Sarah Mullally named first woman Archbishop of Canterbury

Sarah Mullally was named on Friday as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to be chosen to lead the Church of England and serve as the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The 63-year-old Bishop of London will be the 106th person to hold the office and is expected to take up the role formally after a legal confirmation at St Pauls Cathedral in January, with an installation service at Canterbury Cathedral to follow in March.

Mullally, a former chief nursing officer for England who trained and worked as a nurse before entering ordained ministry, was selected through the Crown Nominations Commission. The commission, chaired by former MI5 director Lord Evans of Weardale, must reach a two-thirds majority to endorse a candidate before the name is passed to the prime minister and then presented to the monarch for formal consent. Under tradition, the new archbishop will also pay homage to the King prior to enthronement and will hold a seat among the Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords while in office.

The appointment comes after more than a year without a permanent holder of the post following the resignation of Justin Welby amid criticism of the...