For the first time in 1400 years: Sarah Mullally elected as leader of the Church of England

The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, has been elected Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the history of the Church of England. Her appointment comes against the backdrop of the resignation of the previous Archbishop, Justin Welby, and a wide-ranging challenge for the church.

This is reported by AP .

Sarah Mullally, the 63-year-old former chief nurse of England, will take over as Archbishop of Canterbury, replacing Justin Welby, who resigned in November after an investigation found he failed to report to police cases of serial physical and sexual abuse by a female volunteer at Christian summer camps.

Mullally’s appointment has already been welcomed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“The Church of England is of immense 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 the life of our country,” he said.

The new archbishop will face a number of serious challenges, including internal divisions over the role of women and LGBTQ people, as well as declining trust in the church amid sexual abuse scandals over the past decade.

The appointment of a woman to this position is a major milestone for Anglicanism: the first female priests were ordained in 1994 and the first female bishop in 2015. Before Mullally was elected to the position, there had been 105 male Archbishops of Canterbury.

The selection of a new archbishop is carried out in England and approved by King Charles III. Overall, the Church of England has over 85 million members in 165 countries around the world, including the Episcopal Church in the United States, and the Archbishop of Canterbury is considered “first among equals” among the spiritual leaders of the church.

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