The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby. Photo:  PA WireThe Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby. Photo:  PA Wire

The Archbishop of Canterbury has been diagnosed with pneumonia after being forced to pull out of his Christmas Day sermon through illness, Lambeth Palace said yesterday.

The Most Rev. Justin Welby, who represents the Church of England, missed the annual Canterbury Cathedral service after being unwell for several days with what was thought at the time to be a “severe cold”.

However, Lambeth Palace tweeted yesterday: “Just to confirm the Archbishop of Canterbury @JustinWelby has pneumonia & is resting at home. Thanks for all your prayers & good wishes.”

The Archbishop had been due to talk at the cathedral about how the true spirit of Christmas cannot be captured in fairytale endings, using the example of the First World War Christmas truce in 1914.

Yesterday, he was taking bed rest at home, but was still able to send out a Boxing Day tweet from @JustinWelby, saying: “St Stephens day, may we pray for those in deep suffering for their faith, and, like Stephen, for their persecutors.”

According to NHS Choices, pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs most commonly caused by a bacterial infection. Symptoms include a phlegmy cough, a fever and difficulty breathing and it can need hospital treatment in extreme cases. It is usually treated with antibiotics and bed rest.

Archbishop had been unwell for several days

The Church of England recently appointed its first female bishop, overturning centuries of tradition in a Church that has been deeply divided over the issue.

After long and heated debate, the Church of England governing Synod voted in July to allow women to become bishops and formally adopted legislation last month. Women have served as priests in the Church since 1994, a decision that prompted some 470 male priests to leave in protest, many for the Roman Catholic Church.

The issue of women bishops has caused internal division ever since the Synod first approved female priests. It has pitted reformers, keen to project a more modern image of the Church as it struggles with falling congregations in many increasingly secular countries, against a conservative minority which says the change contradicts the Bible.

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