Arch outsiders don’t stand a chance with the Bishopburo

A small piece of constitutional history is being made this year and no one seems to have noticed. Before 2012 is out the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury will be named and, for the first time, the choice will be made entirely by the Church of England. Actually, in the great sweep of things, it’s rather a big deal.

Since the Reformation, the post has been in the gift of the monarch – or in effect, in modern times, the prime minister. For nearly a millennium before that, the Pope had to approve the appointment, and frequently said no. Think of all the blood spilt along the way: Thomas Becket murdered in the cathedral, Simon of Sudbury killed by the peasants, Thomas Cranmer incinerated by Bloody Mary, William Laud beheaded . . .

And now an obscure 16-member commission will sit down – probably, it being the Church, over tea and biscuits with a small sherry to follow – and will name the successor to Rowan Williams, who resigned last week or, to put it another way, ran out screaming to the sanctuary of Cambridge university. Keep reading