First Woman Appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury, Making Historic Choice

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

For the first time in the history of the Church of England, a woman has taken the leadership position of this ancient institution. Sarah Mullally, the 63-year-old Bishop of London, was appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday, October 3, corresponding to September 11 in the Iranian calendar, a position that makes her the spiritual leader of more than 85 million followers of the Anglican Church worldwide.

This appointment came about a year after Justin Welby, the Church of England’s previous leader, resigned from his position due to failing to report a child abuse case. After months of speculation about his successor, Sarah Mullally is now being introduced as the one hundred and thirty-sixth Archbishop of Canterbury.

Mullally reached the priesthood in 2002 and was appointed as a bishop in 2015, becoming one of the first women to do so. She had been the Bishop of London for the past seven years and was recognized in 2018 as the first woman in this historic position. Before entering church service, Mullally spent years in the nursing profession.

Structural reforms in the Church of England that took place more than a decade ago paved the way for women to hold the highest religious positions. Now, with this selection, one of Britain’s last traditional domains that has always been under male control has been entrusted to a woman for the first time.

Reactions to her appointment have been widespread. Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, congratulated Mullally’s selection in a message and emphasized that she will play an important role in the lives of the people of this country.

Other names, including Guli Francis Dehqani, an Iranian-origin refugee and Bishop of the Chelmsford Church, were also considered for this position.

In her first remarks as the leader of the Church of England, Mullally said: “I want to encourage the church to continue its path of development with greater confidence.”

She also added: “I am eagerly looking forward to beginning this shared faith journey with millions of people throughout Britain and in the worldwide Anglican communion who are serving God and their communities.”

The Church of England’s new leader also emphasized the necessity of combating antisemitism in another part of her message and continued: “We as a church have a responsibility to stand with the Jewish community and oppose any form of antisemitism.”