On March 25, a ceremony was held at Canterbury Cathedral for the enthronement of 63-year-old Sarah Mullally. She became the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the de facto leader of the Anglican Church and the spiritual head of the global Anglican Communion.
Sarah Mullally spent many years working in the UK’s National Health Service, progressing from a nurse in London to the position of Chief Nursing Officer for England. For her contributions to healthcare, she was awarded the title of Dame and the Order of the British Empire.
When women were first allowed to be ordained as priests in 1994, Mullally began combining her medical career with theological training, eventually choosing to pursue full-time religious ministry in 2004.
The enthronement ceremony was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Pope Leo XIV also sent an official message of congratulations, acknowledging the complexity of the moment for the “Anglican family” amid ongoing internal debates within the Church.
