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.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Fra...
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's f...
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public re...
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
Russia has agreed to work with Ghana on developing a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant following talks at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on Saturday.
Foreign ministers from the U.S., Japan, Australia and India raised concerns over export restrictions and economic coercion at a Quad meeting in Atlanta, U.S., on Saturday, 31 October 2026, according to their joint statement.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment