Archbishop: A Year in the Life of Archbishop of Canterbury, George L. Carey

On April 19, 1991 George Carey became the Archbishop of Canterbury, the 103rd man to occupy that venerable position. At the same time, he assumed leadership of 70 million Anglicans worldwide. Carey is notable for being the first Archbishop to rise from the ranks of the working class, specifically the cockney section of London. Archbishop offers a video diary of Carey's round of duties in 1996, very much a modern ministry, complete with hectic schedules, media appearances, and sound bites. Carey describes how he wrestles with the prickly issues of church doctrine on homosexuality and the ordination of women priests, travels to Africa where he meets Nelson Mandela and outgoing Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and ministers to the royal family (he describes the vexing problem of Prince Charles and Diana's recent divorce, but the video itself was obviously complete before Diana's untimely death in August 1997, since there is no mention of it.) On the personal side, the video shows Carey as a loving father, grandfather, and husband, a man who enjoys watching soccer on the telly and learning French in his spare time. The filmmakers seem to have had unlimited access to Carey, showing him at home, performing mass, and greeting celebrities, friends, and well-wishers. Overall, he comes across as a likable man who copes with the stresses of work with the help of his "rock solid" faith in God and a natural love of people. This surprisingly entertaining video is recommended for popular religion and biography collections. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)