Editing Canterbury (section)

== Religion ==

In 597, [[Pope Gregory the Great]] sent [[Augustine of Canterbury|Augustine]] to convert its [[Æthelberht of Kent|King Æthelberht]] to Christianity. After the conversion, Canterbury, being a Roman town, was chosen by Augustine as the centre for his [[episcopal see]] in Kent, and an abbey and cathedral were built. Augustine thus became the first [[Archbishop of Canterbury]].<ref>{{harvnb|Lyle|2002|pp=47–48}}.</ref> In 672, the [[Synod of Hertford]] gave the see of Canterbury authority over the entire English Church.<ref name="c4" /> In 978, Archbishop [[Dunstan]] refounded the abbey built by Augustine, and named it [[St Augustine's Abbey]].<ref>{{harvnb|Lyle|2002|p=53}}.</ref> In 1504 the cathedral's main tower, the Bell Harry Tower, was completed, ending 400&nbsp;years of building. [[Cardinal Wolsey]] visited in June 1518 and was given a present of fruit, nuts, and marchpane. During the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]], the city's [[priory]], [[nunnery]] and three [[friaries]] were closed. St Augustine's Abbey, the 14th richest in England at the time, was surrendered to the Crown, and its church and [[cloister]] were levelled. The rest of the abbey was dismantled over the next 15&nbsp;years, although part of the site was converted to a palace.<ref>{{harvnb|Lyle|2002|pp=97–100}}.</ref>

After the murder of the Archbishop [[Thomas Becket]] at the cathedral in 1170, Canterbury became one of the most notable towns in Europe, as pilgrims from all parts of Christendom came to visit his shrine.<ref name="Gazetteer">{{cite web |title=Descriptive Gazetteer entry for Canterbury |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/entry_page.jsp?text_id=842560&word=NULL |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022173006/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/entry_page.jsp?text_id=842560&word=NULL |archive-date=22 October 2012 |access-date=28 May 2008 |publisher=Vision of Britain}}</ref> This [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrimage]] provided the framework for [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]'s 14th-century collection of stories, ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer |url=http://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-canterbury-tales-by-geoffrey-chaucer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203075650/http://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-canterbury-tales-by-geoffrey-chaucer |archive-date=3 February 2016 |access-date=6 February 2016 |website=British Library}}</ref> [[Thomas Becket]]'s shrine in the cathedral was demolished in 1538 by [[Henry VIII|King Henry VIII]], all the gold, silver, and jewels were removed to [[the Tower of London]], and Becket's images, name and feasts were obliterated throughout the kingdom, ending the [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrimages]]. In 1620, [[Robert Cushman]] negotiated the lease of the ''[[Mayflower]]'' at 59 Palace Street for the purpose of transporting the [[Pilgrims]] to [[Americas|America]]. In 1647, during the [[English Civil War]], riots broke out when Canterbury's puritan mayor banned [[church service]]s on Christmas Day. In 1848, St Augustine's Abbey was refurbished for use as [[St Augustine's College, Canterbury|a missionary college]] for the [[Church of England]]'s representatives in the [[British Empire|British colonies]].{{sfn|Godfrey-Faussett|1878|p=29}} The extensive restoration of the cathedral that was underway in mid 2018 was part of a 2016–2021 schedule that includes replacement of the nave roof, improved landscaping and accessibility, new visitor facilities and a general external restoration.<ref>{{cite web |title=Physical Works |url=https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/heritage/the-canterbury-journey/physicalworks/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622140240/https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/heritage/the-canterbury-journey/physicalworks/ |archive-date=22 June 2018 |access-date=11 July 2018}}</ref> The so-called Canterbury Journey project was expected to cost nearly £25 million.<ref>{{cite web |date=23 June 2018 |title=Canterbury Cathedral £25 million restoration leaves it like a building site |url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/canterbury-cathedral-25-million-restoration-leaves-it-like-a-building-site-185091/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712032043/http://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/canterbury-cathedral-25-million-restoration-leaves-it-like-a-building-site-185091/ |archive-date=12 July 2018 |access-date=11 July 2018}}</ref>

[[Canterbury Cathedral]] is Mother Church of the [[Anglican Communion]] and seat of the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]. Founded in 597&nbsp;AD by [[Augustine of Canterbury|Augustine]], it forms a [[World Heritage Site]], along with Saxon [[St Martin's Church, Canterbury|St. Martin's Church]] and the ruins of [[St Augustine's Abbey]].  The cathedral receives a million visitors annually and is one of the most visited places in the country. [[Church service|Services]] are held three or more times a day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canterbury Cathedral |url=http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/index.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615061813/http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/index.aspx |archive-date=15 June 2008 |access-date=30 May 2008 |publisher=Canterbury Cathedral}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=3 October 2006 |title=Crumbling cathedral 'needs £50m' |work=BBC News |url=http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/index.aspx |url-status=dead |access-date=30 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615061813/http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/index.aspx |archive-date=15 June 2008}}</ref>

[[St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Canterbury|St Thomas of Canterbury Church]] is the only [[Roman Catholic]] church in the city and contains [[relics]] of [[Thomas Becket]].<ref name="stock">[http://taking-stock.org.uk/Home/Dioceses/Archdiocese-of-Southwark/Canterbury-St-Thomas-of-Canterbury/ Canterbury – St Thomas of Canterbury] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204204413/http://taking-stock.org.uk/Home/Dioceses/Archdiocese-of-Southwark/Canterbury-St-Thomas-of-Canterbury/|date=4 February 2016}} from [[English Heritage]], retrieved 29 January 2016</ref>
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The [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] is the [[primate (bishop)|primate]] of the [[Church of England]] and the worldwide [[Anglican Communion]] owing to the importance of [[Augustine of Canterbury|St Augustine]], who served as the [[apostle]] to the [[Anglo-Saxon paganism|pagan]] [[Kingdom of Kent]] around the turn of the 7th century. The city's [[Canterbury Cathedral|cathedral]] became a major focus of [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrimage]] following the 1170 [[Martyr of the Faith|martyrdom]] of [[Thomas Becket]], although it had already been a well-trodden pilgrim destination since the murder of [[St Alphege]] by the men of [[King Canute]] in 1012. A journey of pilgrims to Becket's shrine served as the [[narrative frame|frame]] for [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]'s 14th-century [[Western canon|classic]] ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]''.-->

<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
File:Augustine Abbey.jpg|St. Augustine's Abbey gateway
File:Staugustinescanterburyrotundanaveandcathedral (square).jpg|St. Augustine's Abbey
File:Canterbury Cathedral from the cloisters.jpg|[[Canterbury Cathedral]]
File:Canterbury Cathedral altar 8.jpg|Canterbury Cathedral
File:Christchurch Gate, Canterbury Cathedral.tif|Christchurch Gate, Canterbury Cathedral
</gallery>