🔗 Share this article

The 63-year-old former NHS chief nurse has been appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury designate - making history as the first woman to be selected for this important office.

A former NHS chief nurse, the 63-year-old became a priest in 2006 and was named as the initial woman to serve as Bishop of London in 2018 - the third most senior member of religious leadership in the Church of England.

This signifies the initial occasion in nearly 500 years of history that the Anglican Communion has nominated a female to assume its leadership.

Historic Selection

The Church has been without someone in the senior role for almost a year after the previous Archbishop stepped down over a protection controversy.

He departed following a damning report into a serial offender associated with the religious institution. The report found that he "was able and obligated" have notified authorities about the misconduct by John Smyth of boys and young men to police in 2013.

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell assumed most of the former Archbishop's responsibilities in an temporary arrangement, and was among those casting ballots of the committee charged with selecting his successor.

Political Procedure

In line with tradition, the process of selecting a new archbishop involves a candidate being given to the Prime Minister and then passed to the sovereign.

The Prime Minister has applauded the selection of Dame Sarah, saying: "The Archbishop of Canterbury will serve an important function in our national life. I offer my best wishes and look forward to working together."

Although formally, the King is head of the Anglican Church, the individual occupying the position of spiritual leader is the highest-ranking cleric and is the spiritual leader of the Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Monarchical and International Response

The monarch has congratulated the new Archbishop on her new role, "which is of such importance in the United Kingdom and across the worldwide Anglican community", the royal household said.

The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, which represents conservative views, has criticised the selection, stating that although certain groups support the decision, "the majority of the global church still maintains that the Bible requires a all-male bishopric."

Handover Process

She will not formally assume her position until a confirmation of election in January, and an installation ceremony comes subsequently, after they have paid homage to the monarch.

In a declaration on Friday after her new role was finalized, she said: "I know this is a huge responsibility but I approach it with a sense of peace and faith in divine guidance to carry me as He always has."

Addressing media at the historic church, she said that "during a period that craves certainty and group identity, the Anglican tradition offers something quieter but stronger."

Responding to Attack

Talking about the "horrific violence" of Thursday's attack on a Jewish house of worship in the northern city, she said "we observe prejudice that rises up through fractures across our society."

She added: "We then as a Church have a duty to be a people who stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism in every manifestation. Prejudice and discrimination of any kind cannot be allowed to tear us apart."

Professional History

Married with two children, she devoted more than three decades in the National Health Service, becoming 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 few years later that she decided to become a clergy member and was quickly tasked with helping implement changes in the way the organization dealt with misconduct.

In 2012 she became canon treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral before becoming Bishop of Crediton in the diocese of Exeter in 2015.

As Bishop of London she was seen as someone who applied her background as an health service manager to help modernise the diocese.

Personal Philosophy

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

"I like to consider that I have always had a single calling: to follow Jesus Christ, to understand his teachings and to make him known, continually striving to live with compassion in the assistance to people, whether as a nurse, a priest, or a church official."

Future Challenges

Possibly the pressing issue in her agenda is still to develop improved approaches towards addressing misconduct and approaching with greater empathy those impacted by such incidents.

There has also been a reduction in church attendance, though the capital has to some extent resisted this pattern.

One of the areas she has been particularly vocal on is assisted dying - she is a vociferous opponent, as was her predecessor.

When legislation was approved in the Commons, she characterized it as "unworkable and unsafe and poses a risk to the most vulnerable people in our society."

Modern Positions

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

She characterized the decision to finally allow clergy to bless same-sex couples in last year as "an optimistic development for the Church."

A former Archbishop, summarised her position as requiring a "awareness of current affairs and a understanding of scripture."

The former spiritual leader explained to journalists "the pressure of having an opinion on everything is quite heavy."