The Archbishop of Canterbury has shared a prayer for racial justice and equality in the church and in the nation.

The Most Reverend Justin Welby wrote the prayer with Dr Sanjee Perera, Archbishops’ adviser on minority ethnic Anglican concerns, for Racial Justice Sunday.

The prayer refers to “the sin of racism” and how Jesus “broke down the walls that divide”.

Lines include: “We pray for all those affected by the marginalisation of prejudice and the violence of racist words and actions.

“We pray that we might uproot its cancerous and systemic hold on our own institutions.”

Last February, Mr Welby said the church remains “deeply institutionally racist”, as the General Synod unanimously backed a motion to “lament” and apologise for both conscious and unconscious racism.

He said: “Personally, I am sorry and ashamed. I’m ashamed of our history and I’m ashamed of our failure.”

He added: “There is no doubt when we look at our own Church that we are still deeply institutionally racist. Let’s just be clear about that. I said it to the College of Bishops a couple of years ago and it’s true.”

He said the “hostile environment” must be transformed into a “hospitable, welcoming one”, and urged “radical and decisive” progress on the issue in order to put an end to institutional racism.