Robert Runcie

Robert Runcie (born Oct. 2, 1921, Liverpool, Eng.—died July 11, 2000, St. Albans, Hertfordshire) was the archbishop of Canterbury and titular head of the Anglican Communion from 1980 to 1991.

Runcie attended a Scottish local council school and Merchant Taylors’ School in Crosby before entering Brasenose College, Oxford. His education was interrupted after one year by the outbreak of World War II, during which he became a tank officer in the Scots Guards. After the war, he returned to Oxford, took a first-class honours degree, and was ordained in 1951. He held a number of mostly academic positions before becoming bishop of St. Albans in 1970. He was cochairman of the Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Commission (1973–80).

As archbishop of Canterbury, Runcie often attracted controversy for his outspoken and liberal views, though his humour and intelligence made him a popular figure. He officiated at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer but was openly critical of the royal couple, and he often criticized the British government for its stance on such issues as nuclear arms and the treatment of the country’s poor. In 1982 he drew ire after calling for reconciliation with Argentina following Britian’s victory in the Falklands War. Though his efforts to create greater unity between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches were largely unsuccessful, he conferred with Pope John Paul II on several occasions. His publications include Seasons of the Spirit (1983), One Light for One World (1988), and The Unity We Seek (1989). Runcie was created a life peer in 1991.