Although the archbishop of Canterbury—the highest office in the Church of England—is Protestant and has been for centuries, the role was originally formed as part of the Roman Catholic Church. The position was established in 597 ce, when St. Augustine of Canterbury was sent by Pope Gregory I to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. The archbishopric remained Roman Catholic until the English Reformation in the 16th century, when the Church of England separated from papal authority and became Protestant.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style