C of E may need to rethink archbishop of Canterbury role, senior cleric says

Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York, said he would welcome a woman taking over from Justin Welby as leader of the Church of England. Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

The Church of England may need to rethink the role of archbishop of Canterbury after its “unprecedented crisis” over an abuse cover-up, Justin Welby’s second-in-command has said.

In an interview with the Guardian, Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York, said he would welcome a woman taking over from Welby. But he warned that the responsibilities of the job may need to be shared more widely in future.