Dr John Sentamu, who served from 2005 to 2020 as the 97th Archbishop of York, is to receive a life Peerage from HM The Queen, it was announced today from 10 Downing Street.
Dr Sentamu’s is one of four ‘Crossbench’ peerages, with no political party allegiance.
The present Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell said: “I’m delighted that Archbishop Sentamu is to return to the House of Lords. His voice in our national life during his time as Archbishop and before has been so significant. It is a voice for justice, for peace, for reconciliation, and of course for the Christian faith. I’m delighted it will be heard again in the House of Lords. It is richly deserved.”
In office, Archbishop Sentamu’s priorities included the renewal of discipleship in the church, advocacy for the poor and the need for a living wage, investment in young people and equipping the church to rediscover its confidence in talking about Jesus. Combined with this have been public acts which have sought to draw attention to injustice and highlight its remedies. From December 2015 for six months he walked the length and breadth of the Diocese of York on a ‘pilgrimage of prayer, witness, and blessing’ sharing the Gospel with all he met.
Dr Sentamu and his wife Margaret now live in the North East.
