Dame Sarah Mullally has been appointed the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury – becoming the first woman in history to lead the Church of England and its global Anglican Communion.
The announcement, confirmed by the Cabinet Office on Friday, follows months of deliberation by the Crown Nominations Commission after Justin Welby stepped down last November. King Charles approved Mullally’s appointment to the post, which oversees more than 85 million Anglicans worldwide.
Mullally, 63, has served as Bishop of London since 2018, making her the third most senior figure in the Church. A former nurse and England’s one-time chief nursing officer, she was ordained in 2002 and has long been seen as a leading advocate for modernising the church’s culture.
A new era for Canterbury
In her address at Canterbury Cathedral, Mullally acknowledged the Church’s “history of safeguarding failures” and pledged to build a “culture of safety and wellbeing for all.”
“This will not be easy,” she said. “Our history of safeguarding failures has left a legacy of deep harm and mistrust, and we must all be willing to have light shone on our actions.”
Her appointment comes after a turbulent period marked by high-profile abuse scandals and leadership crises. Welby’s resignation followed criticism over the Church’s handling of historic abuse cases, while Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, also faced pressure to step aside over a separate investigation.
Controversy and challenge ahead
Despite widespread praise for the historic nature of the appointment, not all church voices were supportive. The Reverend Robert Thompson, who worked with Mullally in London, told Times Radio she was “one of the worst candidates that could have come forward,” questioning her ability to challenge entrenched power networks within the church.
Still, Mullally’s appointment represents a turning point for the institution. Women became eligible for consideration for the role only during Welby’s tenure, following changes that allowed women to serve as bishops.
The new Archbishop – a staunch opponent of assisted dying and a cautious reformer on same-sex marriage – will take up the post officially in March 2026.
For the first time in 1,400 years, the Church of England’s spiritual leader will be a woman – a moment seen by many as both a symbol of progress and a test of how far the church is truly willing to change.
