It is with great joy that I join with the congregation of the Church of England in Seychelles to congratulate Bishop of Durham Justin Welby on his appointment as the new  Archbishop of Canterbury.

We pray for God’s grace and guidance to help him meet his new responsibilities. As the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church he faces the many challenges of our fast-changing world.  That is why we are always thankful to people like Archbishop Welby who dedicate their lives to giving hope to people, alleviating our sorrows and caring for our souls.

As we welcome the new head of the Church of England, I take this opportunity to also wish the outgoing archbishop, the Most Reverend Dr Rowan Williams, success in his new mission.

We pray for the Right Reverend James Wong, the Bishop of Seychelles, and his congregation for their noble work of leading our community towards a life of goodness.