Woman named as new Archbishop of Canterbury in historic first

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, whose appointment will be confirmed in a legal ceremony in January, visited a local church on Friday and helped pack food parcels.

"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 later addressed Canterbury Cathedral.

"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."

She promised to tackle safeguarding failures in the Church, saying the "dynamics of power" must be confronted.

"As a Church, we have too often failed to recognise or take seriously the misuse of power in all of its forms," she said.

"As archbishop, my commitment will be to ensure that we continue to listen to survivors, care for the vulnerable, and foster a culture of safety and wellbeing for all. This will not be easy. Our history of safeguarding failures has left a legacy of deep harm and mistrust, and we must all be willing to have light shone on our actions, regardless of our role in the Church."

She also emphasised the importance of faith "in our fractured and hurting world", condemning the "horrific violence" of the Manchester synagogue terror attack.

She said the Church of England has a "responsibility" to stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism, adding: "Hatred and racism of any kind cannot be allowed to tear us apart."

She added British society is "wrestling with complex moral and political questions", referring to the right to die, migration and national identity.

"The legal right of terminally ill people to end their own lives, our response to people fleeing war and persecution to seek safety and refuge, the pressures on communities who have been overlooked and undervalued, the deep-rooted question of who we are as a nation, in a world that so often seems on the brink," she said.

Read more: Who is Sarah Mullally?

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.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "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," he said.

"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 took on most responsibilities during the vacancy left by Mr Welby's resignation.

Mr Cottrell was one of the voting members of the body tasked with choosing Mr 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.

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.

The King congratulated Dame Sarah in her new role "which is of such importance in the UK and across the global Anglican Communion".

What does the Archbishop of Canterbury do?

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior leader of the Church of England, below the King, who is its supreme governor.

They preside over the Church and its work in the southern two-thirds of England, while the Archbishop of York leads in the north.

Along with all bishops, the archbishops determine the direction of the Church and make decisions on its role in society.

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