Carey's leadership in the worldwide Anglican Communion brought a commitment to unity, evangelism and justice. His influence will be lasting."
Archbishop and Mrs Carey have a residence in Bristol. They have 12 grandchildren and two sons and two daughters.
ACNS Special Report by Jim Rosenthal and ACNS staff reporters