🔗 Share this article Sarah Mullally Named as New Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally has been named as the incoming spiritual leader of the Church of England - making history as the first woman to be selected for this significant position. Previously England's chief nursing officer, the sixty-three-year-old entered the priesthood in 2006 and was named as the first female Bishop of London in 2018 - occupying the third highest position of religious leadership in the Anglican Church. This marks the initial occasion in nearly 500 years of history that the Anglican Communion has nominated a female to lead it. Groundbreaking Selection The Anglican Church has been lacking an individual in the senior role for almost a year after the previous Archbishop stepped down over a safeguarding scandal. He departed following a critical investigation into a serial offender associated with the religious institution. The investigation found that he "was able and obligated" have reported the misconduct by John Smyth of boys and young men to law enforcement in 2013. The Archbishop of York assumed most of Mr Welby's responsibilities in an temporary arrangement, and was one of the voting members of the body charged with selecting his replacement. Official Process Following established custom, the procedure of selecting a new archbishop involves a candidate being given to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and then forwarded to the sovereign. Sir Keir has applauded Dame Sarah's appointment, saying: "The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our national life. I wish her every success and look forward to working together." Although formally, the King is leader of the Anglican Church, the person holding the role of Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop and is the spiritual leader of the Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion. Monarchical and Global Response The monarch has praised the new Archbishop on her new role, "which is of such importance in the UK and across the worldwide Anglican community", Buckingham Palace said. The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, which advocates for traditional positions, has questioned the appointment, saying that although some will welcome it, "the majority of the global church still believes that the Bible mandates a male-only episcopacy." Transition Period She does not legally take on her new role until a confirmation of election in January, and an enthronement service comes later, after they have paid homage to the monarch. In a declaration on the announcement day after her appointment was finalized, she said: "I recognize this is a huge responsibility but I undertake it with a feeling of calm and faith in divine guidance to carry me as He always has." Addressing media at Canterbury Cathedral, she said that "in an age that craves certainty and group identity, the Anglican tradition offers something quieter but stronger." Responding to Attack Talking about the "terrible attack" of the previous day's incident on a Jewish house of worship in the northern city, she stated "we are witnessing prejudice that rises up through divisions across our communities." She added: "The religious community have a responsibility to be a people who support the Jewish people against antisemitism in all its forms. Hatred and racism of any kind cannot be permitted to divide our society." Professional History Married with two children, she devoted more than three decades in the NHS, becoming the youngest-ever chief nursing officer for the country in 1999. Although she was volunteering in the religious community at the period, it was just a short time after that she chose to enter a priest and was quickly tasked with helping make reforms in the way the institution addressed abuse. In 2012 she became financial administrator at Salisbury Cathedral before assuming the role of Bishop of Crediton in the diocese of Exeter in 2015. As London's religious leader she was seen as someone who applied her background as an health service manager to help modernise the diocese. Guiding Principles "People frequently inquire what it has been like to have had two careers, initially in the NHS and now in the religious institution. "I prefer to think that I have consistently maintained a single calling: to follow Jesus Christ, to know him and to make him known, continually striving to live with compassion in the assistance to people, whether as a nurse, a religious leader, or a bishop." Future Challenges Possibly the most urgent thing in her in-tray is still to develop improved approaches towards dealing with misconduct and treating with more compassion those affected by it. There has also been a decline in church attendance, though London has to a degree bucked that trend. A particular subject she has been most outspoken about is end-of-life choices - she is a strong critic, as was her preceding Archbishop. When the law was passed in the House of Commons, she characterized it as "impractical and dangerous and creates danger to the most vulnerable people in our society." Modern Positions Among her responsibilities as London's religious leader was to lead a body trying to guide the religious institution's determination on whether to bless same-sex marriages. She characterized the decision to ultimately permit clergy to sanction gay relationships in last year as "an optimistic development for the Church." A former Archbishop, summarised her position as requiring a "awareness of current affairs and a Bible in the other." The former spiritual leader explained to media outlets "the expectation of having an position on all matters is significantly demanding."