Thousands gather for installation of Sarah Mullally as 106th Archbishop of Canterbury

Dame Sarah Mullally has been formally installed today because the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury and the primary woman to carry the role within the Church of England’s 1,400-year history.

The installation ceremony took place at Canterbury Cathedral on the Feast of the Annunciation and marks the official starting of her public ministry as the top of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which incorporates around 85 million members worldwide.

The congregation of around 2,000 guests included the Prince and Princess of Wales, in addition to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and Christian leaders from inside the Church of England, the Anglican Communion, and other denominations and traditions.

Reflecting her past profession within the NHS prior to becoming ordained, Dame Sarah also invited NHS nurses and carers working in hospitals and hospices to her installation. 

In one other nod to her personal reference to the NHS, the clasp for the cope and mitre worn in the course of the ceremony was created from the belt buckle she wore while serving as a nurse within the NHS.

The installation service took the theme of Jesus because the Good Shepherd and combined centuries-old tradition with modern symbolism, with Dame Sarah seated within the historic Chair of St Augustine in the course of the ceremony and presented along with her pastoral staff, symbolic of her role as a shepherd.

From the Chair of St Augustine, she opened her sermon with the words, “For nothing will likely be inconceivable with God” – the words spoken by the Angel Gabriel to Mary in Luke 1:37.

She said this assurance from the angel “resonates with me” because her teenage self who made a commitment to follow Jesus “could never have imagined” her future ministry because the Archbishop of Canterbury. 

She went on to recollect her Anglican brothers and sisters unable to attend her installation in person as a result of the war within the Middle East and Gulf. 

“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 might know God’s presence with them, just as we pray for peace to prevail,” she said. 

During her sermon, the Archbishop acknowledged hurt stemming from safeguarding failures inside the Church of England – it was such failures that brought down her predecessor, Justin Welby.

“And in a world already torn by conflict, suffering and division, we must also acknowledge the hurt that exists much closer to home,” she continued.

“We must not overlook or minimise the pain experienced by those that have been harmed through the actions, inactions and failures of those in our own Christian churches and communities.

“Today and day by day, we hold victims and survivors in our hearts and in our prayers, and we must remain committed to truth, compassion, justice and motion.” 

The Archbishop went on to talk of “hope” grounded within the trust that God walks with His people and “that God will do a recent thing”. 

“The moment of encounter between Mary and the Angel Gabriel broadcasts the mystery of the Incarnation – the definitive moment that reveals God with us, Immanuel.

“In the Incarnation, we see God becoming one in every of us, and this offers me such hope for the Church,” she said as she praised the impact of “odd individuals who, like Mary, have the audacity to imagine that with God, we are able to do extraordinary things”. 

The Archbishop was installed after walking from St Paul’s Cathedral in London to Canterbury Cathedral on a six-day pilgrimage. She touched on this journey several times during her sermon and the way she saw it mirrored in her life and ministry. 

“For me, this hope and trust in God began as I committed my life to Jesus and God has been with me every step of my pilgrim path, and I trust He walks with me now,” she said. 

She concluded her sermon, “May we now have the audacity to imagine in the guarantees of God. For with Him, nothing will likely be inconceivable.”

For the primary time since 1945, a contemporary Bible was used to swear the oath. For nearly 60 years, Archbishops of Canterbury have been sworn in using the Sixth-century Augustine Gospels, believed to be a relic of the primary Archbishop of Canterbury, St Augustine. However, the gospels, which reside at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge, are fragile and never easily moved so the cathedral selected to make use of the Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition as a substitute. 

Reflecting the variety of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a prayer was given within the Bemba language of Zambia by the Primate of Central Africa, Most Rev Albert Chama, while the Gospel reading was delivered in Spanish by the acting Primate of the Anglican Church of Mexico, Bishop Alba Sally Sue Hernández García.

The hymns chosen by Archbishop Mullally were Tell Out My Soul and Praise my Soul the King of Heaven. 

Speaking ahead of the service, she had said: “As I prepare to start my ministry as Archbishop of Canterbury, I’m grateful for the prayers and support I even have received from people here and all over the world.

“To be welcomed into town and diocese of Canterbury is an immense privilege – and I’m grateful to be sharing on this moment with people of all ages and backgrounds from across the Church of England, the Anglican Communion, our nation and the world.

“Our world today needs the love, healing and hope that we discover in Jesus Christ. I proceed to wish that we renew our confidence on this excellent news, and recommit ourselves to sharing the enjoyment of the Gospel.”

Mullally’s installation follows her formal confirmation in January, when she legally became Archbishop.

She succeeds Justin Welby at a time of considerable challenge for the Church of England and the broader Anglican Communion. Some of that is owing to ongoing divisions around issues like sexuality – the Gafcon movement has refused to recognise her authority and is pursuing a path of “principled disengagement” from Canterbury. 

Her supporters, nevertheless, see her as a conciliatory and experienced leader who they hope will bring a gentle hand to the Church. 

Dr David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury, said: “Each recent Archbishop brings their very own particular gifts and experiences to the role with a way of renewed hope. 

“Installing Sarah as our first female Archbishop would have almost been unimaginable even 50 years ago. Today matters.

“As we mix centuries of tradition on this ancient service with those elements unique to Sarah’s ministry, we welcome her to our Cathedral and diocese, and pray for her as she takes on the role of Archbishop of Canterbury.”