Page 2 | New Archbishop of Canterbury

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 03/10/2025 13:54

Depressing that it's taken till 2025 for a woman to rise to the top of one of the most influential organisations in the UK. The first Moderator of the Church of Scotland was in office 2004/5.

Would I be right in assuming it will be a cold day in hell (as it were) before women are even allowed to be ordained as priests in the Catholic church, never mind Pope?

PotteringPondering · 03/10/2025 14:05

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 03/10/2025 13:54

Depressing that it's taken till 2025 for a woman to rise to the top of one of the most influential organisations in the UK. The first Moderator of the Church of Scotland was in office 2004/5.

Would I be right in assuming it will be a cold day in hell (as it were) before women are even allowed to be ordained as priests in the Catholic church, never mind Pope?

The Church of England and Church in Wales have both beaten the Labour Party to having a woman at the top.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 03/10/2025 14:11

I know! It's incredible how slow the Labour Party has been to achieve this. There have been four female leaders of the Conservative Party! Are Labour the only big UK party that's never had a woman in charge? Even the DUP managed it!

IwantToRetire · 03/10/2025 18:57

The Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon) has expressed “sorrow” at the announcement that Dame Sarah Mullally will become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, warning that her appointment “abandons global Anglicans” and will “further divide an already split Communion".

In a statement signed by its chairman, Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, Gafcon said the Archbishop of Canterbury can “no longer function as a credible leader of Anglicans, let alone a focus of unity", citing its 2023 Kigali Commitment in which it declared it would “no longer recognise the Archbishop of Canterbury as an Instrument of Communion".

The group raised concerns both about Dame Sarah's support for blessings of same-sex relationships and about her appointment as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, saying “the majority of the Anglican Communion still believes that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy".

https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/gafcon-rejects-new-archbishop-of-canterbury

DuesToTheDirt · 03/10/2025 19:59

IwantToRetire · 03/10/2025 18:57

The Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon) has expressed “sorrow” at the announcement that Dame Sarah Mullally will become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, warning that her appointment “abandons global Anglicans” and will “further divide an already split Communion".

In a statement signed by its chairman, Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, Gafcon said the Archbishop of Canterbury can “no longer function as a credible leader of Anglicans, let alone a focus of unity", citing its 2023 Kigali Commitment in which it declared it would “no longer recognise the Archbishop of Canterbury as an Instrument of Communion".

The group raised concerns both about Dame Sarah's support for blessings of same-sex relationships and about her appointment as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, saying “the majority of the Anglican Communion still believes that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy".

https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/gafcon-rejects-new-archbishop-of-canterbury

I was just speaking to someone who is an active member of the church, and she is concerned that the appointment will be divisive and they will lose African support. The church in the UK is shrinking massively - the congregation at my friend's church is tiny, and like many others the church is being merged with others in the area - so I suppose I can see where she is coming from.

IwantToRetire · 03/10/2025 20:04

DuesToTheDirt · 03/10/2025 19:59

I was just speaking to someone who is an active member of the church, and she is concerned that the appointment will be divisive and they will lose African support. The church in the UK is shrinking massively - the congregation at my friend's church is tiny, and like many others the church is being merged with others in the area - so I suppose I can see where she is coming from.

Show quote history

Well as someone who has not real interest in the Anglican church (or any other religion) cant help but feel we are reaping what we sowed.

Not only imposition of christianity on parts of Africa under colonialism, but also the exporting of strands of extreme christianity to America which has now developed into some sort of church militant which it is feeding back to the UK.

NotAtMyAge · 03/10/2025 22:06

ProudWomanXX · 03/10/2025 10:29

Is a Woman!

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/c992f6dd6b34cbde

Wales got there first. 😁Our new Archbishop (elected at the end of July) is not only a woman but a lesbian in a civil partnership.

AstonScrapingsNameChange · 03/10/2025 22:51

akkakk · 03/10/2025 11:38

As I understand it - she is an impressive lady who will probably be very good for a lot of the role. However there are two things about the appointment which will be very divisive:

some of the church believe that headship (theological leadership) should ultimately be men - this will be divisive and the relevant part of the church is the growing and wealthy evangelical section... Interestingly that is not a sexist thing per se, (as in it is not a view that men are better than women / above women), but that there are different roles in the church for men and women and this specific role is biblically stated to be for men. (For clarity, I am a man - come from that churchmanship, but do not hold that belief).
More of an issue though is that Sarah Mullally has been very clear in promoting and leading the church towards definitions of marriage which would allow anything to be acceptable - her teachings on marriage and sexuality are not what the bible says and as such her appointment will cause considerable issues across not just the Church of England, but across the worldwide Anglican community. Gafcon (which was established in 2008 as a biblical counterpoint to the increasing move of the Anglican church away from the Bible - and which encompasses a huge part of the worldwide church, esp in Africa / Asia / South America) has stated that they will not be recognising her in the traditional role of the Archbishop of Canterbury. (https://gafcon.org/communique-updates/canterbury-appointment-abandons-anglicans/)

