LONDON, U.K.: The Church of England got its first female spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide when Sarah Mullally was enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury on March 25
Marking the start of her public ministry, the former nurse and civil servant sat at the service in the Canterbury Cathedral, the 13th-century Chair of St Augustine, before some 2,000 guests, including heir-to-the-throne Prince William and his wife Kate, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and religious leaders.
"It's a huge moment for the Church... I don't think any of us thought we'd have a female Archbishop this quickly," Bishop Rachel Treweek, who was consecrated alongside Mullally in 2015 among the CoE's first women bishops, told Reuters.
When Mullally was appointed in October, a conservative group of Anglican churches from mainly African and Asian countries called Gafcon strongly criticised the decision. However, this month the group dropped its earlier plan to appoint a rival leader and instead created a new council.
Another global Anglican body also cancelled its earlier plan to adopt rotating leadership after concerns that it could create conflict with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Disagreements between progressive and conservative Christians are not limited to the Anglican Church. But unlike the Pope, who has clear authority over Catholics worldwide, the Archbishop of Canterbury mainly has a symbolic role and relies on influence and persuasion.
Treweek said that no matter who becomes Archbishop of Canterbury, there will always be disagreements within the large and diverse Anglican community, and this is nothing new.
Recent Archbishops have found it difficult to manage the complex role and bring unity, especially on issues like LGBTQ+ rights and women's leadership, where the Church of England is more progressive than some traditional churches in other countries.
Gafcon had also rejected the leadership of Mullally's predecessor, Justin Welby, because of the Church of England's decision to bless same-sex unions.
Mullally has stressed the importance of unity despite differences, saying that the Anglican Church is like a family with shared roots but great diversity.
On March 25, she formally entered the cathedral by knocking on its west door, dressed in traditional church clothing. She was welcomed by children.
She also wore a ring once given to former Archbishop Michael Ramsey by Pope Paul VI in 1966, which symbolised improving relations between Anglicans and Catholics after the split from Rome under King Henry VIII.
The service included prayers and readings in different languages, including Urdu, and African-style singing to reflect the global nature of the Anglican Church.
The main theme of the service was the Feast of the Annunciation, which celebrated the biblical story of an angel telling Mary she would become the mother of Jesus.
Bishop Nicholas Baines said that Archbishop Sarah brings the right skills and experience and offers the church a chance for more confident, positive dialogue.
