MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

First woman ever tapped for the Archbishop of Canterbury post

Married with two adult children, Mullally holds a seat in Britain's unelected House of Lords

Dame Sarah Mullally has been named the next Archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman to hold the position in the Church of England's history.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop in the Church of England and the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The King remains the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, a role established in the 16th century when Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church.

Mullally, 63, is a former professional nurse, having served as England's Chief Nursing Officer. She was ordained a priest in 2006 and, in 2018, became the first female Bishop of London, the church's third-most senior clergy member.

The Crown Nominations Commission formally announced its decision on Friday. She will officially take up the role after an election by the College of Canons and a confirmation on January 28, followed by her enthronement in March 2026.

The appointment was made with the formal consent of King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's blessing. “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.

Mullally pledged to confront the church's past failures, which have “left a legacy of deep harm and mistrust,” and insisted that all actions must be open to scrutiny.

Her appointment follows the resignation of Archbishop Justin Welby over his handling of a sexual abuse scandal involving camp organizer John Smyth. A report found Welby knew of the abuse allegations but failed to report them.

Married with two adult children, Mullally holds a seat in Britain's unelected House of Lords. She is a proponent of a more inclusive church, having previously supported blessings for same-sex couples. However, she is also an outspoken opponent of assisted dying legislation.

In her first statement, she condemned the “horrific violence” of the previous day's attack on a synagogue in Manchester, stating that “hatred and racism cannot tear us apart.”

The appointment has been immediately criticized by conservative groups within the church, such as the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON). They argue that the majority of the Anglican Communion, particularly conservative provinces in Africa and Asia (where about two-thirds of global Anglicans live), still believe the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy. GAFCON stated the appointment showed the English arm of the church had “relinquished its authority to lead.”