Sarah Mullally was legally confirmed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury at St Paul’s Cathedral. Mullally, 63, is the first woman to lead the Church of England. The confirmation ceremony officially installed the former cancer nurse as the spiritual leader for millions of Anglicans globally. This appointment highlights the Church of England's divergence from the Catholic Church, which does not ordain women. Mullally's leadership may exacerbate existing divisions within the Anglican Communion regarding women's roles and LGBTQ+ issues.
about 1 month ago
Sarah Mullally, aged 63 and previously the bishop of London, was legally confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury during a Confirmation of Election service at St. Paul’s Cathedral on January 28, 2026.1
The ceremony featured bewigged judges, an anthem by Edward Elgar, and applause from bishops who welcomed her; a heckler was escorted out after shouting objections.1
Mullally becomes the first woman to lead the Church of England, which ordained its first female priests in 1994 and bishops in 2015.1
The event underscores the church's divergence from the Roman Catholic Church, which bars women from priesthood, marking a significant statement on women's roles.1
Nominated by a 17-member commission of clerics and lay people four months prior, her role was confirmed by King Charles III, the church's supreme governor.1
She succeeds Justin Welby, who resigned in November 2024 amid criticism over mishandling abuse allegations.1
Mullally faces divisions in the 100-million-member Anglican Communion over women's ordination and LGBTQ issues, including same-sex marriage blessings.1
Conservative group Gafcon and Rwandan Archbishop Laurent Mbanda deem her appointment divisive, citing scriptural violations; she must also address ongoing sexual abuse scandals.1
A formal installation as bishop of the Canterbury diocese is scheduled for March 25, 2026, at Canterbury Cathedral, launching her public ministry.1
Investigate Catholic Church’s stance on women’s ordination
The Catholic Church unequivocally teaches that priestly ordination is reserved exclusively to baptized men, a truth rooted in Christ's own choice of male apostles, preserved unbroken through apostolic tradition, and definitively declared by the Magisterium. This stance is not a mere discipline subject to change but pertains to the Church's divine constitution, requiring definitive assent from all the faithful as part of the deposit of faith. Ongoing debates in some circles do not alter this constant teaching, which emphasizes women's irreplaceable dignity and roles without linking them to the ministerial priesthood.
From its origins, the Church has imitated Christ's example of selecting only men as apostles. Jesus chose twelve men after prayerful discernment, establishing them as the foundation of the Church in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This choice was not cultural but sovereign, free from prevailing customs, and reflective of God's eternal plan. The apostles, in turn, selected male collaborators to succeed them, perpetuating this norm.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms: "Only a baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination." The Lord Jesus chose men to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same... the Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible. This binding precedent underscores that ordination confers a sacramental participation in Christ's priesthood, requiring a male recipient to act in persona Christi.
This practice has been "faithfully maintained by the Oriental Churches" and the Catholic Church "from the beginning." When Anglican ordinations of women prompted ecumenical questions, Popes Paul VI and John Paul II reaffirmed the Church's position. Paul VI tasked the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) with Inter Insigniores (1976), which examined scriptural, patristic, historical, and theological arguments, concluding the Church lacks authority to ordain women.
Pope St. John Paul II's Ordinatio Sacerdotalis (1994) builds on this: "Priestly ordination... has in the Catholic Church from the beginning always been reserved to men alone." He detailed fundamental reasons—Christ's example, constant practice, and living Magisterium—adding that these are not sociological but theological, tied to the Church's fundamental constitution. In paragraph 4, he issued a definitive declaration: "I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful."
The CDF, under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later clarified this requires "definitive assent" as it belongs to the deposit of faith, infallibly taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium. Even recent analyses, applying St. John Henry Newman's theory of doctrinal development, confirm no evolution toward women's ordination is possible, as the Tradition is unambiguous from apostolic times.
The priest acts in persona Christi, representing the Bridegroom to the Church as Bride, a nuptial imagery demanding male embodiment. Christ's male sexuality is integral to this sacramental acting, complementing arguments from tradition. The Blessed Virgin Mary, preeminent among disciples and Mother of God, received neither apostolic mission nor priesthood, illustrating that exclusion from ordination does not diminish dignity but follows divine wisdom.
Women's roles are "absolutely necessary and irreplaceable," as saints, martyrs, mothers, and witnesses who humanize society and renew the Church. Yet, "the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are not the ministers but the saints," prioritizing charity over office. Ordination imparts an indelible character and sacred power from Christ alone, beyond community election.
Though some theologians and bishops question this—labeling arguments "weak" or calling for discussion—the Church views it as settled. The USCCB notes the topic dates to the second century, with recent statements pastorally clarifying amid modern pressures, inviting deeper study on fittingness like spousal imagery. Claims of development ignore the constant, universal Tradition. No Magisterial document supports change; more recent ones (e.g., 1994-1995) take precedence, binding definitively.
Mulieris Dignitatem (1988) celebrates women's dignity amid cultural shifts, urging Gospel-infused influence without ordination.
The Church's stance is clear, infallible, and unchanging: women cannot be ordained priests. This upholds Christ's will, apostolic fidelity, and complementary vocations, inviting all to holiness. Dissent risks obscuring the deposit of faith, but fidelity brings renewal.