The Church of England has officially enthroned Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, in a ceremony held in the city’s cathedral with the attendance of about 2,000 people.
The event was attended by Prince William and Princess Kate representing the royal family, as well as the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. The ceremony included the traditional rite of entry into the cathedral, in which the new archbishop waited outside before being formally received after the reading of a letter from King Charles III, head of the Anglican Church.
Oath and Ecumenical Commitment
During the celebration, Mullally took an oath of fidelity to the laws of the Church of England and to the British monarch. She also signed an ecumenical commitment alongside representatives of other Christian denominations present at the event.
The new holder of Canterbury succeeds Justin Welby and takes on the role of Primate of the Church of England and a reference figure in the Anglican Communion worldwide.
Personal and Ecclesial Background
Sarah Mullally, 63 years old, has training as a nurse and held positions of responsibility in the British healthcare system before her ordination as a «deacon» in 2001 and as a «priest» in 2006, within the Anglican Church.
In 2015 she was consecrated bishop and served as the holder of the Diocese of London. She has been married since 1987 and is the mother of two children.
A Sermon Centered on Faith and Hope
In her first sermon as archbishop, broadcast by the Archbishopric of Canterbury, Mullally took as her starting point the words from the Gospel of Saint Luke —»nothing is impossible for God»— to reflect on trust in God and the path of faith.
The new archbishop evoked the figure of the Virgin Mary as an example of a confident response to the divine call, emphasizing the importance of accepting one’s own path even in the midst of uncertainty. She also referred to her own personal and vocational journey, which she described as an itinerary guided by faith.
In her address, she also alluded to current challenges, mentioning international conflicts and the suffering of victims of abuses within Christian communities, and insisted on the need to maintain commitment to truth, justice, and compassion.
Internal Tensions in Anglicanism
Mullally’s enthronement comes at a time of particular tension within the Anglican Communion. In recent weeks, various sectors—especially in Africa and other regions of the so-called «Global South»—have promoted new coordination structures, such as a Global Anglican Council, questioning the traditional role of Canterbury as the axis of unity.
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These initiatives reflect deep doctrinal differences that have intensified in recent years, around issues such as the ordination of women to the episcopate or moral interpretations in certain areas, generating growing fragmentation within Anglicanism.