Accra: Sarah Mullally has been named the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England’s history. A former chief nursing officer for England, Mullally is now Archbishop of Canterbury-designate, ahead of a legal ceremony expected in the coming months to confirm her position as the church’s top bishop.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mullally expressed that while the role is a ‘huge responsibility’, she feels a sense of ‘peace and trust in God to carry me.’ She is the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, with the role having been vacant for almost a year after Justin Welby announced he was to resign from office over failures in handling an abuse scandal.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell took on most of the responsibilities in the interim and was one of the voting members of the body charged with choosing Welby’s successor. The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), chaired by Lord Evans of Weardale, had to agree by a two-thirds majority vote. Following agreement on a recommended candidate, the process involved a name being given to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which was then passed to the monarch.
While technically King Charles III is head of the Church of England, the person holding the role of Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop and is the spiritual leader of the Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion. Starmer welcomed her appointment, noting she is ‘the first woman to hold the role.’
Mullally will legally become Archbishop of Canterbury at a ceremony in Canterbury Cathedral in January, followed by a formal enthronement service at a later date where members of the royal family are likely to be present. She has much experience in the Church, having been installed as the first female Bishop of London in 2018.
In her first visit as archbishop-designate, Dame Sarah visited a local church on Friday and helped pack food parcels ahead of the formal announcement. More than 11,000 people took part in February and March in a public consultation for the next archbishop, aimed at giving the public a chance to influence the future leadership of the Church by submitting both names and the qualities they felt were required.
During his time in the role, Welby had been vocal on issues of poverty, calling for the controversial two-child benefit cap to be scrapped, and had strongly criticised the previous Conservative government’s scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, which he warned was ‘leading the nation down a damaging path.’ He announced his resignation in November 2024, following days of pressure after an independent review concluded barrister and Christian camp leader John Smyth, the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church, might have been brought to justice had Welby formally reported him to police in 2013. At the time, Welby said he was quitting ‘in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.’