The election of Justin Welby as the 105th archbishop of Canterbury was confirmed today at a service in St Paul's Cathedral.

The 75-minute service is part of the legal process by which an incoming archbishop of Canterbury takes office. It was attended by the bishops of
London, Norwich, Leicester, Lincoln, Rochester, Worcester, Salisbury and Winchester. Archbishop Welby will be officially installed in Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March.

During the service the archbishop-elect knelt before a line of church and royal officials to affirm his commitment to the Church, the Crown and canon law.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, urged Arcbishop Welby to stand up for Christian values in the face of increasing secularisation. In his
closing comments he urged him to "ensure the Christian voice is heard and respected in public discourse and debate" and in his sermon called on him to
proclaim the Gospel in a way that was "urgent, patient and relevant".

After the service, Archbishop Welby, a member of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, attended a reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of London with his wife Caroline. He gave a toast, in which he said he was not "throwing stones at the City" but said the financial services industry and banking sector needed to be "ethical and profitable, innovative and safe".

Above: Justin Welby gives his first blessing as Archbishop of Canterbury at the close of today's service in St Paul's Cathedral. CNS photo/Toby Melville, Reuters