Sarah Mullally has been formally confirmed as the Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the nearly 1,400-year history of the Church of England.
Her appointment was confirmed during a service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on Wednesday, three months after she was initially named to the role. Mullally described the appointment 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, adding that such leadership is especially needed in “times of division and uncertainty for our fractured world.”
The confirmation service reflected the global nature of the Anglican Communion, featuring hymns from the St Paul’s Cathedral choir, a Xhosa South African chant, and a scripture reading delivered in both English and Portuguese—a nod to the church’s pastoral links with Mozambique and Angola.
Mullally, a former nurse who rose to become England’s Chief Nursing Officer, succeeds Justin Welby, who resigned almost a year ago following criticism over his handling of a child abuse case. She will serve as the spiritual leader of approximately 85 million Anglicans worldwide.
Her official installation is scheduled for March.
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