Sarah Mullally, a former cancer nurse, will be inaugurated today as the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury and the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide. The ceremony, held at Canterbury Cathedral, will blend tradition with global significance.
”I understand the importance of being the first female Archbishop,” she shared in an interview with BBC News ahead of the event, noting that the service will prominently feature women’s voices.
As she embarks on her public ministry, the former nurse and civil servant will be seated in the 13th-century Chair of St Augustine in front of approximately 2,000 attendees, including heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Kate, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and various religious leaders.
”It’s a monumental moment for the Church… I don’t think any of us anticipated having a female Archbishop this soon,” remarked Bishop Rachel Treweek, who was consecrated alongside Mullally in 2015 as one of the Church of England’s first women bishops, in a statement to Reuters.
While Mullally’s appointment in October faced significant backlash from a conservative faction of Anglican churches primarily located in Africa and Asia, known as Gafcon, this month the group decided against naming an alternative figurehead to Mullally, opting instead to establish a new council.
A representative body within the global Communion also withdrew a previous suggestion for a rotating presidency due to concerns about possible competition with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Today, she will gain entry to the cathedral by knocking on its west door while wearing a mitre and a cope fastened with a clasp inspired by the belt she wore as a National Health Service nurse. She will then be welcomed by children.
Mullally will also wear a ring presented to one of her predecessors, Michael Ramsey, by Pope Paul VI in 1966, symbolizing the strengthening relationship between Anglicans and Catholics, centuries after King Henry VIII’s break from Rome.
The service will include prayers and readings in various languages, such as Urdu, along with African choruses, reflecting the worldwide influence of the Anglican Church.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong