Femi Ashekun/
The Church of England has named Dame Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in nearly 500 years, marking a historic moment for the Anglican Communion.
Mullally, 63, who has served as Bishop of London for the past seven years, succeeds Justin Welby, who resigned in 2024 following a safeguarding scandal.
Her appointment comes after months of speculation and scepticism from senior church officials, some of whom openly doubted the possibility of a woman being chosen for the role.
“She won’t get it because she’s a woman. That is taken as given,” one senior source told the BBC before the decision.
Despite such doubts, the Crown Nominations Commission recommended her, and King Charles approved Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s advice on 29 September.
A palace spokesperson confirmed, “His Majesty congratulates Bishop Sarah on her appointment as archbishop-designate, a role which is of such importance in the UK and across the global Anglican Communion.”
In her first address at Canterbury Cathedral on Friday, Mullally expressed gratitude to the women who had paved the way for her. She spoke of the “quieter and stronger” hope offered by the Anglican church in an “age that craves certainty and tribalism,” and acknowledged the challenges ahead in addressing the Church’s past failings.
“It won’t be easy to confront the misuse of power,” she admitted, but added that she had already seen a “cultural shift” within the institution.
Her message also reached beyond the church walls. Referencing the deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester earlier this week, she said, “As a Church, we have a responsibility to be a people who stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism in all its forms.”
She further noted that in a time of “profound global uncertainty,” the possibility of healing lay in “acts of kindness and love.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated her, saying she will play “a key role in our national life” and wished her “every success.”
Mullally, who began her career as a nurse and later became England’s Chief Nursing Officer before entering ministry, has long described herself as a feminist.
As Bishop of London, she was already the most senior woman in the Church of England. Her appointment as Archbishop now puts her at the helm of the worldwide Anglican Communion during a period of intense debate over gender, power, and the church’s future.
She is also known for her strong opposition to assisted dying, aligning with her predecessor Justin Welby. When the legislation passed the House of Commons, she described it as “unworkable and unsafe,” warning it posed “a risk to the most vulnerable people in our society.”
Addressing the House of Lords last month, she insisted that “choice is an illusion” and argued that no amendments could make the Bill safe.
Still, her rise to Canterbury remains a significant milestone for women in the Church, where many senior clergy remain opposed to female leadership.
For Mullally, the symbolism was not lost. Standing before a packed cathedral, she said her appointment was about more than gender. “This is about the Church choosing to live out its calling in hope,” she said.
She will be officially confirmed in the role in January, followed by an enthronement service.
0Related posts:
Election Crisis: Court Adjourns Anglican Communion’s Case Till June 21
2 Nigerians, Imam on List of 32 London Sex Offenders Jailed This Year
Sudan Hosts 39th Province of Anglican Communion
Archbishop of San Francisco Bans US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, from Receiving Communion
Archbishop of Canterbury Resigns over Sex Abuse Scandal
When Archbishop Ladigbolu Mounts the Pulpit, You Will Hear the Message of God – Sir Bode Akindele