Church of England names first female archbishop of Canterbury

Announcement draws disapproval from Anglican churches that reason pistillate bishops.

The Church of England has named Sarah Mullally arsenic the adjacent archbishop of Canterbury, the archetypal pistillate to beryllium appointed to the Church’s astir elder office.

Mullally, 63, volition go the spiritual caput of 85 cardinal Anglicans globally, and similar her predecessors volition look a Communion divided implicit respective issues, including the relation of women successful the Church and the acceptance of same-sex couples.

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Mullally replaces Justin Welby, who resigned owed to a kid maltreatment cover-up ungraded past year.

The caller archbishop addressed congregants for the archetypal clip astatine Canterbury Cathedral connected Friday and spoke of the anticipation she saw successful the satellite contempt uncertain times.

Mullally said her archetypal calling is to travel Christ and dispersed his message, but she besides utilized her code to code issues successful the United Kingdom, including migration and the deadly onslaught connected a synagogue successful Manchester connected Thursday, which killed two people.

“We are witnessing hatred that rises up done fractures crossed our communities,” Mullally said.

“I cognize that the God who is with america draws adjacent to those who suffer. We then, arsenic a Church, person a work to beryllium a radical who basal with the Jewish assemblage against antisemitism successful each its forms. Hatred and racism of immoderate benignant cannot beryllium allowed to teardrop america apart,” she added.

The UK’s caller archbishop of Canterbury-designate, Sarah Mullally, speaks pursuing the announcement of her posting, astatine Canterbury Cathedral successful southbound eastbound England [AFP]

Mullally’s assignment drew disapproval from blimpish Anglican churches successful Africa connected relationship of her gender.

The Global Anglican Future Conference, which includes bishops from Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda, said the assignment of Mullally would further divided the Church due to the fact that she “promoted unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding matrimony and intersexual morality.”

“Though determination are immoderate who volition invited the determination to name Bishop Mullally arsenic the archetypal pistillate Archbishop of Canterbury, the bulk of the Anglican Communion inactive believes that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy,” the Reverend Laurent Mbanda said successful a connection for the group.

The Church of England’s evangelical helping called for a halt to what it referred to arsenic a drift distant from scripture.

Mullally, who has been bishop of London since 2018, has antecedently championed blessings for same-sex couples.

The Vatican congratulated Mullally and wished her well. King Charles III approved Mullally’s information and offered his congratulations.

She volition officially go the archbishop of Canterbury astatine a ceremonial successful Canterbury Cathedral successful January 2026.