Church panel under pressure to name new Anglican leader

A secretive group choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the world's 80 million Anglicans, is under pressure to break a deadlock in their talks and reach a decision, nearly a month after an announcement was expected.

The choice of the next head of the worldwide Anglican Communion comes at critical time for a church threatened by a rise in secularism and long-running divisions over senior women clergy and homosexuality.

The 105th Archbishop of Canterbury will have to contend with the risk of a schism over sex and sexuality. Liberal church leaders in the United States and Britain are at odds with more conservative figures in places such as Africa. Read more