Dame Sarah Mullally has told of her joy in making history as the first woman to be named Archbishop of Canterbury while paying tribute to those who paved the way for the moment.
The former chief nursing officer for England also acknowledged the challenges ahead as the first female to be top bishop in the Church of England due to the “legacy of deep harm and mistrust” she said existed following past safeguarding failures.
Dame Sarah is now Archbishop of Canterbury-designate, ahead of a legal ceremony that will confirm her position as the Church’s top bishop.
She is the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, with the role having been vacant for almost a year after Justin Welby announced his resignation from office, following failures in handling an abuse scandal.
In address at Canterbury Cathedral, Dame Sarah said: “I’m told that there will be much talk today about this being a historic moment and a joyous one for many.
“I share with you in that joy, not for myself, but for a Church that listens to the calling of God and says, ‘Yes, we will follow you’.
“I intend to be a shepherd who enables everyone’s ministry and vocation to flourish, whatever the tradition.
“Today, I give thanks for all the men and women, lay and ordained deacons, priests and bishops who have paved the way for this moment, and to all the women that have gone before me – thank you for your support and inspiration.”
Sir Keir Starmer also welcomed the appointment, saying: “The Church of England is of profound importance to this country. Its churches, cathedrals, schools, and charities are part of the fabric of our communities.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our national life. I wish her every success and look forward to working together.”
Lord Evans of Weardale, chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury, said he will be “praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months”.
Dame Sarah is the government’s former chief nursing officer for England, becoming the youngest holder of the role, having specialised as a cancer nurse.
She trained for ministry at the South East Institute of Theological Education, having studied at South Bank University, London, and Heythrop College, University of London. She is currently the Bishop of London.
While making history as the first woman in the role, she will be seen by many as a safe pair of hands, given her extensive experience.
She was ordained in 2001 and in 2004 took up a full-time ministry in the London borough of Sutton. She was made a Dame in 2005 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to nursing and midwifery.
While the Archbishop of Canterbury is automatically granted a seat in the House of Lords, Dame Sarah has had a place there since 2018 as a senior bishop.
Dame Sarah is seen as progressive on the issue of same-sex blessings in the Church – a subject which has seen strongly competing opinions among Church members.
In 2023, after a vote to approve blessings, she described the result as a “moment of hope for the Church” but recognised that differences of opinion remained.
She said: “I know that what we have proposed as a way forward does not go nearly far enough for many but too far for others.”
The appointment comes after an almost year-long wait since Justin Welby announced he would be resigning over a safeguarding scandal.
He announced he would quit last November over failures in the wake of the damning Makin review, which implicated him in the Church’s failure to protect victims from serial abuser John Smyth.
The review concluded Smyth might have been brought to justice had the archbishop formally alerted authorities in 2013.
In a job description published earlier this year by the Diocese of Canterbury, it was stated that the person filling the role should be someone of “the utmost integrity who is able to speak honestly” about failures and injustices in the Church, and a “servant leader, who shows compassion towards the disadvantaged and marginalised”.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell took on most of the responsibilities in the interim, and was one of the voting members of the body charged with choosing Mr Welby’s successor.
Health secretary Wes Streeting also welcomed Dame Sarah’s appointment, dubbing her “the nurse who became Archbishop of Canterbury.
“A wonderful choice. Kind, caring and compassionate,” he said.
