THE Most Revd Sarah Elisabeth Mullally became the primary woman to take office as Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday, on the confirmation in St Paul’s Cathedral of her election.
“This is our habemus mamam moment,” the Bishop of Dover, the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, told the congregation, her declaration a play on the words used to announce that a latest pope has been elected, because the congregation began to applaud.
AlamyThe Archbishop greets the gang outside St Paul’s after the service
In the charge to the brand new Primate of All England, the Archbishop of York suggested that “while the world can be quite curious about the undeniable fact that you might be the primary female Archbishop of Canterbury, I believe God may be very curious about the undeniable fact that that is the primary time Sarah has been the Archbishop of Canterbury.”
Archbishop Cottrell’s advice to her was to be herself: “Continue to be the one that exercises the gifts, wisdom, and experience that your life has given you; and proceed to be the one whose life is formed and nurtured by the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Welcoming the congregation, the Dean of St Paul’s, the Very Revd Andrew Tremlett, said that, although Bishop Mullally — as she was at that time within the service — followed within the footsteps of greater than 100 archbishops going back to St Augustine of Canterbury, she also “stepped into history” as the primary woman to take up the office.
After standing beside the font, where she formally consented to her election, Bishop Mullally moved to the front of the cathedral accompanied by bewigged lawyers. The confirmation of election is primiarly a legal occasion: lawyers and bishops took centre stage at a horseshoe-shaped table under the dome.
Issues with the sound system meant that parts of the proceedings were unintelligible, and the sitting of the court was also interrupted by a protester, immediately after the Proctor representing the College of Canons of Canterbury Cathedral had declared: “No person has appeared in opposition to the Confirmation.”
“I object,” the person, Fr Paul Williamson, shouted. The remainder of his words were inaudible from the press gallery, and he was escorted from the constructing by cathedral staff. An opponent of the ordination of girls, Fr Williamson has previously disrupted consecration services for ladies bishops.
The Church Times understands that his remarks on Wednesday referred to the brand new Archbishop’s record on safeguarding while Bishop of London, something that she had addressed in an interview with the BBC earlier within the day. She had said then that it was “right” that her actions were under scrutiny. “I’ll reiterate my commitment to safeguarding, particularly to listening to the victims and survivors of abuse.”
“SARAH was the one woman for the job,” the Interim Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd Ruth Worsley, said after the service, describing Archbishop Mullally as “God’s woman for the moment”.
Asked whether she had the arrogance of the Bishops to steer the Church on safeguarding, Bishop Worsley replied within the affirmative. “She handles with care those situations which can be delivered to her attention, and she’s going to determinedly lead the Church right into a place where all are welcome, protected, and valued, and attend to those mistakes which have been made up to now.”
The Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Revd Debbie Sellin, said that, when she had been ordained, it had been “hard to assume” a lady taking on the office of Archbishop of Canterbury.
“Sarah’s been called because she’s Sarah,” Bishop Sellin said. “She is a lady, and happens to be the primary one, but she’s been called because she’s the precise person for us just now.”
GRAHAM LACDAO/ST PAUL’S CATHEDRALArchbishop Mullally together with her fellow bishops outside St Paul’s
The Bishop of Fulham, in London diocese, the Rt Revd Jonathan Baker, provides episcopal ministry to traditionalists. Asked after the service whether he thought that those within the Church of England who didn’t recognise the ordination of girls must be anxious in regards to the appointment of a lady as Archbishop, he said that he had “numerous confidence” in her commitment to honouring all parts of the Church.
“We’ve had a superb relationship together with her throughout her time as Bishop of London, and I’m sure she’s going to proceed in that vein,” he said.
The legal ceremony had been expanded liturgically right into a service. The identity of the readers highlighted two facets of Bishop Mullally’s ministry in London: the civic, in the shape of the Lord Mayor Locum Tenens of the City of London, Alderman Sir Andrew Parmley — who read from Wisdom 7.7-10, 15-16 — and the tutorial: two students from The Urswick School, Hackney, reading John 16.12-15, their school uniforms in counterpoint to the Alderman’s gold-braided regalia.
Their New Testament reading was heard first in Portuguese, after which in English, in homage to the diocese’s links with the Anglican Church in Mozambique and Angola.
Archbishop Cottrell led Bishop Mullally through a reaffirmation of her consecration vows. “Bishops are called to steer in serving and caring for the people of God and to work with them within the oversight of the Church,” he said.
The litany was led by Bishop Hudson-Wilkin, with members of the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) and representatives of churches within the diocese of London.
After the legal proceedings had been a accomplished, quite a lot of representatives from different parts of the Church participated within the charge addressed on to Archbishop Mullally. “You are called to supply strong, visible leadership on safeguarding,” the engagement lead for the Racial Justice Unit, Alysia-Lara Ayonrinde, said.
Students from The Urswick Schol and St Michael’s C of E Primary School, Enfield, told the Archbishop that she was “called to like the Church of England in all its breadth and variety, and to assist the Church love itself more . . . believing that its best days are still to come back”.
A Team Vicar within the Benefice of Dorchester, and joint chief executive of the network Rural Ministries, the Revd Joanna Allen, called on the brand new Archbishop to “provide Christ-centred moral leadership to talk up for the dispossessed, marginalised, and those that struggle to be heard, difficult the unjust structures in society, and dealing in relationship with other denominations, faiths, cultures and backgrounds”.
