Sarah Mullally has been named as the new Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday, making her the first female leader of the Church of in its 1,400-year history.
The former chief nursing officer for England will be confirmed as the church’s top bishop at a legal ceremony in the coming months.
In her first words after confirmation of her appointment, Mullally said while the role is a “huge responsibility,” she feels a sense of “peace and trust in God to carry me.”
Mullally will legally become Archbishop of Canterbury at a ceremony in Canterbury Cathedral in January.
Spiritual leader of Anglican Church
Mullally takes over the role , who resigned in November 2024 and left office in January 2025 after failures in handling an abuse scandal.
Mullally will become the ceremonial head of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, but GAFCON — a grouping of conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia, criticized Mullally’s appointment.
The group said her appointment showed that the English arm of the Church had “relinquished its authority to lead.”
Although King Charles III is head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop and is the spiritual leader of the Church.
Reforms allowed a woman to take Archbishop role
Mullally was ordained as a priest in 2002 and became one of the first women to be consecrated as a bishop in the Church of England in 2015.
She served as Bishop of London since 2018 and has been known to be progressive, championing causes such as allowing blessings for same-sex couples in civil partnerships and marriages.
Eleven years ago reforms were introduced to allow a woman to the hold the office, meaning Mullally could become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
“I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence,” she said in her first statement since the historic appointment.
“I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion.”
King Charles gave formal consent for appointment
As is tradition, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office formally announced Mullally’s appointment after the formal consent of .
As monarch, Charles is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The role was established in the 16th century after King Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our national life. I wish her every success and look forward to working together,” Starmer said in a statement.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
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