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In a historic move, the Church of England has appointed its first female Archbishop of Canterbury, naming Bishop of London Sarah Mullally to the role.¹ The appointment, which was formally approved by King Charles III, marks a significant moment for the church and the global Anglican Communion, which Mullally will now lead as its spiritual head.²

The Appointment

Sarah Mullally, 63, is a former chief nursing officer for England who has broken barriers throughout her career.³ In 2018, she became the first woman to be appointed Bishop of London, the third most senior position in the Church of England.⁴ Her path to the priesthood began in 2001, and she was later consecrated as one of the first female bishops in the Church of England in 2015.⁵

Her appointment to the Archbishop of Canterbury role comes after the resignation of her predecessor, Justin Welby, who stepped down amid a safeguarding scandal.⁶ In her initial remarks, Mullally spoke of her commitment to service, her desire to bring people together, and the need for the church to address key issues facing society, such as migration and antisemitism.⁷ She will officially become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury at a ceremony in January.⁸

A Long Road to Female Leadership

The appointment of a female Archbishop of Canterbury is the culmination of a decades-long journey for women’s ordination within the Church of England.⁹

• 1994: The church ordained its first female priests.¹⁰ This landmark decision followed years of debate and campaigning by groups advocating for gender equality in the clergy.¹¹
• 2014: The Church of England voted to allow women to become bishops, a decision that had been debated for years and had faced strong opposition from traditionalist factions.¹²
• 2015: The first female bishop, Libby Lane, was consecrated as the Bishop of Stockport.¹³

The appointment of a woman to the most senior role in the church is seen by many as a powerful acknowledgment of how far the institution has come. However, it is also likely to deepen divisions with more conservative wings of the Anglican Communion, particularly in Africa and Asia, where some churches do not accept the ordination of women.¹⁴