Dame Sarah Mullally Makes History as First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

Dame Sarah Mullally became the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury during a historic enthronement at Canterbury Cathedral. The 63-year-old former nurse took her place on the ancient Chair of St Augustine as the spiritual head of 85 million Anglicans worldwide.

Over 2,000 guests, including Prince William, Kate, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, witnessed the event. An African choir led parts of the service, with prayers and readings in languages like Urdu underscoring the faith’s international scope.

In her inaugural sermon, Mullally, adorned in a golden mitre, called for peace in conflict zones such as the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan, and Myanmar. She committed to addressing past church safeguarding failures and promoted truth, compassion, justice, and action.

The ceremony began with Mullally knocking on the cathedral door, wearing a cope clasped by a nurse’s belt replica and a historic ring from Pope Paul VI. Bishop Philip Mounstephen described it as a major shift for the church, an office older than the British Crown.

Despite criticism from conservative Anglican groups like Gafcon in Africa and Asia over issues like women’s leadership and LGBTQ+ matters, a Kenyan bishop expressed hopes for internal dialogue. Mullally stressed unity in diversity within the global family.

The service coincided with the Feast of the Annunciation, reflecting on her journey from a teenage faith commitment to this leadership role.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)