Bishop of London Sarah Mullally appointed the first woman archbishop of Canterbury

The church of England announced on Friday that Sarah Mullally will become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, marking the first time that a woman was selected for the role.

As a bishop of London since 2018, Mullally replaces the former archbishop Justin Welby, who resigned last November after an independent investigation discovered that he had not acted after learning the physical and sexual abuses in series by a volunteer in the Christian summer camps.

The head of the church of England resigns after having failed to report sexual abuses of several decades by the voluntary summer camp

The new British Archbishop of designated Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, speaks following the announcement of her assignment, at the Caterbury cathedral in south-eastern England on October 3, 2025. (Ben Stansall / AFP via Getty Images)

She will be the first woman archbishop of Canterbury after 105 male predecessors.

Mullally will be known as the Archbishop of Canterbury designated until his election is confirmed at Saint-Paul Cathedral in January 2026, according to the church. An installation service will take place in March at the Canterbury cathedral.

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The Church of England is the Mother Church of Anglican Communion, which has more than 85 million members in 165 countries.

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