Sarah Mullally confirmed as archbishop of Canterbury, first woman to lead the Church of England

In a historic ceremony beneath the domed ceiling of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sarah Mullally was confirmed as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday, marking a watershed moment for the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion.

Mullally, 63, walked into the cathedral as the bishop of London but emerged as the spiritual leader of millions of Anglicans worldwide. The significance of the moment was palpable as the choir’s rendition of an Edward Elgar anthem filled the sacred space while bewigged judges presided over the legal confirmation of her appointment, which had been announced nearly four months earlier.

When the lengthy process concluded and her election was confirmed, Mullally stood to face the congregation, who responded with resounding applause. “We welcome you,” the surrounding bishops proclaimed in unison, their voices echoing through the historic cathedral.

This Confirmation of Election service represents a milestone in the Church of England’s journey toward gender equality in church leadership. The church only began ordaining women as priests in 1994 and consecrated its first female bishop as recently as 2015. Now, a woman stands at its helm.

The Anglican Communion, which includes the Episcopal Church in the United States, has no formal head, but the Archbishop of Canterbury has traditionally been regarded as its spiritual leader. The church traces its origins to the 16th century when it broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during King Henry VIII’s reign.

George Gross, a theology and monarchy expert at King’s College London, emphasized the stark contrast between the Anglican and Catholic churches, with the latter still prohibiting women from priesthood.

“It is a big contrast,” Gross noted. “And in terms of the position of women in society, this is a big statement.”

However, Mullally’s appointment may intensify existing divisions within the Anglican Communion, whose 100 million members across 165 countries remain deeply split over issues including women’s roles in church leadership and LGBTQ inclusion.

Gafcon, an influential global organization of conservative Anglicans, has criticized Mullally’s appointment, arguing that the majority of the Anglican Communion still believes episcopal leadership should be restricted to men. Rwandan Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, who chairs Gafcon’s council of senior bishops, also took issue with Mullally’s support for blessing same-sex marriages.

“Since the newly appointed archbishop of Canterbury has failed to guard the faith and is complicit in introducing practices and beliefs that violate both the ‘plain and canonical sense’ of Scripture and ‘the Church’s historic and consensual’ interpretation of it, she cannot provide leadership to the Anglican Communion,” Mbanda stated in October.

During Wednesday’s ceremony, a cleric announced that no legitimate opposition to Mullally’s confirmation had been raised. Though a heckler began shouting and was escorted from the cathedral, the bishops declared that no objection had been made in a timely manner. Mullally then took her oath of allegiance to the British crown and the church.

Beyond navigating theological disputes, Mullally faces the challenge of addressing sexual abuse scandals that have plagued the church for more than a decade. She succeeds former Archbishop Justin Welby, who resigned in November 2024 following criticism for failing to report allegations of physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at a church-affiliated summer camp to police.

Mullally’s path to becoming Archbishop began with her nomination by a 17-member commission of clerics and lay people, with her appointment ultimately confirmed by King Charles III, the supreme governor of the Church of England.

The confirmation ceremony represents the penultimate step in Mullally’s appointment process. On March 25, she will be formally installed as bishop of the Canterbury diocese at Canterbury Cathedral, marking the official beginning of her public-facing ministry.

Mullally brings a unique background to her new role. Before entering the clergy, she worked as a cancer nurse, bringing a different perspective and set of experiences to church leadership at a time when the institution faces significant challenges and opportunities for renewal.