The is a diocese of the
Church Of England covering eastern
Kent . Centered on (and named for)
Canterbury Cathedral , it is the oldest
See in the church, dating to a foundation by
St. Augustine Of Canterbury in
597 .
The diocesan bishop is the
Archbishop Of Canterbury ; but because of his roles as Metropolitan of the
Province Of Canterbury ,
Primate of All England, and worldwide head of the
Anglican Communion , the archbishop (whose primary residence, moreover, is at
Lambeth Palace in
London ) is often away. Hence one of his suffragan bishops, the
Suffragan Bishop Of Dover , is given the additional title of "Bishop in Canterbury" and in many ways empowered to act almost as if he were the diocesan bishop. Another diocesan suffragan bishop is the Suffragan Bishop of Maidstone. (Two further suffragans with titular cities located in the dicoese — Ebbsfleet and Richborough — are really
Provincial Episcopal Visitor s with a focus more wide-ranging than the local diocese.)
For organizational purposes, the diocese is divided into sixteen ,
Cranbrook ,
Dover ,
East Bridge ,
Ashford ,
Elham ,
Maidstone ,
North Downs ,
Romney ,
Ospringe ,
Reculver ,
Sandwich ,
Sittingbourne ,
Tenterden ,
Thanet and
West Bridge .
