Dame Sarah Mullally will become the first female Archbishop of Canterbury

[malaise]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c179yvn08njo

"If you want to go fast, go alone - if you want to go far, go together," Dame Sarah Mullally said in her first public address as the new Archbishop of Canterbury designate.
But Friday's choice – for the first time ever - of a woman as the spiritual leader of both the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion already seems like it may exacerbate the deep fissures within that community.
The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (Gafcon), which is a network of conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia, received the news "with sorrow".
The Church of Southern Africa, on the other hand, called the appointment "historic" and said "we heartily welcome the announcement".

The Church of England – which some people call "The Mother Church" because it was the first Anglican Church – is broadly considered to have moved in a more liberal direction than some churches elsewhere, not least in Africa, where it is estimated that two-thirds of Anglicans live.
The issues which divide the global Anglican Communion included the ordination of women bishops in 2014 and the acceptance of same-sex relationships in 2023.
Many conservative Christians believe that only men should be consecrated as bishops.
————
Have the Episcopalians inthe US weighed in?

[Ocelot II]

1. The US Episcopal Church has weighed in, and positively:

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/publicaffairs/presiding-bishop-sean-rowe-congratulates-new-archbishop-of-canterbury/

Curiously, so did the Vatican: https://www.americamagazine.org/news/2025/10/03/first-female-archbishop-canterbury-vatican/

[electric_blue68]

7. I'm surprised Pope Leo made a positive comment!

I'm an Ex-Catholic.
The first time I went to a service in the ? early 1980's at St John The Divine Cathedral (Episcopalian): in NYC; totally surprised to see a woman pastor!

[obamanut2012]

3. The Episcopal Church is in communion with the Anglican Church

We welcome her with gladness!

[TommyT139]

4. Thanks be to God!

Such wonderful news!

Here is an article that doesn't give primacy* to the opinions of misogynist homophobes:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/03/sarah-mullally--named-first-female-archbishop-of-canterbury

And if you are looking for more hopeful news, in August, the latest Archbishop of Wales was appointed. Cherry Vann was the first female archbishop in the UK, and is an out lesbian.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/03/cherry-vann-archbishop-of-wales-interview


* Pun intended!

[markpkessinger]

5. Archbishop Mullally may very well have the additional distinction . . .

. . . of being the first woman to crown a British monarch!

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Maybe - there's a compulsory retirement age of 70, and she's 63

so that would only give Chuck 7 years - till he's 83. He's got a cancer now, of course, but seems to be coping OK with it. I'd like to think he could last longer.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

8. Excellent