Bruised by recent events, the Church of England has just entered a new era. Dame Sarah Mullally’s appointment as the first female archbishop of Canterbury is momentous. But Mullally has an enormous challenge ahead of her in healing the wounds that afflict her church. Restoring trust in the church’s senior leadership and preventing the church from fracturing over issues of sexuality and gender will be at the top of her agenda.
Mullally’s appointment comes on the heels of a period of crisis in the church. The former archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was forced to resign following revelations about how he and other senior church leaders handled historic cases of child abuse.
Mullally made clear that her first task will be to restore confidence in the church’s senior management and safeguarding processes: “As archbishop, my commitment will be to ensure that we continue to listen to survivors, care for the vulnerable, and foster a culture of safety and wellbeing for all.”
