Editing Anglicanism (section)

===Archbishop of Canterbury===
[[File:Archbishcantarms.PNG|thumb|The [[coat of arms]] of the [[episcopal see]] of Canterbury]]
The [[archbishop of Canterbury]] has a precedence of honour over the other primates of the Anglican Communion, and for a province to be considered a part of the communion means specifically to be in full communion with the [[episcopal see|see]] of [[Province of Canterbury|Canterbury]] – though this principle is currently subject to considerable debate, especially among those in the so-called Global South, including American Anglicans.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Achim |first1=Maseko |title=Church Schism & Corruption |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gC93bLKtMqMC&q=The+Archbishop+of+Canterbury+has+a+precedence+of+honour+over+the+other+primates+of+the+Anglican+Communion&pg=PA199 |publisher=Lulu |isbn=978-1-4092-2186-9 |access-date=22 January 2020 |archive-date=21 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221122726/https://books.google.com/books?id=gC93bLKtMqMC&q=The+Archbishop+of+Canterbury+has+a+precedence+of+honour+over+the+other+primates+of+the+Anglican+Communion&pg=PA199#v=snippet&q=The%20Archbishop%20of%20Canterbury%20has%20a%20precedence%20of%20honour%20over%20the%20other%20primates%20of%20the%20Anglican%20Communion&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> The archbishop is, therefore, recognised as {{lang|la|[[primus inter pares]]}} ("first amongst equals"), even though he does not exercise any direct authority in any [[province (Anglican)|province]] outside England, of which he is chief primate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Archbishop of Canterbury |url=https://www.anglicancommunion.org/structures/instruments-of-communion/archbishop-of-canterbury.aspx |website=Anglican Communion |access-date=31 July 2021 |archive-date=28 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228161920/https://www.anglicancommunion.org/structures/instruments-of-communion/archbishop-of-canterbury.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tominey |first1=Camilla |title=Archbishop of Canterbury has been secretly volunteering in lockdown – as chaplain at St Thomas's Hospital |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/12/archbishop-canterbury-has-secretly-volunteering-lockdown-as/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/12/archbishop-canterbury-has-secretly-volunteering-lockdown-as/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=31 July 2021 |work=The Telegraph |date=12 May 2020 |quote=the primate of all England and the head primus inter pares of the worldwide Anglican Communion}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[Rowan Williams]], the archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012, was the first archbishop appointed from outside the Church of England since the Reformation: he was formerly the [[archbishop of Wales]].

As "spiritual head" of the communion, the archbishop of Canterbury maintains a certain [[moral authority]] and has the right to determine which churches will be in communion with his [[Episcopal see|see]]. He hosts and chairs the [[Lambeth Conference]]s of Anglican Communion bishops and decides who will be invited to them. He also hosts and chairs the [[Anglican Communion Primates' Meeting]] and is responsible for the invitations to it. He acts as president of the secretariat of the Anglican Communion Office and its deliberative body, the [[Anglican Consultative Council]].