For The First Time In History, The Church Of England Has Named A Woman As The Archbishop of Canterbury
Dame Sarah Elisabeth Mullally was appointed as the Church’s highest-ranking cleric, in a first in its nearly 500 year history.
For the first time in history, the Church of England has named a woman as the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Dame Sarah Elisabeth Mullally was appointed as the Church’s highest-ranking cleric, in a first in its nearly 500 year history.
63-year-old Mullally trained as a nurse and later made history as the youngest ever Chief Nursing Officer for England.
In her thirties, she had a career change and was ordained in 2002.
In 2018, she became the third woman ever to serve as Bishop of London.
On Oct. 3, she was named as Archbishop of Canterbury, a post that has been empty since January 2025 following the resignation of Justin Welby, who stepped down after an investigation revealed he covered up a prolific sex abuse scandal.
Speaking on her appointment as archbishop, Mullally said her career in healthcare helped her learn to listen deeply and that she wants to unite people through hope and healing.
However, the Church’s conservative wing said the news met them “with sorrow” and claimed the successive Archbishops of Canterbury have failed to “guard the faith”.
They are opposed to Mullally's appointment over her support for same-sex marriage, her gender and the fact that she is married.
Mullally will be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026.
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