Overview

• Downing Street announced Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, with installation at Canterbury Cathedral scheduled for March 2026 after the Church’s election and legal confirmation steps.
• Her nomination follows Justin Welby’s resignation last November after criticism of his handling of abuse linked to John Smyth, placing safeguarding reform under immediate scrutiny.
• Currently Bishop of London, Mullally previously served as England’s chief nursing officer and became the first woman to hold the London see in 2018.
• Conservative Anglican bodies including the GSFA and GAFCON say they cannot recognize her leadership due to her support for same-sex blessings, with allied groups in Europe voicing similar objections.
• Support has come from British leaders such as Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the Dalai Lama sent congratulations, while Mullally’s first remarks highlighted safeguarding, antisemitism after the Manchester synagogue attack, poverty, and global conflicts.