Sarah Mullally Selected as New Spiritual Leader of the Church of England

The 63-year-old former NHS chief nurse has been named as the new Archbishop of Canterbury designate - creating a milestone as the first woman to be picked for this prestigious role.

Previously England's chief nursing officer, the 63-year-old became a priest in 2006 and was named as the first female Bishop of London in 2018 - the third most senior member of religious leadership in the Church of England.

This signifies the first time in nearly 500 years of tradition that the Anglican Communion has chosen a woman to lead it.

Groundbreaking Selection

The Anglican Church has been without someone in the senior role for almost a year after the previous Archbishop stepped down over a protection controversy.

He resigned following a damning report into a prolific child abuser linked to the religious institution. The investigation found that he "was able and obligated" have notified authorities about the misconduct by John Smyth of male youths to law enforcement in 2013.

The Archbishop of York assumed most of the former Archbishop's responsibilities in an interim move, and was among those casting ballots of the body tasked with selecting his successor.

Official Procedure

Following established custom, the procedure of choosing a new archbishop involves a candidate being presented to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and then forwarded to the sovereign.

Sir Keir has welcomed Dame Sarah's appointment, stating: "This position will play a key role in our national life. I offer my best wishes and anticipate working together."

While, technically, the King is leader of the Anglican Church, the person holding the role of Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop and is the religious guide of the religious institution and the global Anglican community.

Monarchical and International Response

The monarch has congratulated the new Archbishop on her appointment, "a position of great significance in the United Kingdom and across the global Anglican Communion", Buckingham Palace said.

The international conservative Anglican group, which represents conservative views, has criticised the appointment, stating that although some will welcome it, "most members of the Anglican Communion still maintains that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy."

Transition Period

She does not legally take on her position until a confirmation of election in January, and an enthronement service comes subsequently, after they have paid homage to the King.

In a statement on the announcement day after her new role was finalized, she stated: "I recognize this is a huge responsibility but I undertake it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as has consistently occurred."

Addressing media at Canterbury Cathedral, she said that "during a period that seeks absolute answers and tribalism, Anglicanism provides a more subtle approach but more resilient."

Addressing Violence

Talking about the "horrific violence" of Thursday's attack on a synagogue in the northern city, she said "we observe hatred that rises up through fractures across our communities."

She continued: "The religious community have a responsibility to be a people who support the Jewish people against prejudice against Jews in every manifestation. Prejudice and discrimination of any kind cannot be allowed to tear us apart."

Background and Career

Married with two children, she devoted more than three decades in the NHS, achieving the position of the most junior person to serve as chief nurse for the country in 1999.

Although she was volunteering in the Church at the period, it was just a short time after that she decided to become a clergy member and was promptly assigned helping implement changes in the way the institution dealt with abuse.

In that year she became canon treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral before assuming the role of diocesan leader in the diocese of Exeter in 2015.

As London's religious leader she was seen as someone who applied her background as an health service manager to help modernise the church district.

Personal Philosophy

"I am often asked what it has been like to have had two careers, initially in the health service and currently in the religious institution.

"I like to consider that I have consistently maintained a single calling: to follow Jesus Christ, to understand his teachings and to share his message, always seeking to demonstrate empathy in the assistance to people, whether as a nurse, a religious leader, or a bishop."

Future Challenges

Possibly the pressing issue in her agenda is still to chart a better path towards addressing misconduct and treating with more compassion those affected by it.

There has also been a reduction in church attendance, though London has to some extent bucked that trend.

A particular subject she has been most outspoken about is assisted dying - she is a vociferous opponent, as was her predecessor.

When legislation was approved in the Commons, she characterized it as "unworkable and unsafe and poses a risk to the most vulnerable people in our society."

Modern Positions

One of her roles as London's religious leader was to lead a committee trying to steer the religious institution's determination on whether to bless same-sex marriages.

She characterized the decision to ultimately permit priests to sanction gay relationships in last year as "an optimistic development for the Church."

Rowan Williams, summarised her position as necessitating a "awareness of current affairs and a Bible in the other."

Dr Williams explained to journalists "the pressure of having an opinion on everything is significantly demanding."