First woman to become Archbishop of Canterbury makes historic choice

With the election of the first woman as Archbishop of Canterbury, one of England's most traditional religious institutions entered a new phase in its history.

For the first time in the history of the Church of England, a woman has taken the position of spiritual leader of this ancient institution. Sarah Mulally, the 63-year-old Bishop of London, was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday, October 3, a position that makes her the spiritual leader of the more than 85 million followers of the Church of England worldwide.

The appointment comes almost a year after the resignation of former Church of England leader Justin Welby over his failure to report a child abuse case. After months of speculation about his successor, Sarah Mulally has now been named the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.

Mullaly was ordained a priest in 2002 and became one of the first women to be ordained a bishop in 2015. She had been Bishop of London for seven years and was appointed the first woman to hold the historic position in 2018. Before entering the church service, Mullaly spent many years as a nurse.

Structural reforms in the Church of England, more than a decade ago, opened the way for women to hold the highest clerical positions, and the election marks the first time a woman has held one of the last traditionally male-dominated positions in Britain.

Reactions to his election have also been widespread. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated Mulally on his election in a message and emphasized that he will play an important role in the lives of the people of this country.

Other names, including "Goli Francis Dehghani," an Iranian refugee and Bishop of Chelmsford, were also considered for this position.

In his first speech as leader of the Church of England, Mulally said: "I want to encourage the church to continue its path of growth with greater confidence."

He added: "I look forward to beginning this shared journey of faith with the millions of people across the UK and in the global Anglican Communion who serve God and their communities."

In another part of his message, the new leader of the Church of England also emphasized the need to confront anti-Semitism, continuing: "As a church, we have a responsibility to stand with the Jewish community and confront every form of anti-Semitism."