CANTERBURY, ENGLAND – The Church of England has appointed Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, a landmark decision that reshapes the history of Christianity in England.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The announcement, made on Friday, October 3rd, 2025, marks the first time a woman will hold the church’s most senior clerical position, making her the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion worldwide.
The historic appointment of Dame Sarah, 63, was immediately met with both celebration and staunch criticism, underscoring the deep divisions that Archbishop-elect Mullally will be tasked with navigating.
Her current role as the Bishop of London follows a non-traditional career path; prior to her ordination, she served as England’s Chief Nursing Officer and was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire.
She will succeed Archbishop Justin Welby and be enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral in the coming months, in an appointment that shatters a nearly 500-year-old ceiling for a church that only began ordaining women as priests in 1994 and consecrating them as bishops in 2014.
In a statement approving her appointment, Bishop Mullally said she was profoundly honored to be called to serve and acknowledged her awareness of the challenges facing the church, adding that she is sustained by her faith and belief in its mission of love and service to all.
“It is a profound and astonishing honor to be called to serve as the next Archbishop of Canterbury.I am acutely aware of the challenges facing the church and the wider Communion, but I am sustained by my faith in Christ and a belief in the church’s mission of love and service to all,” Mullally said.
The news prompted immediate condemnation from conservative factions within the global Anglican Communion, which represents over 85 million members across 165 countries.
Archbishops from several African nations, including Nigeria, Uganda, and Rwanda, which represent some of the largest and fastest-growing Anglican provinces, voiced their opposition.
They stated that her appointment contradicts biblical teachings on male headship in church leadership and represents a departure from traditional Anglican doctrine.
Bishop Mullally has been criticized by traditionalists for her supportive stance on the blessing of same-sex relationships, her alignment with social justice movements like Black Lives Matter, and her views on abortion.
Her critics specifically point to her role in banning conservative commentator and deacon Fr. Calvin Robinson from ordination in the London Diocese, an action they cite as evidence of her relentless undermining of the church’s traditional teachings.
Like her predecessors, Archbishop-elect Mullally will inherit a Communion deeply fractured along ideological lines, with primary fault lines over the role of women and the acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals that have been widening for decades.
Dame Sarah Mullally’s tenure will thus be defined not only by the historic nature of her appointment but by her ability to hold a deeply divided global church together.
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