Dame Sarah Mullally has been enthroned as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury and is set to lead the Church of England, in a historic ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral.
The 63-year-old former nurse took her seat on the 13th-century Chair of St Augustine in front of 2,000 guests, including the Prince and Princess of Wales as well as Keir Starmer and religious leaders from around the world.
In her first sermon as archbishop, Dame Sarah prayed for peace in conflict-affected regions, including the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan and Myanmar.
“As I begin my ministry today as Archbishop of Canterbury, I say again to God, ‘Here I am,'” she told the congregation.
Dame Sarah also acknowledged the church’s past safeguarding failures and said it must “remain committed to truth, compassion, justice and action”.
The ceremony followed centuries-old tradition.
Dame Sarah also took part in the centuries old-tradition of knocking three times on the cathedral’s west door before entering and starting her service. She also wore a cloak secured with a clasp modelled on the belt she wore while working as a nurse in Britain’s National Health Service.
Bishop Philip Mounstephen said the appointment marked a major moment for the church.
“It does signal a huge change that has taken place in the life of the church,” he said.
Dame Sarah, who was born in 1962 in Woking, south-west of London, worked as a nurse before becoming chief nursing officer for England at the age of 37.
She began training for the ministry while working her nursing job, before she became a bishop in 2015 and was later appointed Bishop of London.
Reflecting on her life during the service, she said she had never imagined she would take on the role.
“As I look back over my life — at the teenage Sarah, who put her faith in God and made a commitment to follow Jesus — I could never have imagined the future that lay ahead,” she said.
Her appointment follows a months-long selection process and comes despite divisions within parts of the Anglican Communion over the role of women in senior church leadership.
However, Wednesday’s ceremony focused on a new beginning, with prayers and readings delivered in several languages to reflect the church’s global reach.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
