‎First female Archbishop appointed to lead Church of England

‎Sarah Mullally will become the first female leader when she officially takes charge of the church next year. However, a group of conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia criticized the appointment, DW has reported.
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‎Mullally was named as the new Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday, making her the first female leader of the Church of England in its 1,400-year history.
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‎The former chief nursing officer for England will be confirmed as the church’s top bishop at a legal ceremony in the coming months.
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‎In her first words after confirmation of her appointment, Mullally said while the role is a “huge responsibility,” she feels a sense of “peace and trust in God to carry me.”
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‎Mullally will legally become Archbishop of Canterbury at a ceremony in Canterbury Cathedral in January.
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‎She takes over the role from Justin Welby, who resigned in November 2024 and left office in January 2025 after failures in handling an abuse scandal.
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‎Mullally will become the ceremonial head of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, but GAFCON — a grouping of conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia, criticized Mullally’s appointment.
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‎The group said her appointment showed that the English arm of the Church had “relinquished its authority to lead.”
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‎Although King Charles III is head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop and is the spiritual leader of the Church.
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‎Mullally was ordained as a priest in 2002 and became one of the first women to be consecrated as a bishop in the Church of England in 2015.
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‎She served as Bishop of London since 2018 and has been known to be progressive, championing causes such as allowing blessings for same-sex couples in civil partnerships and marriages.
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‎Eleven years ago, reforms were introduced to allow a woman to the hold the office, meaning Mullally could become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
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‎As is tradition, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office formally announced Mullally’s appointment after the formal consent of King Charles.
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‎As monarch, Charles is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The role was established in the 16th century after King Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church.
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‎”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 in a statement.