Mullally first woman to lead Church of England

>>LONDON: A 63-year-old former nurse, Sarah Mullally, was named as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury Friday, pledging to improve safety at the Church of England following an abuse scandal that ousted her predecessor.

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The former midwife becomes the first woman to lead the centuries-old mother church of the world’s 85-million strong Anglican community.

Her nomination by a committee tasked with finding a successor to Justin Welby, who stepped down earlier this year, was approved by King Charles III, the UK government said in a statement.

Ms Mullally acknowledged the “huge responsibility” of her new role and vowed to “confront the dynamics of power” that had led the church to cover up the abuse of dozens of boys and young men several decades ago.

She cautioned that it would “not be easy” due to a “history of safeguarding failures” that has “left a legacy of deep harm and mistrust” in the Church of England, which can trace its origins back to the Roman Empire.