A 1,400-Year-Old Role Is Now Held by a Woman

A historic moment unfolded at Canterbury Cathedral on Wednesday as Sarah Mullally was formally installed as the 106th archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to hold the position and lead the global Anglican Communion. The 90-minute ceremony opened with Mullally knocking three times on the cathedral’s west door before being greeted by local schoolchildren. Among the congregation were the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Mullally, previously England’s chief nursing officer, delivered a sermon reflecting on her new role.

The service was timed to coincide with the Feast of the Annunciation, a day commemorating when Mary learned she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus—a celebration the Church says honors “one of the great women of the Bible” and prompts reflection on responding to God’s call.

Although Mullally, 63, officially assumed the role of archbishop in January, Wednesday’s event marked the start of her public ministry as the head of the Church of England and the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, an association of independent churches including the Episcopal Church in the United States, representing over 100 million members globally.

The installation represents a landmark moment in the Church of England’s history, which dates back to 597 when St. Augustine was sent by the pope to convert the people of Britain to Christianity. Augustine is recognized as the first archbishop of Canterbury. The English church later separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1530s during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Observers have noted Mullally’s calm and measured presence. Madeleine Davies, a senior journalist for Church Times who has met Mullally several times, told NPR that her background as chief nursing officer will serve her well. “She always seems very calm, in control, self-contained,” Davies said. “She’s got quite a peaceable presence, and I think that will be reassuring to people.”

In the days leading up to the installation, Mullally undertook a six-day pilgrimage covering 87 miles from St. Paul’s Cathedral in London to Canterbury, retracing the journey famously chronicled in the Canterbury Tales. According to The New York Times, she is the first archbishop in modern times to make the trek.

Original Source