Dame Sarah Mullally has been officially confirmed as the Archbishop of Canterbury in a special ceremony held at St Paul’s Cathedral.
During the ceremony, Dame Sarah took up the Primatial Cross, a symbol of Christ and of the authority of the Primate, and gave the blessing at the conclusion of the service.
The service featured a mix of music that included both Elgar and a South African chant. Bible readings were given in both English and in Portuguese, in recognition of the Diocese of London’s link with the Anglican Province of Mozambique and Angola - Mullally was formerly the Bishop of London.
Ahead of the service, Dame Sarah said, “It is an extraordinary and humbling privilege to have been called to be the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. In this country and around the world, Anglican churches bring healing and hope to their communities. With God’s help, I will seek to guide Christ’s flock with calmness, consistency and compassion.
“These are times of division and uncertainty for our fractured world. I pray that we will offer space to break bread together and discover what we have in common – and I pledge myself to this ministry of hospitality."
She added that she wished the Church to be a place where those who have suffered or been neglected in society can have their voices heard, mentioning specifically survivors of past church abuse scandals.
“I am committed to equipping the Church to be a kind and safe place that cares for everyone, especially those who are vulnerable, as we rise to the challenge of God’s call to justice, equity, peace and the care of creation”, she said.
Dame Sarah’s appointment followed a long hiatus where there was no serving Archbishop of Canterbury. Her predecessor, Justin Welby, stood down from the roll over a year ago following a report which criticised his handling of the child abuse allegations against the late John Smyth.
She has faced significant criticism even before taking office. While she has stood for traditional Christian views on the issue of assisted suicide, traditionalists have expressed concern at her liberal approach to matters of human sexuality and many are opposed to female episcopacy.
The Gafcon movement even went so far as to say that it would not recognise the Archbishop of Canterbury and branded itself the real Anglican Communion.
More recently she has faced scrutiny over her safeguarding track record while she was Bishop of London.
In an interview with the BBC coinciding with her confirmation, she said it was right that her actions are scrutinised.
"All of us should be open to having the light shone on what we do, and I recognise rightly that there is greater scrutiny on me and the actions that I have undertaken, and I reiterate my commitment to safeguarding. I also commit to ensuring that we have independence," said Dame Sarah.
