What sort of man – for man it will be – does the church need at the see of Canterbury to succeed Rowan Williams?

He should be learned but with a populist touch; a man of prayer as well as a man of action; a sensitive pastor with a hide of leather; a good manager but also a visionary leader with a servant heart; decisive yet subtle; a poet, a prelate, a star performer. In other words, he needs to be "a realised impossibility" as George Bernard Shaw said of William Temple when he was appointed to the job in 1942.

One thing we know is this. He will be a currently serving bishop. This makes it easy for editors to assemble the longlist of candidates and for punters to get the odds. To be honest, they look a dreary lot. But maybe that's also a prerequisite for high office nowadays.

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Archbishop of Canterbury • Anglican Provinces • Church of England (CoE) • CoE Bishops • * Culture-Watch • Religion & Culture • * International News & Commentary • England / UK

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