Sarah Mullally becomes the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury, marking a historic shift for the Church of England amid global divisions.
Newsroom (29/01/2026 Gaudium Press) Sarah Mullally walked into St. Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday morning as the Bishop of London. By afternoon, as the cathedral’s great bells echoed across the city, she had emerged as the spiritual leader of millions of Anglicans worldwide.
At 63, Mullally made history as the first woman to become Archbishop of Canterbury, assuming a role that has traditionally been the centerpiece of spiritual authority within the worldwide Anglican Communion. Though the Communion — encompassing more than 100 million members in 165 countries — has no formal head, the Archbishop of Canterbury has long served as its symbolic and spiritual guide.
As the choir lifted Edward Elgar’s sacred anthem to the cathedral’s vaulted ceiling, Mullally, a former cancer nurse who turned to ministry later in life, officially took up her new responsibilities. The legal ceremony, overseen by bewigged judges and bishops, concluded nearly four months after her initial nomination.
Ceremony and Symbolism
The event, known as the Confirmation of Election, marked a pivotal moment for the 16th-century church, which began its existence amid the religious upheavals of King Henry VIII’s reign. After the formal confirmation, Mullally rose to face the congregation. The cathedral filled with applause as the bishops surrounding her proclaimed together, “We welcome you.”
This ceremony continues the Church of England’s evolving relationship with women in its ranks — a journey that began with the ordination of female priests in 1994 and the appointment of its first female bishop in 2015.
George Gross, a theology and monarchy expert at King’s College London, noted how sharply the church’s progress contrasts with Roman Catholic doctrine.
“It is a big contrast,” Gross observed. “And in terms of the position of women in society, this is a big statement.”
A Divided Communion
Yet, Mullally’s elevation also underscores the profound divisions within the Anglican Communion. While many celebrate her appointment as a moment of long-overdue change, others view it as a fracture in the church’s unity. The Communion has spent decades wrestling with issues of women’s ordination, same-sex marriage, and LGBTQ inclusion — debates that stretch across continents and cultures.
Gafcon, a global alliance of conservative Anglicans, quickly condemned Mullally’s appointment. The group’s chair, Rwandan Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, accused her of betraying church doctrine through her support for blessing same-sex unions.
“She cannot provide leadership to the Anglican Communion,” Mbanda said last October, arguing that her beliefs “violate both the plain and canonical sense of Scripture.”
Still, when the formal question of dissent was raised during the service, only one heckler shouted in protest before being escorted out. The bishops declared no legitimate objection had been made, clearing the final procedural hurdle.
An Era of Reckoning and Renewal
Mullally inherits a church wrestling with both moral and structural crises. In recent years, it has faced ongoing scrutiny for its handling of sexual abuse allegations and declining membership within Britain. Her predecessor, Justin Welby, resigned in late 2024 under pressure for not alerting police to accusations of physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at a church-affiliated summer camp.
Chosen by a 17-member commission of clergy and lay representatives, Mullally’s nomination was formally confirmed by King Charles III, the Church of England’s supreme governor. Her leadership, however, will be tested by whether she can reconcile competing visions of faith and restore trust among both clergy and congregants.
The Path Ahead
While Wednesday’s service confirmed her election, one final step remains before Mullally’s ministry formally begins. On March 25 at Canterbury Cathedral, she will be installed as bishop of the diocese of Canterbury, marking the official start of her public ministry as Archbishop.
For now, her journey — from hospital wards to the highest seat in the Church of England — stands as a powerful symbol of faith, perseverance, and change in an institution still defining its place in the modern world.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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