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Dame Sarah Mullally has been named as the incoming spiritual leader of the Church of England - making history as the first woman to be selected for this significant position.

Previously England's chief nursing officer, the sixty-three-year-old entered the priesthood in 2006 and was named as the first female Bishop of London in 2018 - the third most senior member of religious leadership in the Anglican Church.

This marks the initial occasion in nearly 500 years of tradition that the Church has chosen a woman to lead it.

Groundbreaking Appointment

The Church has been lacking an individual in the leading position for approximately twelve months after Justin Welby stepped down over a safeguarding scandal.

He resigned following a critical investigation into a prolific child abuser associated with the Church. The report found that he "could and should" have notified authorities about John Smyth's abuse of boys and young men to law enforcement in 2013.

The Archbishop of York assumed most of Mr Welby's responsibilities in an interim move, and was among those casting ballots of the body tasked with choosing his replacement.

Official Procedure

In line with tradition, the procedure of choosing a new archbishop involves a name being given to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and then forwarded to the monarch.

Sir Keir has applauded Dame Sarah's appointment, stating: "The Archbishop of Canterbury will serve an important function in our national life. I wish her every success and anticipate collaborating."

While, technically, the King is head of the Anglican Church, the individual holding the position of spiritual leader is the most senior bishop and is the spiritual leader of the Church and the global Anglican community.

Monarchical and Global Reaction

The monarch has congratulated the new Archbishop on her appointment, "which is of such importance in the UK and across the worldwide Anglican community", the royal household stated.

The international conservative Anglican group, which advocates for traditional positions, has questioned the selection, saying that although certain groups support the decision, "most members of the Anglican Communion still maintains that the Bible requires a all-male bishopric."

Handover Process

She will not formally assume her new role until a formal approval process in January, and an enthronement service comes later, after they have paid homage to the King.

In a statement on the announcement day after her appointment was finalized, she commented: "I recognize this is a significant undertaking but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as has consistently occurred."

Addressing media at the historic church, she said that "in an age that seeks absolute answers and group identity, Anglicanism offers something quieter but more resilient."

Addressing Violence

Addressing the "horrific violence" of the previous day's incident on a synagogue in Manchester, she said "we observe prejudice that emerges through divisions across our society."

She added: "The religious community have a responsibility to be a people who stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism in all its forms. Prejudice and discrimination of all types cannot be permitted to tear us apart."

Background and Career

Married with two children, she devoted more than three decades in the National Health Service, achieving the position of the most junior person to serve as chief nurse for England in 1999.

Although she was volunteering in the Church at the period, it was just a short time after that she decided to become a clergy member and was quickly tasked with helping implement changes in the way the institution addressed misconduct.

In 2012 she became canon treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral before becoming Bishop of Crediton in the regional church administration in 2015.

As London's religious leader she was regarded as someone who applied her background as an NHS administrator to help update the diocese.

Personal Philosophy

"I am often asked what it has been like to have had two careers, first in the health service and now in the Church.

"I like to consider that I have always had a single calling: to follow Jesus Christ, to know him and to share his message, continually striving to demonstrate empathy in the assistance to people, whether as a nurse, a religious leader, or a church official."

Future Challenges

Perhaps the most urgent thing in her agenda is still to chart a better path towards dealing with abuse and treating with more compassion those impacted by such incidents.

There has also been a decline in religious participation, though the capital has to some extent bucked that trend.

A particular subject she has been particularly vocal on is end-of-life choices - she is a vociferous opponent, as was her predecessor.

When legislation was passed in the Commons, she characterized it as "impractical and dangerous and creates danger to the most at-risk individuals in our community."

Modern Positions

One of her roles as Bishop of London was to lead a committee trying to steer the Church's decision on whether to bless same-sex marriages.

She characterized the determination to ultimately permit priests to sanction gay relationships in 2023 as "an optimistic development for the religious community."

A former Archbishop, summarised her new role as requiring a "newspaper in one hand and a Bible in the other."

The former spiritual leader told media outlets "the expectation of having an position on all matters is significantly demanding."