Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally, a former nurse, has been named as the next Archbishop of Canterbury – the first time a woman has been appointed to the role in the Church of England’s history.
The announcement comes almost a year since Justin Welby resigned from the role as spiritual leader of the Church of England (CoE) due to a damning review into its handling of a sexual abuse scandal.
It is the first time an archbishop has been chosen since women were allowed to become bishops in 2014.
In her first visit as archbishop-designate, Dame Sarah visited a local church on Friday and helped pack food parcels.
Who is Sarah Mullally, the first ever female Archbishop of Canterbury?
“Today as I respond to the call of Christ in this new ministry, I remain rooted in my first calling, to follow Christ, to know him and to make him known in the world,” Dame Sarah said as she addressed Canterbury Cathedral.
She went on: “In the apparent chaos which surrounds us, in the midst of such profound global uncertainty, the possibility of healing lies in acts of kindness and love.
“With humility and grace we uphold and support those in need of our help. We do this to the best of our ability, in small ways and big, according to our own very particular gifts. That too is the service which I offer the church today.”
The 63-year-old archbishop-designate is married to Eamonn Mullally, with whom she has two children.
Originally from Woking in Surrey, she was the UK’s chief nursing officer from 1999 to 2004.
In 2005, she was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire for her contribution to nursing and midwifery.
Before being elected as the 133rd Bishop of London in 2018, she was Bishop of Crediton, a post she held for three years from 2015.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reacted to Mullally’s election saying: “I welcome the appointment of The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally D.B.E as the new Archbishop of Canterbury and the first woman to hold the role.
“The Church of England is of profound importance to this country. Its churches, cathedrals, schools, and charities are part of the fabric of our communities.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our national life. I wish her every success and look forward to working together.”
Dame Sarah will be taking over from the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, who stepped in as interim leader of the CoE following Welby’s resignation.
Mr Cottrell was one of the voting members of the body tasked with choosing Welby’s successor.
The process for choosing the new archbishop is incredibly secretive as they are selected by the Crown Nominations Commission, a committee chaired by a former director-general of the MI5 security service.
After the group reaches a two-thirds majority on two preferred candidates, the nominations are presented to the prime minister, who selects one to be formally appointed by the King.
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Candidates must be aged at least 30 and generally younger than 70 and historically they have been people already holding senior leadership roles in ministry in the Church or elsewhere in the Anglican Communion.
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