Archbishop urges sense of community

The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged people to work at being a community in his New Year message.

In his annual speech, televised on New Year’s Day from his residence at Lambeth Palace, the Most Reverend Justin Welby drew on themes of community and encouraged people to “approach this new year in a spirit of openness”.

The Archbishop - principal leader of the Church of England - said we must find common values and a common vision with those around us.

He said: “We’re wonderfully much more diverse than we used to be.

“Yet we disagree on many things. And we are struggling with how to disagree well.

“Turn on the television, read the news, and you see a lot that could tempt you to despair.

“Hope lies in our capacity to approach this new year in a spirit of openness towards each other.

“Committed to discovering more of what it means to be citizens together, even amid great challenges and changes.

“That will involve choosing to see ourselves as neighbours, as fellow citizens, as communities each with something to contribute.

“It will mean gathering around our common values, a common vision, and a commitment to one another.

“With the struggles and divisions of recent years, that will not be easy.

“But that difficult work is part of the joy and blessing of being a community.

“I wish all of us a happy and - more importantly - hope-filled New Year”