Sarah Mullally named as first woman to lead Church of England

A 63-year-old former nurse, Sarah Mullally, was named as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday, pledging to improve safety at the Church of England following an abuse scandal that ousted her predecessor.

The former midwife becomes the first woman to lead the centuries-old mother church of the world's 85-million strong Anglican community.

Her nomination by a committee tasked with finding a successor to Justin Welby, who stepped down earlier this year, was approved by King Charles III, the UK government said in a statement.

Mullally was appointed by King Charles following a lengthy selection process under a former head of the MI5 domestic security service.

Sarah Mullally attends a Service of Prayer and Reflection for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in London on Sept.9, 2022. AFP

Some churches around the Anglican world — which collectively boasts some 85 million followers in more than 165 countries — had long permitted women bishops, with the first appointed in the United States in 1989.

More than 40 of England's 108 bishops are now women, with a similar proportion among priests, after women clergy were first permitted in the early 1990s.

Mullally acknowledged the "huge responsibility" of her new role and vowed to "confront the dynamics of power" that had led the church to cover up the abuse of dozens of boys and young men several decades ago.

Sarah Mullally walks into Canterbury Cathedral ahead of a media conference in Canterbury. AP

She cautioned that it would "not be easy," due to a "history of safeguarding failures" that has "left a legacy of deep harm and mistrust" in the Church of England, which can trace its origins back to the Roman Empire.

"We must all be willing to have light shone on our actions, regardless of our role in the church," she said during an appearance at Canterbury Cathedral in southeast England following her appointment.

"As Archbishop, my commitment will be to ensure that we continue to listen to survivors, care for the vulnerable, and foster a culture of safety and well-being for all," Mullally added.

The Church of England became the country's state establishment church following King Henry VIII's split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1530s.

The British monarch is its supreme governor, while the Archbishop of Canterbury is seen as the spiritual leader of Anglicans worldwide.

Mullally, who is married with two children, will become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the first having been appointed in the late sixth century, when she officially takes up the role following a ceremony due in January.

Sarah Mullally speaks inside Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury on Friday. AP

She worked in Britain's state-run National Health Service for more than three decades, rising to become its chief nursing officer for England in 1999.

Ordained a priest in 2002, she became the first female Bishop of London in 2018, only four years after the church began allowing women bishops following years of bitter factional wrangling.

Assisted dying opponent

Mullally has reportedly described herself as a feminist and called the decision to finally allow priests to bless same-sex couples in 2023 as "a moment of hope for the church", although she recognised that differences remained.

As one of 26 archbishops and bishops who sit in parliament's unelected House of Lords Upper Chamber, Mullally has been a vocal opponent of plans to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales.

In June she called the bill "unworkable and unsafe," adding "the potential for abuse and uninformed or coerced decisions is enormous."

Welby resigned after a report found the Church of England had covered up a 1970s serial abuse case and that he failed to report the abuses to authorities when they came to his attention in 2013.

According to the independent probe, John Smyth, a lawyer who organised evangelical summer camps in the 1970s and 1980s, was responsible for the abuse of as many as 130 boys and young men.
Smyth died aged 75 in South Africa in 2018 while under investigation by British police. He never faced any criminal charges.

The scandal shocked the UK and prompted widespread calls for reform in the Church of England.
Mullally will also have to grapple with falling church attendance numbers.

The Church of England has some 20 million baptised members, but the number of regular churchgoers is estimated at just under one million, according to figures for 2022.

Agence France-Presse