The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury and metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury. By virtue of their office the archbishop is also a Lord Spiritual, one of the 26 Church of England bishops who sit in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The office has been vacant since 7 January 2025 following the resignation of Justin Welby, the 105th archbishop.