Saturday, October 4, 2025 - Dame Sarah Mullally has been named the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England's history.
The former chief nursing officer for England is now
Archbishop of Canterbury-designate, ahead of a legal ceremony expected in the
coming months to confirm her position as the Church's top bishop.
She replaces Justin Welby, who was forced to stand down
last year over his handling of the Church of England's worst child abuse
scandal.
Dame Sarah will have to steer the church through a
challenging time - fraught with safeguarding scandals, divisions over same-sex
marriage and dwindling attendance.
This morning, she acknowledged the 'huge responsibility' of
her new role, but said she feels a sense of 'peace and trust in God to carry
me'.
'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,' she said.
'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.
'I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to
grow in confidence in the gospel, to speak of the love that we find in Jesus
Christ, and for it to shape our actions.
'And I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with
the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over
the country and across the global Anglican Communion.
'I know this is a huge responsibility but I approach it with
a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has.'
Dame Sarah is the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, with the
role having been vacant since last November.
Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican
Communion, said: 'I welcome and commend the nomination of Bishop Sarah as the
next Archbishop of Canterbury and invite the churches of the global Anglican
Communion to pray for her as she prepares to take up this important ministry.
'May God grant her wisdom and discernment, as she seeks to
listen to Member churches, encourage mutual support, and foster unity.
'The Anglican Communion Office is fully committed to
supporting her ministry as she works with other Provinces and the Instruments
of the Anglican Communion.
'Let us pray that God will pour out His Spirit on the
Anglican Communion to boldly share Christ's transformational love and the hope
of the Gospel in today's world.'
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'I welcome the
appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury and the
first woman to hold the role.
'The Church of England is of profound importance to this
country. Its churches, cathedrals, schools, and charities are part of the
fabric of our communities.
'The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our
national life. I wish her every success and look forward to working together.'
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