The Church of England , founded in 1554, will be led by a woman for the first time, as Sarah Mullally , the Bishop of London , was announced on Friday as the next Archbishop of Canterbury , the highest-ranking bishop in the Church.
Mullally, 63, succeeds 105 men to become the first woman to lead the Anglican Communion , which comprises 85 million (8.5 crore) members worldwide.
She will succeed former Archbishop Justin Welby, who announced his resignation in November last year following an independent investigation. The probe found that he had failed to report to the police instances of serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps, despite being aware of them.
Who is Sarah Mullally?
According to the BBC, Mullally is a former National Health Service (NHS) nurse who became a priest in 2006. In 2018, she was appointed as the first female Bishop of London, making her the third most senior member of clergy in the Church of England.
She spent over 35 years in the NHS, and in 1999, became the youngest-ever Chief Nursing Officer for England. A few years later, she decided to pursue the priesthood.
In 2012, Mullally became canon treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral, and three years later, she was appointed Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter.
Mullally will not formally assume her new role until a confirmation of election in January, followed by an enthronement service after paying homage to King Charles III, the head of state.
Women were first ordained as priests in the Church of England in 1994, with the first female bishops appointed two decades later, in 2014.
Why the role matters
Although the monarch—King Charles III in this case—is the formal head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury is its most senior bishop and serves as the spiritual leader of both the Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion, which includes numerous national churches.
The Archbishop carries the title “Primate of All England,” reflecting their seniority as the “first bishop” in England.
Mullally, 63, succeeds 105 men to become the first woman to lead the Anglican Communion , which comprises 85 million (8.5 crore) members worldwide.
She will succeed former Archbishop Justin Welby, who announced his resignation in November last year following an independent investigation. The probe found that he had failed to report to the police instances of serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps, despite being aware of them.
Who is Sarah Mullally?
According to the BBC, Mullally is a former National Health Service (NHS) nurse who became a priest in 2006. In 2018, she was appointed as the first female Bishop of London, making her the third most senior member of clergy in the Church of England.
She spent over 35 years in the NHS, and in 1999, became the youngest-ever Chief Nursing Officer for England. A few years later, she decided to pursue the priesthood.
In 2012, Mullally became canon treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral, and three years later, she was appointed Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter.
Mullally will not formally assume her new role until a confirmation of election in January, followed by an enthronement service after paying homage to King Charles III, the head of state.
Women were first ordained as priests in the Church of England in 1994, with the first female bishops appointed two decades later, in 2014.
Why the role matters
Although the monarch—King Charles III in this case—is the formal head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury is its most senior bishop and serves as the spiritual leader of both the Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion, which includes numerous national churches.
The Archbishop carries the title “Primate of All England,” reflecting their seniority as the “first bishop” in England.
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