The Church of England has appointed Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman to hold the top position in the church’s history.
Mullally, 63, was confirmed by King Charles III on Friday after a committee nominated her to succeed Justin Welby, who resigned earlier this year following an abuse scandal.
“I feel the huge responsibility of this role. But I also have peace and trust in God to carry me,” Mullally said in a statement.
The Archbishop of Canterbury leads the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion, which has about 85 million members in more than 165 countries. Mullally becomes the 106th person to hold the office since it was first created in the sixth century.
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the historic appointment.
“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 new archbishop will play a key role in our national life,” he said.
Mullally’s appointment comes at a difficult time for the church. Her predecessor, Justin Welby, stepped down after an independent report found that church leaders failed to act on abuse allegations against lawyer John Smyth, who assaulted as many as 130 boys and young men at evangelical camps in the 1970s and 1980s.
The scandal shocked Britain and raised fresh calls for reform in the church, whose supreme governor is the monarch.
Mullally, a former nurse, was ordained as a priest in 2002. In 2018, she became the first woman to serve as Bishop of London. The Church of England only began allowing women bishops in 2014 after years of heated debate.
Today, more than 40 of England’s 108 bishops are women, with a similar proportion among priests.
Mullally’s appointment signals a new chapter for the church, which counts about 20 million baptised members, though fewer than one million attend services regularly.