Sarah Mullally has been formally confirmed as the Archbishop of Canterbury, three months after her landmark appointment as the first woman to occupy the position in the almost 1,400-year history of the Church of England.
The confirmation ceremony was held on Wednesday at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, marking a significant moment in the life of the Anglican Communion. Addressing the congregation, Mullally described her elevation to the church’s highest office as “an extraordinary and humbling privilege.”
“With God’s help, I will seek to guide Christ’s flock with calmness, consistency and compassion,” she said, stressing the need for steady leadership in “times of division and uncertainty for our fractured world.”
The service reflected the global nature of Anglicanism, celebrating traditions from across the communion. The St Paul’s Cathedral choir performed hymns, a Xhosa chant from South Africa was featured, while a student delivered a reading in both English and Portuguese—the primary language of the Anglican provinces of Mozambique and Angola, which share longstanding pastoral links with the Diocese of London.
The Church of England had remained without a substantive leader for nearly a year following the resignation of Archbishop Justin Welby, who stepped down after failing to report a prolific child abuser. Mullally was announced as his successor in October.
Prior to her elevation to the church’s most senior role, Mullally built a distinguished career in nursing, working in London hospitals before rising to become England’s chief nursing officer and later serving as director of patient experience at the National Health Service.
With her confirmation, Mullally now assumes spiritual leadership of an estimated 85 million Anglicans worldwide. Her formal installation as Archbishop of Canterbury is scheduled to take place in March.
