(NYT) London — The archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, the spiritual head of the world’s Anglicans, announced on Friday that he will step down at the end of the year to take the position of Master of Magdalene College at Cambridge University.
Under church protocols, a statement from his office said, he has informed Queen Elizabeth II of his decision. The queen, as the head of the Church of England, formally appoints the archbishop.