Editing Church of England (section)

===Primates===
[[File:Official_portrait_of_The_Lord_Archbishop_of_Canterbury_crop_2.jpg|thumb|233x233px|[[Justin Welby]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] from February 2013 to January 2025]]
The most senior bishop of the Church of England is the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], who is the [[Metropolitan bishop|metropolitan]] of the southern province of England, the Province of Canterbury. He has the status of Primate of All England. He is the focus of unity for the worldwide Anglican Communion of independent national or regional churches. [[Justin Welby]] was the most recent Archbishop of Canterbury, from 4 February 2013 to his resignation effective on 6 January 2025.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/justin-welby-archbishop-canterbury-resigns-bishop-staff-b2674734.html|title=Justin Welby lays down archbishop's staff as Church of England urged to undergo 'complete reform'|work=The Independent|date=2026-01-06}}</ref>

The second most senior bishop is the [[Archbishop of York]], who is the metropolitan of the northern province of England, the Province of York. For historical reasons (relating to the time of York's control by the [[Danelaw|Danes]])<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Ancient See of York}}</ref> he is referred to as the Primate of England. [[Stephen Cottrell]] became Archbishop of York in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stephen Cottrell's biography |url=https://www.archbishopofyork.org/archbishop-york/stephen-cottrells-biography |website=The Archbishop of York |access-date=19 March 2021}}</ref> The [[Bishop of London]], the [[Bishop of Durham]] and the [[Bishop of Winchester]] are ranked in the next three positions, insofar as the holders of those sees automatically become members of the [[House of Lords]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/41-42/68/section/5/enacted
|title=Bishoprics Act 1878, s. 5|publisher=Legislation.gov.uk |access-date=21 June 2021}}</ref>{{efn|The bishops are named in this order in the section.}}