History was made on Friday, October 3, as Sarah Mullally was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury — becoming the first woman to lead the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion.
Her nomination, approved by King Charles III, follows the resignation of Justin Welby earlier this year amid a child abuse scandal. The Church of England, founded in the sixth century, is considered the mother church of the worldwide Anglican faith, with around 85 million adherents in more than 165 countries. Mullally, 63, becomes its 106th Archbishop.
A former nurse, Mullally acknowledged the “huge responsibility” of her appointment but said she feels a sense of “peace and trust in God to carry me.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed her selection, calling it “a milestone moment” and noting that the Church’s “churches, cathedrals, schools, and charities are part of the fabric of our communities.”
Welby stepped down after an independent report revealed that the Church of England had covered up abuses by lawyer John Smyth, who organised evangelical camps in the 1970s and 1980s. As many as 130 boys and young men were reportedly abused. Smyth, who died in 2018 in South Africa while under police investigation, was never prosecuted.
The scandal shook public trust in the Church and prompted calls for reform.
Mullally’s appointment also marks another turning point for women in the Church of England. Ordained in 2002, she became the first female Bishop of London in 2018. The church only permitted women bishops in 2014 after decades of resistance. Today, more than 40 of its 108 bishops are women.
The Archbishop of Canterbury plays a key role in both British public life and the Anglican Communion, whose roots date back to King Henry VIII’s break from the Catholic Church in the 1530s.