So, I think there will be a large fall out from this.
Interestingly there were three female Bishops (London / Chelmsford / Cheltenham) who were all being considered, clearly there was a strong drive to have a woman in post.

her teachings on marriage and sexuality are not what the bible says

Why ate people so fixated on these particular topics but are more than happy to deviate from bible teaching on other matters eg tithing 10% of your income to the church?

I find it a bit weird that sex is the hill people chose to die on, as it were.

I don't think the impending schism over same sex marriage etc can be avoided. The church can only ostrich for so long.

PermanentTemporary · 03/10/2025 23:14

I actually had a very minor connection with Her Grace (? too late to look up the etiquette) during her nursing career. She was great. Feels like quite something. If this means eventual disestablishment, what a moment.

GallantKumquat · 04/10/2025 04:05

It's interesting that Google has very many hits of Mullay talking about and associated with LGBTQI+ inclusion, but seemingly none that address the current contentious issues of single-sex services and spaces and trans children.

👀 One is tempted to think that's not an accident, though the interpretation of that fact isn't clear.

Imnobody4 · 12/12/2025 11:36

This is a bit of a blow.

https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2025/12/archbishop-of-canterbury-elect-accused-of-safeguarding-breach
The archbishop of Canterbury elect, Sarah Mullally (pictured), has been accused of contravening the Clergy Discipline Measure code of practice during her time as bishop of London.One member of clergy has now called for an independent investigation to be launched.According to Premier Christian News, 'Survivor N' first reported allegations of abuse against a priest in the diocese of London over a decade ago.Premier Christian News has now "seen evidence" that Mullally "contravened the Clergy Discipline Measure [CDM] code of practice" by "sending a confidential email about the allegations directly to the priest concerned, outside of the CDM process".According to the Church of England, CDM "provides a procedure for handling such allegations of serious misconduct".Mullally allegedly told Survivor N his claims were "unsubstantiated". Survivor N says he was then subjected to a "systematic campaign of harassment and retribution".The decision of the diocese and Mullally not to investigate Survivor N's claim left him "in such a severe mental health crisis that he attempted to take his own life twice".A former child protection lawyer described the diocese's treatment of Survivor N as "the worst example of post-abuse victimisation of a CDM complainant we have ever seen".

IwantToRetire · 12/12/2025 17:07

Imnobody4 · 12/12/2025 11:36

This is a bit of a blow.

https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2025/12/archbishop-of-canterbury-elect-accused-of-safeguarding-breach
The archbishop of Canterbury elect, Sarah Mullally (pictured), has been accused of contravening the Clergy Discipline Measure code of practice during her time as bishop of London.One member of clergy has now called for an independent investigation to be launched.According to Premier Christian News, 'Survivor N' first reported allegations of abuse against a priest in the diocese of London over a decade ago.Premier Christian News has now "seen evidence" that Mullally "contravened the Clergy Discipline Measure [CDM] code of practice" by "sending a confidential email about the allegations directly to the priest concerned, outside of the CDM process".According to the Church of England, CDM "provides a procedure for handling such allegations of serious misconduct".Mullally allegedly told Survivor N his claims were "unsubstantiated". Survivor N says he was then subjected to a "systematic campaign of harassment and retribution".The decision of the diocese and Mullally not to investigate Survivor N's claim left him "in such a severe mental health crisis that he attempted to take his own life twice".A former child protection lawyer described the diocese's treatment of Survivor N as "the worst example of post-abuse victimisation of a CDM complainant we have ever seen".

I saw this as a very short bottom of the page newspaper story, and thought if this was a plot for a movie people would say surely this wouldn't happen in real life. But it does.

Thanks for longer news report.

Marmaladelover · 12/12/2025 21:57

That’s awful 😡😢😢

TempestTost · 13/12/2025 01:45

I would be hesitant to say anything until there is a response. People who make complaints aren't always in the right. It does sound bad though whether it was an intentional subverting, or being stupid about procedure.