Sarah Mullally has been formally confirmed as the Archbishop of Canterbury, three months after making history as the first woman to hold the role since the Church of England was founded nearly 1,400 years ago.
Her confirmation took place on Wednesday during a service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Mullally described the moment as “an extraordinary and humbling privilege”.
“With God’s help, I will seek to guide Christ’s flock with calmness, consistency and compassion,” the new archbishop said, highlighting the importance of such leadership in these “times of division and uncertainty for our fractured world”.
The confirmation ceremony reflected the global nature of the Anglican Church, with contributions from different cultures. Hymns were performed by the St Paul’s Cathedral choir, a Xhosa chant from South Africa was included, and a student delivered a reading in both English and Portuguese, the main language spoken in the Anglican provinces of Mozambique and Angola, which have pastoral ties with the Diocese of London.
The Church of England had been without a leader for nearly a year following the resignation of Justin Welby, who stepped down after failing to report a prolific child abuser.
Mullally was named as Welby’s successor in October last year.
Before her appointment, she built a career in healthcare, working as a nurse in London hospitals before rising to become England’s chief nursing officer and director of patient experience in the National Health Service.
She now serves as the spiritual head of about 85 million Anglicans around the world, with her official installation scheduled for March.