By 
Sarah Mullally, a former Chief Nursing Officer for England who later entered Christian ministry, has been appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury — the first woman to hold the post in the Church of England’s 1,400-year history.
Mullally, 63, who has served as Bishop of London since 2018, will now become the spiritual leader of the world’s 85 million Anglicans.
Her appointment marks a historic milestone for a church striving to maintain relevance in an increasingly secular Britain and amid deep internal divisions between its conservative and liberal wings, according to CNN.
“As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager,” Mullally said after her appointment was announced on Friday.
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“At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing.”
Before entering the clergy, Mullally enjoyed a distinguished nursing career, rising through the ranks of the National Health Service (NHS) to become Chief Nursing Officer for England.
She now takes over an institution still reeling from a damaging child abuse scandal that led to the resignation of her predecessor, Justin Welby.
Welby stepped down last year after an independent inquiry found that senior church leaders, including himself, had failed to act on reports of sexual and physical abuse by John Smyth, a prominent Anglican figure, in the 1970s and 1980s.
Welby’s resignation was described by church historian Diarmaid MacCulloch as “historic and without exact precedent,” given that no previous archbishop had resigned over negligence linked to abuse cases.
Acknowledging the church’s troubled past, Mullally pledged to prioritize safeguarding and rebuilding public trust. “Our history of safeguarding failures has left a legacy of deep harm and mistrust,” she said.
“As archbishop, my commitment will be to ensure that we continue to listen to survivors, care for the vulnerable and foster a culture of safety and wellbeing for all.”
Mullally’s rise to the top was made possible by reforms introduced under Welby, who a decade ago approved the consecration of women as bishops.
Yet her appointment has already drawn criticism from conservative Anglican factions, particularly in Africa and Asia, where the faith’s growth has been strongest.
“Today’s appointment makes it clearer than ever before that Canterbury has relinquished its authority to lead,” said GAFCON, a coalition of Anglican churches in the global south.
As Anglicanism’s demographic center shifts away from Britain toward former colonies, Mullally faces the daunting challenge of uniting a global communion increasingly divided over issues of gender, sexuality, and church governance.
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