“Pastorally, you meet people, sit across the room with them, talk to them… and your heart goes out to them.”

When asked whether he believes the church’s current position is unstable, he repeated: “We’re in the middle of a prolonged period of disagreement and conversation, and therefore by definition it is unstable.”

At this difficult moment we affirm again the significant ecumenical progress which has been made in the decades since the Second Vatican Council and the development of firm and lasting friendships between our communities. We rejoice in these bonds of affection and will do all we can to strengthen them and seek together to witness to the Gospel in our society.

Last year saw the publication of Justin Welby: The Road to Canterbury by Andrew Atherstone. The first biography of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, the book was researched and written in 10 weeks – starting on the day Welby’s nomination was announced in November 2012 - and published in time for Welby’s enthronement in March 2013.

Despite having recently asserted that Britain is ‘a Christian country’ and talking about the role religion can play in ‘helping people to have a moral code’, he failed to back the bakery.

At Prime Minister’s Questions this week, rather than defending Mr McArthur’s religious freedom, Mr Cameron lamely said that ‘tolerance and equality was a very important part of being British’.