Home » The Church of England appoints first ever female Archbishop of Canterbury

The Church of England appoints first ever female Archbishop of Canterbury

The Church of England has appointed Dame Sarah Mullally as its next Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman ever to hold that office in its 1,428-year history.

TheChurchofEnglandhasappointedDameSarahMullallyasitsnextArchbishopofCanterbury,thefirstwomanevertoholdthatofficeinits1,428-yearhistory. ShewillofficiallyassumetheroleinJanuary2026,withaformalenthronementservicetofollow.Mullally,63,hasbeenBishopofLondonsince2018.BeforeenteringordainedministrysheservedasChiefNursingOfficerforEngland.Shewasordainedpriestin2002,andshebecameamongtheearlyfemalebishopsunderreformsenactedin2015.Shehasdescribedherselfasafeminist,andsheplayedaleadingroleinthe‘LivinginLoveandFaith’process,whichexploredoptionsforblessingsame-sexrelationshipswithintheCofE. TheappointmenthasbeenwelcomedbymanyintheliberalwingoftheChurchasalandmarkstepforward.However,conservativeAnglicans,particularlytheGlobalAnglicanFutureConference(GAFCON),havevoicedseriousopposition. TheMostRevdLaurentMbanda,chairoftheGAFCONPrimatesCouncil,saidwit