London – A woman has been appointed for the post of Archbishop of Canterbury for the first time in the history of the Church of England.
The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullarly, will be installed in the most important role of the Church in March 2026.
Mullyly is the first archbishop woman of Canterbury to be chosen, since women were allowed to become bishops in 2014.
As a spiritual leader of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury leads an Anglican global community of around 85 million people, in 165 countries.
In a statement after his appointment, Mullerly said: “While I respond to Christ’s call to this new ministry, I do it with the same spirit of service to God and the others that has motivated me since I arrived at faith when I was a teenager.”
“At each stage of that trip, through my nursing career and my Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply, the people and God’s gentle impulses, to look for people to find hope and healing.”
Mullerly appointment occurs 11 months after the previous archbishop, Justin Welby, resigned after a condemnatory report on its management of the case of a prolific child abuse associated with the Church.
The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, welcomed Mullall appointment, saying that he would play “a key role in our national life.”
“The Church of England is of deep importance for this country. Its churches, cathedrals, schools and beneficial organizations are part of the fabric of our communities,” he said in a statement.
