Anglican Church breaks tradition and installs first woman as spiritual leader

Dame Sarah Mullally smiles during the Enthronement Ceremony that installs her as the 106th Archbishop, at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, Britain, March 25, 2026. Jordan Pettitt/Pool via Reuters Sarah Mullally was officially installed as the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday, taking the helm as spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans all over the world. The former nurse took her seat in the 13th-century chair of St. Augustine at Canterbury Cathedral in front of 2,000 guests, including heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Kate, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and religious leaders. Delivering her first sermon as archbishop, Mullally — wearing a golden miter and led by an African women’s choir singing and dancing during part of the service — prayed that “peace will prevail” in war-torn parts of the world, from the Middle East and Ukraine to Sudan and Myanmar. “As I begin my ministry today as Archbishop of Canterbury, I say again to God, ‘Here I am,'” she told the congregation. See videos trending on g1 Mullally, 63, acknowledged the suffering caused by the Church’s past safeguarding failures, one of which led his predecessor Justin Welby to resign, emphasizing the need to “remain committed to truth, compassion, justice and action.” Former Archbishop Justin Welby announced his resignation in November 2024 after being criticized for failing to report allegations of physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at a church-linked summer camp to police. Before the ceremony, Bishop Philip Mounstephen, who would bless her as she was installed in the diocesan chair during the service, told Reuters that the arrival of a woman in an “ancient office… older than the crown” was a historic occasion. “This signals a huge shift that has occurred in the life of the Church,” Mounstephen said. Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, during the enthronement ceremony of Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, at Canterbury Cathedral. Jordan Pettitt/Pool via Reuters Despite criticism, archbishop maintains coalition Although Mullally’s appointment in October drew sharp criticism from a conservative group of Anglican churches mainly in African and Asian countries called Gafcon, the bloc this month abandoned earlier plans to appoint a leadership parallel to Mullally, instead establishing a new council. A representative body within the global communion also ruled out an earlier proposal for a rotating presidency, due to concerns about a possible rivalry with the Archbishop of Canterbury. After the ceremony, the Archbishop met the public at Buttermarket. Yui Mok/Pool via Reuters Tensions between progressive and conservative Christians are not unique to Anglicanism, but the archbishop’s role is largely symbolic and depends on persuasion, unlike the pope, who exercises clear authority over Catholics around the world. Recent archbishops have struggled to overcome divisions over LGBTQ+ issues and female leadership between the now more progressive Church of England and more traditionalist provinces elsewhere. A bishop from the Anglican Church in Kenya, which is aligned with Gafcon, struck a more conciliatory tone upon arriving in Canterbury. “Although we maintain that this (same-sex blessings) is not acceptable, we want to argue from the inside out so that people also see why we came to this conclusion,” Bishop Francis Omondi told Reuters. Mullally herself emphasized unity in diversity, telling Reuters last October: “We are a family with a shared root, and in any global church there is great diversity.” Former nurse is welcomed by children at the cathedral Sarah Mullally and members of the clergy arrive to take part in her installation ceremony as the 106th and first female Archbishop of Canterbury Toby Melville/Reuters At the start of Wednesday’s ceremony, she knocked on the west door of the cathedral, wearing a robe fastened with a clasp inspired by the belt she wore as a National Health Service nurse. She was then greeted by children. Mullally wore a ring given to one of his predecessors, Michael Ramsey, by Pope Paul VI in 1966, a symbol of improved ties between Anglicans and Catholics centuries after King Henry VIII broke away from Rome. Prayers and readings in several languages, including Urdu, sounded throughout the cathedral during the service, reflecting the global reach of the Anglican Church. Wednesday marks the Feast of the Annunciation — a celebration of the biblical account of an angel telling Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus — and that was the main theme of the service. “As I look back on my life — at teenage Sarah, who put her faith in God and committed to following Jesus — I never could have imagined the future that lay ahead of me,” Mullally said.

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