Dr John Sentamu today completed a remarkable journey which has led him from Idi Amin's Uganda to the heart of British society when he became the Church of England's first black archbishop.

The ceremony to confirm Dr Sentamu as the 97th Archbishop of York was held at St Mary-le-Bow, the historic church in the City of London whose famous bells define "true" cockneys.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, spoke in his address of the weight of expectation on Dr Sentamu.

He said that the church’s bishops and others would pray for the Archbishop “regularly and deeply that the burden [of his new office] does not become intolerable, that it does not begin to crush the child of God that you are.”

The event marks the start of Dr Sentamu’s reign as Archbishop of York although he will not begin public ministry in the post until he is enthroned in York Minster on November 30.

Dr Sentamu, a former High Court judge who fled after criticising the Ugandan dictatorship in 1974 and trained for the priesthood at Cambridge, rose to prominence if the CofE for his outspoken mission to eradicate racism from the church and society.

As Bishop of Stepney in South London, he was adviser to the Lawrence inquiry from 1997 to 1999 and he chaired the Damilola Taylor review in 2002.

He moved to become Bishop of Birmingham in 2002 where he became a prominent campaigner against gun crime, in one famous incident giving out his home telephone number so witnesses to the killing of two teenage girls could get in touch, and receiving 200 calls.

His appointment to the position was agreed by Downing Street in July despite his vehement opposition to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, which he denounced as having "no moral basis".

On his appointment he said that it was imperative for the Church of England to regain its confidence and vision: "We need to reconnect, we just need to revitalise ourselves, we just need a fresh vision.

"This has been true of all churches throughout history, that a time comes when there is an ebb and flow and at one particular point you are in a trough.''

His appointment is being seen as an indication of the church's desire to bridge the divide between the liberal, Western Church and the conservative evangelical bishops of the so-called Global South. He has called for reconciliation in the rows over gay priests and women bishops which have brought the Church close to schism.

It is also a sign that the Church is moving on from a heritage of institutional racism, illustrated by the paucity of non-white people in senior posts.

Dr Sentamu , 56, born the sixth of 13 children near Kampala is married with two children. He is taking over from David Hope, who resigned as Archbishop of York in February to take up a post as an ordinary parish priest.

By folklore, to be a true cockney you must have been born within earshot of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow, off Cheapside, a Christopher Wren designed church was built in 1673 following the Fire of London.

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