Dame Sarah Mullally, the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1,400-year history of the job, has begun her new role.
The new archbishop marked the start of her job as the Church of England’s top ministry in a ceremony on Wednesday in Canterbury Cathedral.
The event marked the beginning of her public ministry as both the head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The ceremony was attended by over 2,000 people, including Prince William and the prime minister.
The St John’s Bible was used by the new archbishop for her Corporal Oath. Pic: Reuters
Representatives from many of the communion’s 42 member churches, as well as representatives from the Vatican and the Orthodox Church, also attended.
Dame Mullally is the 106th person to fill the position, and broke into a broad smile as those gathered greeted her as the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and the prime minister were at the ceremony. Pics: PA
The St John’s Bible was used by the new archbishop for her Corporal Oath – the first time this Bible has been used in this way.
She was named to the role last October, and confirmed in it by a ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral in January, but Wednesday marked the symbolic start of her tenure.
Dame Sarah Mullally embraces the Rt Rev Paulina Hlawiczka-Trotman, Bishop of the Lutheram Church. Pic: Reuters
The Dean of Canterbury, Very Reverend David Monteith, said the first female archbishop “would have almost been unimaginable even 50 years ago”.
“Today matters,” he said.
Dame Mullally is the 106th person to assume the position
Her appointment to the role is not the first time that the 63-year-old has been a trailblazer.
The archbishop previously worked as a cancer nurse, becoming the chief nursing officer for England at the age of 37, the youngest person ever to hold the post.
In a nod to her former career, the archbishop secured her ceremonial cloak with a buckle from the belt she wore as a nurse.
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At the age of 40, she became a priest; 23 years later, she now heads another English organisation.
Her meteoric rise is notable.
The English church only ordained its first female priests in 1994, and its first female bishop in 2015.
She was named a bishop in 2015, becoming the fourth woman in the Church of England to reach that rank.
Three years later, she was named bishop of London, a prominent position within the church.
Sarah Mullally arriving at the service. Pic: Reuters
She will be aware that her appointment may deepen rifts within the Anglican Communion.
Members are deeply divided over issues such as the role of women and the treatment of LGBT+ people.
Dame Mullally replaces former Archbishop Justin Welby.
Sarah Mullally and clergy members arriving at the service. Pic: Reuters
Her predecessor announced his resignation in November 2024, after he was criticised for failing to act decisively and tell police about allegations of physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at a church-affiliated summer camp.
One of her first tasks will be to confront concerns that the church failed to stamp out the sexual abuse scandals that have dogged it for more than a decade.
