William Temple - The War-Time Archbishop

William Temple

(1881-1944)

Bishop of Manchester

Archbishop of York

Archbishop of Canterbury (1942-1944)

“ The Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of those who are not its members. ”

“ Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God.

It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness,

nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty,

opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose.

And all this gathered up in adoration

is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable."

"Personally, I want...to see women ordained to the priesthood."

"It is a great mistake to suppose that God is only,

or even chiefly, concerned with religion."

"[The unity of the Church] is in principle the consummation to which

all history moves. The purpose of God in creation was and is

to fashion a fellowship of free spirits knit together by a love

in all its members which answers to the manifested

love of God...it is the one worthy end of all human aspiration;

it is the life of heaven.

"The forms of prayer which I draw up do not contain direct prayers

for victory. I have always felt it wiser to avoid this...

if we pray as our Lord taught us, we are never praying

against each other...but that what God wants shall be done,

and that we may be used for doing it."

"In these victorious days, and in the times to come, we need more than ever before that spiritual strength which is essential to a just and enduring peace. The Church is indeed fortunate to have at this critical time a leader of your strength and understanding." (Letter of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Archbishop Temple, September, 1944 -- four days before Temple's death)