Sarah Mullally was named on Friday as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to head the Church of England in its 1,400-year history.
The 63-year-old, who has been Bishop of London since 2018, also assumes the role of spiritual leader for some 85 million Anglicans worldwide. The communion remains divided, with conservative branches in Africa and Asia clashing with more liberal churches in the West, particularly on issues such as homosexuality.
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), a coalition of conservative Anglican churches, swiftly denounced the appointment, claiming the English church had “relinquished its authority to lead”.
Record-breaking appointment
Reforms passed 11 years ago paved the way for a woman to hold the office. As the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, Mullally now becomes the first female leader in a role previously reserved for men.
In her acceptance remarks, she said she hoped to unite people and offer “hope and healing”.
“I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence,” she said, pledging to share the journey of faith with congregations across England and the Anglican Communion.
Liberal record and professional background
Mullally has previously advocated for liberal reforms within the Church, including blessings for same-sex couples in civil partnerships and marriages. Before entering the clergy, she worked as a cancer nurse and later served as England’s Chief Nursing Officer in the early 2000s.
She has often stressed the parallels between nursing and ministry, describing both as vocations rooted in supporting people through life’s most difficult moments.
Ordained in 2002, she was among the first women consecrated as bishops in 2015. Since then, she has sat in the House of Lords, where she has spoken on the cost-of-living crisis, health policy, and social justice issues.
National and royal approval
Her appointment was formally announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office with the consent of King Charles III, reflecting the Church of England’s status as the established church.
“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.
King Charles, as monarch, remains Supreme Governor of the Church, a position created in the 16th century by Henry VIII’s break with Rome.
The Church has been without a leader since Justin Welby resigned last November over a child abuse cover-up scandal.
Mullally will be installed at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026. She is married to Eamonn and has two adult children.
U.S. military forces have seized a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from Caribbean waters, the Pentagon said on Tuesday (24...
The Taliban in Kabul has rejected Russian claims that more than 23,000 militants from around 20 international terror groups are currently operating wi...
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (24 February) urged Ukraine’s allies to maintain their backing as the war with Russia entered its fourth ye...
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in ...
Kazakhstan says it has allocated $2.2 million to strengthen scientific monitoring of the Caspian Sea amid growing concern over falling water levels, b...
The Taliban in Kabul has rejected Russian claims that more than 23,000 militants from around 20 international terror groups are currently operating within Afghanistan.
Kazakhstan says it has allocated $2.2 million to strengthen scientific monitoring of the Caspian Sea amid growing concern over falling water levels, biodiversity loss and rising industrial pressure on the world’s largest inland body of water.
Robert Carradine, best known for his roles in The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and the television series Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 71 following a years-long battle with mental illness.
An Iranian military helicopter crashed in the city of Dorcheh, in Iran on Tuesday (24 February), causing the death of the pilot, co-pilot and two market sellers, state media reported.
Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.
Further Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are scheduled in Geneva on Thursday (26 February) as diplomacy resumes over Tehran’s nuclear programme following earlier mediation efforts. But will the talks move Iran-U.S. negotiations closer to a deal, and what should be expected from the meeting?
Mexican authorities said on Sunday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.
The European Parliament’s trade chief has urged a temporary suspension of the EU–U.S. trade agreement approval, citing “tariff chaos” following President Donald Trump’s new 15% tariffs and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating his previous global tariff programme.
U.S. military forces have seized a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from Caribbean waters, the Pentagon said on Tuesday (24 February), adding that it was the third such operation.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (24 February) urged Ukraine’s allies to maintain their backing as the war with Russia entered its fourth year, with divisions among European partners overshadowing anniversary commemorations.
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in an attack that comes amid rising militant violence and heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Western governments significantly expanded sanctions targeting Russia’s finance, energy, trade and technology sectors. The measures built on restrictions first imposed in 2014 following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.
Britain imposed its largest package of sanctions on Russia in years on Tuesday (24 February), marking the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, as London also announced fresh military and humanitarian support for Kyiv.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment