Sarah Mullally to Become First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

LONDON – Sarah Mullally, currently the Bishop of London, will become the first woman to lead the Church of England on January 28. In her Christmas sermon at St Paul’s Cathedral, she highlighted that national debates over immigration are dividing British society.

“Our national conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us,” Mullally said.
She added: “We who are Christians then hold fast to joy as an act of resistance – a joy that does not minimize suffering but meets it with courage.”

Immigration at the Center of UK Politics

Immigration has become a hot-button political issue in the United Kingdom. Undocumented asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats have prompted a strong response from Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who promised to “smash the gangs” of people smugglers.

Despite these efforts, migrant numbers remain high, with the majority arriving legally. The issue is being exploited politically by the anti-immigration Reform Party, reflecting a broader rise of far-right movements across Europe.

Church Leadership Changes Amid Abuse Scandals

Mullally succeeds Justin Welby, who resigned earlier this year following revelations that the Church of England failed to properly investigate sexual abuse cases dating back to the 1970s.

Welby, 68, admitted in an interview with the BBC that he was overwhelmed by the scale of abuse cases, stating:

“Every day more cases were coming across the desk that hadn’t been dealt with adequately… it was an absolutely overwhelming few weeks.”

He became the first Archbishop to resign due to a scandal in over 1,000 years, following an independent review that criticized his handling of allegations against serial abuser John Smyth.

The Church continues to face scrutiny over past safeguarding failures and is also investigating a 2020 complaint concerning Mullally’s handling of allegations by an individual identified as “N”.