15
September 1972 A.D. Geoffrey
Francis Fisher—99th of 105 Archbishops of Canterbury
Editors.
“Geoffrey Francis Fisher.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 5 Nov 2013. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/208642/Geoffrey-Francis-Fisher-Baron-Fisher-of-Lambeth. Accessed 12 Jun 2014.
Geoffrey
Francis Fisher, Baron Fisher of Lambeth, (born May 5, 1887, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, Eng.—died Sept.
15, 1972, Sherborne, Dorset), 99th archbishop of
Canterbury (1945–61).
The son, grandson,
and great-grandson of Anglican rectors of Higham-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire, the young Fisher attended
Exeter College, Oxford (1906–11), and the Wells Theological College, becoming a
deacon in 1912 and a priest in 1913. He became headmaster at Repton School
(1914–32), bishop of Chester (1932–39), and then bishop of London (1939–45) at
the outset of World War II. The bombings, evacuations, and general
disorganizations of parish life were severe challenges, and Fisher organized a
multidenominational reconstruction committee and headed a war-damage committee.
He also associated himself with the Sword of the Spirit movement, seeking
cooperation between the Roman Catholic
Church and other churches. His administrative and
organizational skills led to his appointment as archbishop of Canterbury on
Jan. 2, 1945.
Fisher conducted
the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey in June 1953. Over the years he engaged himself in many political and
social issues of his time and was especially associated with efforts to bring
the Church of England and the so-called Free Churches into closer association. His visit to Pope
John XXIII in December 1960 revolutionized the atmosphere of relations between the Church of England and Rome. He also traveled widely around the globe, to Africa, Asia,
Australia and New Zealand, and North America. He resigned on Jan. 17, 1961, and
was concurrently made a life peer as Baron Fisher of Lambeth.
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