Soon* we shall have a new Archbishop enthroned in Canterbury Cathedral. Seldom has a new Primate of All England attracted so much attention not only in the Church, but also in what is often thought to be secular Britain.

Certainly there are circumstances about his arrival which are very unusual.

He was already an Archbishop before his appointment. He comes from a church other than the Church of England. (I think the last time that happened was when St Anselm was consecrated in 1093!) He comes to Lambeth Palace with young children - is that, I wonder, another 'first'? He has been appointed young, aged 52, which means, if he can stand the pace, that he will reign for eighteen years - no record there... Randall Davidson was Archbishop for 27 years, but he did not have to retire at 70. Dr Williams is one of the most brilliant theologians ever to mount the Canterbury throne, and at the same time can communicate with ordinary people. He is a deeply spiritual man.

Perhaps most extraordinary of all, he comes with the goodwill and even the approval of the entire British media, despite doubts expressed by some evangelicals unmoved by the assurances of their colleagues in the Church of Wales.

Whatever our expectations, we cannot know in advance what kind of an Archbishop he will be. We must await his enthronement sermon to know what is foremost in his mind. However the letter he sent to his fellow Primates in the Anglican Communion on the day of his appointment augurs well. He wrote: "An archbishop is not someone appointed to fulfil a programme or a manifesto of his own devising, but to serve the whole communion". Surely he deserves our warmest welcome and our highest hopes.

As Dr Williams prepares to take over the leadership of our Church, we should not forget the retiring Archbishop. Dr Carey has kept together the Anglican Communion in difficult times and he leaves the Church of England in better heart than when he became Archbishop, for which he deserves real thanks. Although not a charismatic leader, he has been most faithful in his ministry and friendly in his relationships. But we can confidently predict that Dr Williams's style will be different. He will be outspoken on morals and matters of faith, and he will try to bridge the growing gap between the Church and the unchurched.

+ Hugh Montefiore

* The enthronement date has now been announced - Thursday, 27 February. Ed.