Overview

• Currently the Bishop of London, Mullally was appointed on Friday to serve as the Church of England’s top cleric.
• She becomes the first woman to head a global Anglican community of about 85 million after 105 male predecessors.
• Mullally succeeds Justin Welby, who stepped down in November after an independent investigation found he failed to promptly alert police about a volunteer’s repeated physical and sexual abuse at Christian summer camps.
• She faces immediate tests that include restoring trust over the church’s handling of abuse and managing internal rifts over the treatment of women and LGBTQ people.
• Under the church’s process, the Crown Nominations Commission selected the candidate, the prime minister approved the choice, and King Charles III made the formal appointment.