Carey confirms he will step down

The Archbishop of Canterbury today announced his retirement after more than a decade as spiritual leader of the Church of England and the world's 70 million Anglicans.

George Carey, 66, who will go on 31 October, will be remembered as the architect of the first ordination of women priests in 1994, and for his attempts to heal the subsequent bitter divisions within the Church.

He also presided over moves to establish closer ties with other Christian denominations and restore the appeal of a Church that has seen congregations shrink in recent decades.

Dr Carey, who became the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury in 1991, said: "By the end of October I shall have served 11 and a half years in a demanding yet wonderfully absorbing and rewarding post. I feel certain this will be the right and proper time to stand down. I look forward to exciting opportunities and challenges in the coming months, and then to fresh ones in the years that follow."

In 2000 it was reported that the Queen had asked him to delay his retirement until at least 2003 so that he could oversee the spiritual side of celebrations of her 50th anniversary on the throne this year.

He could have stayed in the job another four years until the compulsory retirement age of 70, but he had hinted, in a documentary made five years ago, that he would retire earlier than this, saying the job was fulfilling but tiring. Among the tributes being paid to Dr Carey today was one from the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres - a leading contender to succeed him - who said: "He has never flagged in energy and commitment. He has continued to develop his teaching and ministry while in office and deserves the affection and thanks of all loyal Anglicans."

The leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, praised Dr Carey's "immense integrity, zeal and courage". He said they were " good friends" and that he "appreciated very much our collaboration in ecumenical endeavour".

The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, paid tribute to the Archbishop's "pioneering" work in building a relationship between Islam and Christianity.

" He has worked to encourage greater confidence in the Church of England," he said. "He has taken every opportunity to make it mission-minded in its engagement with contemporary culture.

"In his world-wide role, his appreciation of the importance of Islam must be, in light of recent events, seen as prophetic. The establishment of dialogue with different traditions in Islam is nothing short of pioneering."

He praised the Archbishop's support for Jubilee 2000, the development initiative with the World Bank, which " demonstrated his interest in the world's poor", and he added: "His wife, Eileen, has been constantly at his side. I am sure both have still more to give."

A number of possible successors have been mentioned and a tough fight is anticipated between the liberal and conservative wings of the Church.

The Crown Appointments Commission - made up of archbishops, lay and elected members as well as government appointees - is expected to cut the shortlist to two. Prime Minister Tony Blair will then convey his choice to the Queen for her formal approval.