Dame Sarah Mullally, formerly the Bishop of London, began her tenure as the first female leader in the history of the Church of England during yesterday's ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral.
Speaking to the BBC, Archbishop Mullally shared a reflection in her first sermon: "When I look back at my life—thinking of the young Sarah who found faith in God and decided to follow Jesus—I could never have imagined the future that lay before me, and certainly not where I am standing now."
The ceremony was attended by approximately 2,000 guests, including Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, representing King Charles; Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer; and various dignitaries who gathered to hear her inaugural sermon. Among the guests were nurses and caregivers from Canterbury, invited in a special nod to the Archbishop’s former career in nursing.
Historically referred to as an "enthronement," the ceremony marked the symbolic beginning of Dame Sarah Mullally’s public service as the Archbishop of Canterbury. Since the time of St. Augustine in 597 AD, all 105 previous archbishops have been men. It was only in 1994 that the Church of England first permitted women to be ordained as priests.
"On one hand, I am trying to get used to the idea of being the Archbishop, and on the other, I am trying to grasp the significance of being the first woman in this role," the 63-year-old Dame Sarah told the BBC.
From Nursing to the Archbishopric
The Archbishop noted that while she has received significant support from her male colleagues, the ceremony carried a spirit that "uplifts women." Having practiced nursing since 1980, Dame Sarah became the youngest-ever Chief Nursing Officer of England in 1999. She was still holding this position when she was ordained as a priest in 2002; by 2018, she had become the first female Bishop of London.
However, some traditionalists within the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion continue to oppose the ordination of women. Earlier this month, conservative clergy meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, gathered to select Rwandan Archbishop Laurent Mbanda as their leader in opposition to Dame Sarah's appointment. She will also have to work alongside other bishops in England who, due to their theological convictions, refuse to ordain women as priests.
Ceremony Details and Modernization
In the days leading up to the ceremony, Dame Sarah completed a six-day, 145-kilometer (approx. 90 miles) pilgrimagefrom St. Paul’s Cathedral to Canterbury Cathedral. This theme of pilgrimage was woven into the ceremony, with religious rituals performed at various points stretching from the west end of the cathedral to the east.
The proceedings began with Dame Sarah striking the West Door of the cathedral three times with her crozier (staff), where she was greeted by children. At the nave, she took her oath upon the "Saint John’s Bible"—a new Bible used for the first time since 1945, seen by many as a reflection of the Church’s modernization.
Throughout the service, hymns were sung, including songs in Urdu, a Gospel reading in Spanish, and a prayer in Zambia’s Bemba language, all intended to highlight the diversity of the global Anglican Communion.
