03.10.2025
Appointment of New Archbishop of Canterbury Welcomed
Bishop Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, has been announced as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. The 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop Sarah will be the first woman to hold the office. She will be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral on March 25 2026.
Sarah Mullally has been the Bishop of London since 2018, the first woman to hold that role, and previously served as the Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. Prior to her ordination in 2001, she was the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England, having previously specialised as a cancer nurse.
The most senior bishop in the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s ministry combines many roles including serving as the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan, as well as primus inter pares – or first among equals – of the Primates of the global Anglican Communion, which consists of around 85 million people, across 165 countries.
The announcement has been welcomed by the Most Revd John McDowell, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. “On behalf of the Church of Ireland, I express my best wishes to Bishop Sarah Mullally on her nomination to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury following today’s announcement by the Crown Nominations Commission, and assure her of the prayers of the members of the Church of Ireland as she enters into this challenging and important role in the life of the Anglican Communion,” he stated.
The Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, added his words of welcome on behalf of the dioceses. “We in the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough welcome the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury. She brings to the role experience of serving in and administering a large and diverse diocese which covers a vibrant international capital. This is experience which she can bring to bear on her ministry across the Anglican Communion. To this she adds experience in the National Health Service and we look forward to that combination of compassion and leadership. We look forward to the possibility of her visiting us in these dioceses and can assure her of a warm welcome,” he stated.