&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Who is Sarah Mullally, the first female Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual head of Anglicans worldwide?")
63-year-old woman Dame Sarah Elisabeth Mullally became the first female spiritual head of the Anglicans worldwide. She is named as the Archbishop of Canterbury. This is a significant milestone in a nearly 500-year-old tradition of the Anglican Church, which had been largely male-dominated. The announcement is made on October 3, nearly an after the resignation of Justin Welby over the handling of John Smyth's sexual, physical and spiritual abuse scandal.
Who is Sarah Mullally?
Sarah Mullay, born in 1962 in Woking of Surrey, England. She became a Christian at age 16. She had a notable career in healthcare and ministry. Before entering into clergy, she worked as a nurse and rose up through the ranks to become the Chief Nursing Officer of England from 1999 to 2004. She later studied theology and was ordained as a priest in 2001. Since then climbed up the hierarchy. In 2015, she was appointed as the Bishop of Crediton, and three years later, she became the Bishop of London. Now at the age of 63, she rose to the highest position in the Anglican Leadership. She is married to Eamonn Mullally, with two adult children, Liam and Grace. The Archbishop of Canterbury traditionally hold a seat at the UK House of Lords.
Why is this significant?
The Anglican Communion is a tradition of Christianity that originated in the Church of England during the English Reformation in the 16th century. It is a blend of Catholic heritage and Protestant theology. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior position in the Anglican Communion. Sarah Mullally became the first female leader in an otherwise scandalous and all-male-dominated domain. This is not only her personal achievement but also an institutional transformation. Mullally herself has acknowledged the cultural shift. Following the attack on the synagogue, she expressed her support to the victims, "hatred and racism of any kind cannot be allowed to tear us apart". She asserted. "In an age that craves certainty and tribalism, Anglicanism offers something quieter and stronger."
