The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has paid tribute to outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May following her announcement on Friday that she would be standing down on 7th June.
In a statement released on Friday, the Archbishop, who is the senior bishop of the Church of England and the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, said May had shown “determination, resilience and a sense of public duty that has never wavered” during the past three years of “profound change and uncertainty” in the country.
“That is a service to us all that deserves our admiration and gratitude,” he said.
Welby called for prayer for May and her husband Philip and for a “smooth transition” into new leadership.
“Every day in churches across the country, we pray for our political leaders,” he said. “We pray that they be guided and strengthened in wise leadership that strives for the common good. We pray too for their protection, safety and wellbeing in the roles they take on for the benefit of our communities and our nation. We also pray for their families who with them carry the burden that being in public life brings.”
Welby said that in such “critical times”, “people of faith should commit to pray for all those who lead, all those who are led, and work together with all of goodwill, especially for those who are vulnerable and on the margins”
“As Christians we pray that our society would be shaped around Christ’s hope-filled vision of abundant life for every person.”
