JOHN Sentamu has become the 97th Archbishop of York, charged with the heavy burden of "persuading us in the Church of England that change really is possible", in the words of Rowan Williams. But we should be confident he will take the responsibility in his stride.
Dr Sentamu has faced much sterner tests in his remarkable past. This was a man with the courage and audacity to publicly condemn the despotic Ugandan regime of Idi Amin.
The new Archbishop's burning sense of justice blazes as strongly today, as his outspoken words about racism within the Church and beyond testify. Few topics seem to be out of bounds to this candid priest: even the takeover of Manchester United attracted clerical censure.
In many ways, Dr Sentamu could not be more different to his predecessor David Hope. But both are men of the people. York and the Church are fortunate to have another communicator moving in to Bishopthorpe Palace.
Updated: 09:29 Thursday, October 06, 2005
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