Justin Welby to visit Zambia, South Africa and Mauritius this week
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby arrived in Zambia today for a week of visits to fellow primates in the Anglican provinces of Central and Southern Africa.
The visits, which form part of Archbishop Justin’s commitment to visit every primate in the Anglican Communion during his first 18 months in office, will focus on spending time with church leaders and communities and seeing the work of Anglican churches in their local context. He will be accompanied throughout the visits by his wife, Caroline.
This morning the Archbishop arrived in the Zambian capital of Lusaka, where he will spend two days as a guest of the Archbishop of Central Africa and Bishop of Northern Zambia, Albert Chama. This evening he will address Anglicans in Lusaka at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Tomorrow Archbishop Justin will travel with Archbishop Albert to Central Zambia, where he will be meet local Christians and preach at Kitwe’s St Michael and All Angels Anglican Cathedral.
On Wednesday the Archbishop will travel to South Africa, where he will be staying with the Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba.
During three days in the country Archbishop Justin will visit Alexandra township outside Johannesburg, where Nelson Mandela lived in 1941. The Archbishop will address the congregation St Michael and All Angels Church, before performing the Walk of Witness to the Mandela First residence in Johannesburg. He will also address the Anglican Ablaze conference in Brynston, and meet with a local Anglican youth group.
For the final leg of the visit, on Friday the Archbishop will travel to Mauritius to stay with the Primate of the Indian Ocean, Archbishop Ian Ernest.
The Archbishop will visit a new Anglican-run hostel for people with mental health issues, the first of its kind in the country. He will also attend 160th anniversary celebrations at St James’ Anglican Cathedral, where he will preach in French at a service to be attended by the President, the Prime Minister, and members of the Chemin Neuf community.