Faith leaders rallied around Justin Welby on Saturday after it emerged his real father was not Gavin Welby as he had always thought but Winston Churchill's private secretary, Sir Anthony Montague Browne.

A DNA test showed the archbishop of Canterbury was the product of a brief liaison between his mother, now Lady Williams of Elvel, and Montague Browne days before she married to Gavin Welby.

The revelations prompted an outpouring of affection for Welby and for the way he responded to the revelations made in the Daily Telegraph.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster and leader of the Roman Catholic Church in the UK, said: "Today my heart goes out to Lady Jane Williams and her much loved son, Justin. Keeping them, and their wider families, in my prayers I am full of admiration for the dignified manner in which they have handled this startling news. Upheaval in family life is neither uncommon nor easy to embrace. Every family knows this. But to do so with such steadiness and honesty in the full glare of publicity is remarkable and yet fully characteristic of them both.

He added: "This is a great tribute to their Christian faith. It reveals the primacy of our life in Christ, which is fundamental to all who are His disciples. Their lives and demeanor are a parable of God's mercy in action and of the strength and joy of family love in the face of every difficulty.

"As the Catholic Church reflects on Pope Francis' message of humility and compassion before the story of every family, we are blessed by the example of this good family at a moment, in its story, of drama and difficulty. May God bless them all."

The Bishop of Norwich, Graham James, who is a close friend of Welby said: "For the Archbishop I think of course it is a surprise, but he is dealing with it, I talked to him quite a lot last week, he is dealing with it with his usual maturity.

"His identity is secure, he feels the same person that he was three weeks ago. It's intriguing, but he finds himself in the position of many other people who discover their father is rather different from the person they thought."

Dr Jonathon Romain, a leading Rabbi in Britain said: "It is a good example of how to deal with unexpected or difficult news - being open and frank - while it also recognises the reality that family life can often be wonderful and enriching, but is equally capable of being messy and complex.

"The news does not affect his personal identity in any way - he is who he has become - nor does it lessen his authority as Archbishop."

Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Church in the UK said: "These revelations would have been startling and painful enough for any individual and his family to learn and process, but to have them revealed and discussed so publicly will need a very particular grace. Thankfully however, we know that this grace is in no short supply in the lives of Archbishop Justin and his family.

"I found the archbishop's [statement] to be very moving indeed, and indicative of the peace, love, forgiveness and resolve that we are not only all called to, but all endowed with if we but allow God's healing, reconciling and comforting presence in our lives. This is of course also indicative of the personable and 'real' character we have all come to know to be Justin Welby, who, I am confident, will have this experience further enrich his ministry of compassion."

He added: "We pray for Archbishop Justin and his family, and particularly his mother, as they deal with this challenging time."

In a statement widely praised for its grace and poise, Welby admitted the revelations had been a "shock".

He continued: "This revelation has, of course, been a surprise, but in my life and in our marriage Caroline and I have had far worse. I know that I find who I am in Jesus Christ, not in genetics, and my identity in him never changes."