Archbishop of York Has Prostate Cancer Surgery

Archbishop of York John Sentamu, the second most senior cleric in the Church of England, says he has undergone surgery for prostate cancer.

Sentamu says he had an operation Thursday for "locally advanced" cancer of the prostate.

The 63-year-old archbishop said he would "be out of action for some time" but looked forward to resuming work.

Uganda-born Sentamu is one of the best-known and most popular figures in the English church.

In 2007 he cut up his clerical collar on live television to protest Robert Mugabe's rule in Zimbabwe, and he once camped inside his cathedral for a week without food in solidarity with those who had suffered in the Middle East conflict.

But he has been criticized by liberals for his opposition to gay marriage.