Church of England appoints its first female leader

(SeaPRwire) –   The predecessor of Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally stepped down amid criticism over his handling of a serial sexual abuse cover-up

The Church of England has installed Dame Sarah Mullally as its first female Archbishop of Canterbury since the church’s founding in 1534.

The ceremony was held at Canterbury Cathedral on Wednesday and was attended by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales.

In her speech, Mullally—a former NHS nurse—vowed to stand with victims of historical abuse and focus on safeguarding and accountability.

“We must not overlook or minimize the pain experienced by those who have been harmed through the actions, inactions and failures of those in our own Christian churches and communities,” she said.

Justin Welby, the new Archbishop’s predecessor, resigned following growing criticism of his management of a cover-up of serial sexual abuse by influential barrister John Smyth within the church in the UK and Africa during the 1970s and 1980s.

Mullally has recently faced media backlash over what some saw as a insufficiently strong stance against a parliamentary bill seeking to decriminalize late-stage abortion in the UK. Currently, women in Britain can access an abortion up to 24 weeks into pregnancy, with some exceptions.

“I do not think that women who act in relation to their own pregnancies should be prosecuted, but I also do not wish to see any increase in later abortions,” Mullally said in the House of Lords last week. She stressed that she would not support the abortion amendment.

The bill is currently being considered by the upper chamber of British Parliament. While Archbishops of Canterbury have less political influence than historically, they hold a seat in the House of Lords with other senior bishops and are involved in legislative processes.