Bishop Sarah Mullally DBE today (Wednesday 28 January) became the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, at her Confirmation of Election at St Paul’s Cathedral. She is the first woman to hold the office in its 1,400-year history.
At the ceremony Archbishop Sarah also legally became the Diocesan Bishop of Canterbury, and our diocese and cathedral were represented in both the legal ceremony and worship. Archbishop Sarah’s name was also carved into stone in Canterbury Cathedral.
The Confirmation of Election is a legal ceremony, set within a church service, at which the Archbishop-Elect, legally becomes the Archbishop of Canterbury.
(Credit: Graham Lacdao / St Paul’s Cathedral)
The Litany, a form of prayer dating back to Thomas Cramner, was led by the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin. Estella Last, Archdeacon of Maidstone and The Rev Catherine Ngangira took part in the Charge, based on the statement of needs drawn up by our diocese and charging Bishop Sarah with the task in hand. Estella and Catherine were part of the representative voices of Church of England and the Anglican Communion who delivered the Charge.
A prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit was led by Lyndall Bywater, the diocesan Prayer Network Coordinator. Lyndall reflected: “After the legal business was taken care of, there was Bishop Rose, full of warmth and joy, dancing us over the line from solemn to celebratory. She hugged Archbishop Sarah and she led the Diocesan Bishops in a rousing affirmation. The place erupted in applause and suddenly we had a new Archbishop. But Bishop Rose's joy also reminded me of just how glorious this moment is for women who have heard the call to priesthood, yet for so long were unable to respond to it.”
The Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral processed alongside the Chapter from St Paul’s Cathedral and David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury greeted the Lord Mayor’s representative. Following the service, Benn Swinfield, Senior Stonemason at Canterbury Cathedral inscribed a plaque in St Augustine’s Chapel with Bishop Sarah’s name, adding her to the list of archbishops going back to St Augustine.
The Confirmation will be followed by an Installation service at Canterbury Cathedral on 25 March, where Archbishop Sarah will preach her first sermon as Archbishop of Canterbury. Between her Confirmation of Election and Installation, Archbishop Sarah will pay homage to The King and meet with the leaders of other Christian denominations and other faiths in the UK. She will also co-preside at the Church of England’s General Synod in London in February, where she will deliver the Presidential Address. By tradition, Archbishop Sarah will begin her public ministry and full programme of public engagements following her Installation.
Bishop 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.
“I want us to be a Church that always listens to the voices of those who have been ignored or overlooked, among them victims and survivors of church abuse who have often been let down. 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”.