The Archbishop of Canterbury has said he is perfectly happy to see Anglicans convert to Catholicism.

In an interview with The Spectator, Archbishop Justin Welby was asked about the number of Anglican clergy becoming Catholic. Some estimates, the article said, suggested that one in 10 Catholic priests in England and Wales were former Anglican vicars.

“Who cares?” Archbishop Welby replied. “I don’t mind about all that. Particularly if people go to Rome, which is such a source of inspiration.”

He explained: “I had an email from a very old friend, an Anglican priest who has decided to go to Rome. I wrote back saying: how wonderful! As long as you are following your vocation, you are following Christ. It’s just wonderful.