Late January saw the historic confirmation of Dame Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. With the Confirmation of Election ceremony, which took place at Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London, she becomes the first woman to be elected Archbishop of Canterbury since the founding of the Church of England. She will oversee a church that has 85 million members in 165 countries.
As the bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, her duties include crowning the British monarch and conducting major ceremonies, including funerals and weddings for the monarchy. She will sit as a Lord Spiritual in the British Parliament, with the right to opine on national values and ethics. After the royal family, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the highest-ranking individual in British society.
Cardinal Kurt Koch, the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, wrote a letter of congratulations to Archbishop Mullally “to express the good wishes of the Catholic Church to you as you prepare to undertake this important service to your Church. I pray that the Lord will bless you with the gifts you need for the very demanding ministry to which you now been called, equipping you to be an instrument of communion and unity for the faithful among whom you will serve.”
He noted that dialogue and understanding between the Anglican Communion and Roman Catholic Church have advanced in the past 60 years, despite some tensions. He mentioned Bishop Mullally attending Pope Francis’ funeral, and ended his letter by affirming his “fervent hope that such closeness may continue in the years ahead as we continue to walk together on the way.”
On behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of England welcomed the announcement, saying that “she will bring many personal gifts and experience to her new role. The challenges and opportunities facing the new archbishop are many and significant. On behalf of our Catholic community, I assure her of our prayers.”
He added, “Together we will be responsive to the prayer of Jesus that we ‘may all be one,’ and shared mission between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church.”
Archbishop Mullally’s appointment was announced in October after being approved by King Charles III. Her formal installation will take place March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, at Canterbury Cathedral. The Anglican Communion is the third-largest Christian communion after Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
As archbishop, she will be the spiritual leader who keeps the unity of the Anglican Communion. While she has no legal authority over the independent provinces (such as the Episcopal Church in the United States), she will be recognized as “Primus Inter Pares” (first among equals) among the bishops of the Anglican Communion. She will preside over churchwide meetings such as the Lambeth Conference, which every 10 years, brings together Anglican bishops from across the world.
Prior to being ordained to the Anglican priesthood (and her eventual appointment as Bishop of London), Archbishop Mullally served as England’s chief nursing officer and sat in the House of Lords. She is known for blending healthcare experience with church leadership on social issues like poverty and issues of equality. Her ministry style often reflects her clinical background – focusing on poverty and climate change, and supporting marginalized communities. She also advocates for more inclusive church practices and policies, and she is an advocate for same-sex blessings.
Father Joseph D. Wallace is diocesan director of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs and pastor of Christ the Redeemer Parish, Atco.
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