Sarah Mullally becomes first woman archbishop of Canterbury

Dame Sarah Mullally was legally confirmed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury at a Confirmation of Election service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, completing a process that began with her nomination nearly four months ago. The ceremony, presided over by judges wearing traditional wigs, was a legal act that transformed Mullally from Bishop of London into the first woman to hold an office with roughly 1,400 years of institutional history.

Mullally, 63, entered St. Paul’s that morning as bishop and left as archbishop. A former cancer nurse who later became a cleric, she was nominated by a 17-member commission of clerics and lay people and formally appointed by King Charles III. She succeeds Justin Welby, who resigned in November 2024 amid criticism over his handling of information about a prolific abuser associated with a church-affiliated summer camp.

The confirmation service combined courtroom formality with conspicuous pageantry. The choir sang an anthem by Edward Elgar, bells rang as the service concluded, and, according to witnesses, the bishops surrounding Mullally shouted in unison, "We welcome you." Diocese of Derby Bishop Libby Lane, the first woman appointed a bishop in the Church of England, served as one of the Royal Commissioners. Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell delivered the Charge. At the end of the confirmation Mullally took up the Primatial Cross and gave the blessing in what was reported as her first act as archbishop.

The appointment will carry symbolic and practical weight across the worldwide Anglican Communion. The archbishop of Canterbury is not a global executive but has long been treated as a spiritual primate and moral interlocutor among the Communion’s provinces, including the Episcopal Church in the United States. Mullally’s confirmation was described by supporters as a milestone for a church that ordained its first female priests in 1994 and consecrated its first female bishop in 2015. It also sits within the Church of England’s longer history, rooted in the 16th century separation from Rome under King Henry VIII.

Reactions were mixed and underscored the Communion’s continuing tensions. The Anglican Communion’s secretary general, the Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo, offered public support ahead of the confirmation, saying, "I give thanks for Bishop Sarah and the confirmation of her election as the archbishop of Canterbury. As she prepares for her installation and public ministry this March, I assure her of our prayers and support," and adding, "May God grant the archbishop understanding and discernment as she works to serve the member churches of the Anglican Communion." Clergy and supporters asked for prayers as Mullally prepared for an installation and public ministry scheduled for March.

At the same time, some traditionalist churches abroad have threatened to leave the Anglican Communion over her election, and critics have raised concerns about Mullally’s record on safeguarding. Mullally acknowledged that it was right there should be greater scrutiny of her record in dealing with safeguarding and said she "has always understood that people may find my appointment as a woman difficult in the Church," adding that she wanted to hear their concerns. One critic identified only as "Mbanda" issued a stark condemnation, asserting that the new archbishop "has failed to guard the faith and is complicit in introducing practices and beliefs that violate both the 'plain and canonical sense' of Scripture and `the Church’s historic and consensual' interpretation of it."

The legal confirmation on Jan. 28 places Mullally in the primacy for England and in the customary role of spiritual leadership across the Communion. Her forthcoming installation and early months in office are likely to focus on safeguarding reforms, pastoral outreach, and efforts to hold a fractious global body together while navigating deep theological and cultural disagreements.