Church of England names first female Archbishop of Canterbury

Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London, was announced on Friday as Archbishop of Canterbury, the first time a woman has been chosen as the spiritual leader of the Church of England.

Mullally, 63, a former chief nursing officer for England, will face serious challenges including divisions over the treatment of women and LGBTQ people. She will also have to confront concerns that church leaders have not done enough to stamp out the sexual abuse scandals that have dogged the church for more than a decade.

Naming a woman to the position is a major milestone for a church that ordained its first female priests in 1994 and its first female bishop in 2015. Mullally follows 105 men who have led Anglicans worldwide.

“I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence,” she said in her first statement as Archbishop.

“I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the appointment of Mullally to the role and wished her success.