The first appointed woman to the Church of England’s top ministry role has been officially confirmed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury at a historic London service.

Sarah Mullally legally took up the position in a ceremony in St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday, before her installation or enthronement at Canterbury Cathedral in March.

Ahead of the service, she spoke of her hopes to lead with “calmness, consistency and compassion” in what she described as times of division and uncertainty for our fractured world.

A heckler, who appeared to be dressed in religious clothing, briefly interrupted proceedings and was escorted from the cathedral, although it was not immediately clear what they said.

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said “full opportunity” had been given for lawful objections, but none had been received and the process would therefore continue.

Ms Mullally served as Bishop of London for almost a decade and is also a former chief nursing officer for England.

It was officially named in October as the first female to be chosen as the top archbishop.

While, technically, the king is head of the Church of England, the person holding the role of Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop.

It is the spiritual leader of the church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

There were an estimated 1.02 million regular worshippers across the church in 2024, up from 1.01 million in 2023.

Meanwhile, there were said to be 85 million people in more than 165 countries around the world forming the Anglican Communion.

Those gathered at the St Paul’s service included bishops and clergy, local schoolchildren and those from across the church.

The Anglican Communion heard that Ms Mullaly “steps into history” as the first woman to take the top ministry role.

In a statement before the ceremony, Ms Mullally said, “It is an extraordinary and humbling privilege to have been called to be the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. In this country and around the world, Anglican churches bring healing and hope to their communities.

“With God’s help, I will seek to guide Christ’s flock with calmness, consistency and compassion. These are times of division and uncertainty for our fractured world.

“I pray that we will offer space to break bread together and discover what we have in common and I pledge myself to this ministry of hospitality. I want us to be a Church that always listens to the voices of those who have been ignored or overlooked, among them victims and survivors of church abuse who have often been let down.”

She said, “I am committed to equipping the Church to be a kind and safe place that cares for everyone, especially those who are vulnerable. We rise to the challenge of God’s call to justice, equity, peace and the care of creation.”

(dpa/NAN)