Church of England confirms first woman archbishop of Canterbury as global Anglican church crumbles

Sarah Mullally walked into St. Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday morning as the bishop of London. When she walked out in the afternoon as bells rang out, she was the spiritual leader of millions of Anglicans around the world.

Mullally, 63, became the archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman to lead the Church of England.

The worldwide Anglican Communion, which includes the Episcopal Church in the U.S., has no formal head, but the archbishop traditionally has been seen as its spiritual leader.

Sarah Mullally became the archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman to lead the Church of England. NEIL HALL/EPA/Shutterstock

As the choir sang an anthem by Edward Elgar, the cancer nurse turned cleric officially took up the responsibilities of her new job