He returned to St John’s College, Cambridge, where he studied and later taught. But this time the university welcomed him not as a student but as the successor of George Carey and as the new archbishop of Canterbury. He’s Rowan Williams, aged 52, Welshman, currently the much-loved bishop of the diocese of Monmouth, designated by prime minister Tony Blair at the end of July as leader of the Anglican Communion. He will officially assume the post on the day of his official election on 2 December. Rowan Williams, who has an extensive theological formation, gave a lecture in Cambridge in which he spoke of the role of the laity and the mission entrusted to them to “transfigure the world” at all levels, from the situations of daily life to politics. “The world said Williams has a need for people dedicated to this transformation”.
