The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, has been appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman in history to head the Church of England.
She succeeds Justin Welby, who resigned in November last year after an inquiry faulted him for failing to promptly report sexual abuse by a church volunteer at summer camps.
Mullally, 63, who follows 105 men in the post, will serve as the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide. She is a former Chief Nursing Officer for England. She entered ministry after a career in nursing at hospitals in London.
Her appointment follows reforms by Archbishop Emeritus Welby who allowed women to be consecrated bishops a decade ago.
“As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager,” Mullally said Friday.
Reflecting on her journey from nursing to the priesthood, she added: “At every stage, I have learned to listen deeply, to people and to God’s gentle prompting to bring people together to find hope and healing.”
Her appointment comes at a time of sharp divisions within the church over the role of women, LGBTQ inclusion and the handling of sexual abuse cases.
Nonetheless, she pledged to prioritise safeguarding within the Church of England, acknowledging past failures.
“Our history of safeguarding failures has left the legacy of deep harm and mistrust. As archbishop, my commitment will be to continue to listen to survivors, care for the vulnerable and foster a culture of safety and wellbeing for all,” she said.
