Dame Sarah Mullally has been formally elected as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury in a centuries-old ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral. The event, which took place on Tuesday, marks another step in the lengthy process towards becoming the Church of England's top bishop.
The ceremony, dating back to the Reformation, involved the College of Canons of Canterbury Cathedral meeting in the medieval Chapter House to elect the new archbishop. Following the election, a certificate stamped with the cathedral's seal was issued to King Charles, and public declarations were displayed at the cathedral.
Dame Sarah was officially named as the next archbishop in October, making history as the first woman to hold the role. She was chosen by the Crown Nominations Commission, chaired by a former MI5 director, and required a two-thirds majority vote.
She will remain Bishop of London until the Confirmation of Election at St Paul's Cathedral on January 28. Her enthronement is scheduled for March 25 at Canterbury Cathedral.
In her first public speech after being named, Dame Sarah said she intended to 'be a shepherd who enables everyone's ministry and vocation to flourish' and acknowledged the Church's 'history of safeguarding failures'. The 105th Archbishop, Justin Welby, formally resigned in early January over failures in handling a safeguarding scandal.
