The first female Archbishop of Canterbury has warned against overlooking victims harmed by “the failures of those in our own Christian churches and communities” during her installation as leader of the Church of England.
In her first sermon as archbishop, Dame Sarah Mullally said: “We hold victims and survivors in our hearts and in our prayers, and we must remain committed to truth, compassion, justice and action.”
Addressing a congregation of some 2,000 guests at Canterbury Cathedral, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, she said she prayed for those affected by war in the Middle East.
Also present were nurses and carers from Canterbury, to reflect Dame Sarah’s long career as a nurse.
The service, historically known as an enthronement, marked the symbolic start of Dame Sarah’s public ministry as the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Dame Sarah – whose predecessor Justin Welby resigned in 2024 amid criticism of his handling of a serious abuse case – told the congregation on Wednesday: “In a world already torn by conflict, suffering, and division, we must also acknowledge the hurt that exists much closer to home.
“We must not overlook or minimise the pain experienced by those who have been harmed through the actions, inactions, or failures of those in our own Christian churches and communities.”
Separately, she said “some of our Anglican brothers and sisters” had been prevented from attending the service by the US-Israel war with Iran.
“We pray for them without ceasing, and for all those in war-torn areas of the world, in Ukraine, in Sudan, and Myanmar – that they would know God’s presence with them, just as we pray for peace to prevail.”
All 105 previous Archbishops of Canterbury have been men, starting with St Augustine in 597 AD. Women were only allowed to become priests in the Church of England 32 years ago, in 1994.
Dame Sarah told the congregation: “As I look back over my life – at the teenage Sarah, who put her faith in God and made a commitment to follow Jesus, I could never have imagined the future that lay ahead, and certainly not the ministry to which I am now called.”
She said she resonated with the experience of Mary, the mother of God, who had to trust “in a future she couldn’t yet see – a future she could never have imagined”.
Some traditionalists in the Church of England and the wider global Anglican Communion continue to oppose the idea of women being priests at all.
In a meeting earlier this month in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, conservative clergy gathered to select their own leader to follow instead of Dame Sarah, the Rwandan archbishop Laurent Mbanda.
Dame Sarah will also work with bishops in England whose beliefs mean they refuse to ordain women.
She had told the BBC ahead of the service that she recognised “the significance of being the first female archbishop, but I am also aware of the women that have supported me in my ministry”.
The archbishop said the installation would give the sense of being “about celebrating women”.
Other challenges the new archbishop will face are more familiar for leaders of the Church of England.
Controversy rumbles on over same-sex unions in the Church and, especially given Welby’s resignation, there will be much scrutiny of the way she leads on safeguarding.
“In my thoughts and my prayers continue to be victims and survivors of abuse and the Church has sought to improve what we do,” she said the day before her installation.
“Light should be shone on all our actions. And the more senior we are, the more light should be shone. That is absolutely right,” she said when asked about the scrutiny of her own record in handling abuse cases.
Dame Sarah said: “I am going to be the archbishop because of the experiences that I have had, whether as a nurse or as a priest or as a bishop. And I continue to make my commitment to do all I can to ensure that the Church becomes safer.”
In the days leading up to the service, Dame Sarah walked nearly 90 miles over six days in a pilgrimage from St Paul’s Cathedral to Canterbury Cathedral.
The theme of pilgrimage continued into Wednesday afternoon’s installation service too, with religious rites performed in locations throughout the cathedral.
It began with Dame Sarah knocking three times on the West Door of the cathedral with her pastoral staff after which she was welcomed by local schoolchildren.
In the nave she swore an oath on the Saint John’s Bible, the first time a new bible has been used since 1945, in what is being seen as a reflection of modernisation.
In the choir she was installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury in the “Cathedral Chair” before moving to the famous “Chair of St Augustine” to be installed as Primate of All England.
While the service was rooted in historical significance, Dame Sarah had a hand in choosing some of the hymns.
There were also nods to the diversity of the global Anglican Communion – with singing in Urdu, a Gospel reading in Spanish and a prayer in the Bemba language of Zambia.
By BBC News
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