A TEN YEAR WAIT..

It`s a big day here in deepest Kent with the inauguration (if that`s the right word) of Justin Welby as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.   There will be much pomp, circumstance, ceremony and symbolism in the proceedings  this afternoon in Canterbury Cathedral.   But perhaps not quite as much as at the Vatican just a few days ago when Pope Francis accepted the job.

There are a couple of ironies here though.   The first is that you wait ten years for this kind of pageant and then two come along at pretty much the same time. The other more important one is that Justin Welby`s ceremony of `enthronement` will be performed by a Venerable lady Archdeacon of Canterbury Cathedral, Sheila Watson, but still the Archbishop will not be the head of the Church of England, which role is, of course, for Her Majesty the Queen.  Fid def and all that.

So we end up with an Archbishop enthroned by a woman to a Church headed by another woman but yet women are still not permitted to become bishops of the same church.  For a cynic like me, the antics of these religious organisations grow ever curiouser and curiouser.  Maybe Justin will bring a change and an end to at least this inequality but I suspect he may be in for a bumpy ride.   Hold very tight, please.  Ding, ding.