Woman named as new Archbishop of Canterbury in historic first

Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally, a former nurse, has been named as the next Archbishop of Canterbury - the first time a woman has been appointed to the role in the Church of England's history.

The announcement comes almost a year since Justin Welby resigned from the role as spiritual leader of the Church of England (CoE) due to a damning review into its handling of a sexual abuse scandal. It is the first time an archbishop has been chosen since women were allowed to become bishops in 2014.

In her first visit as archbishop-designate, Dame Sarah, whose appointment will be confirmed in a legal ceremony in January, visited a local church on Friday and helped pack food parcels. "Today as I respond to the call of Christ in this new ministry, I remain rooted in my first calling, to follow Christ, to know him and to make him known in the world," Dame Sarah said as she later addressed Canterbury Cathedral.

"In the apparent chaos which surrounds us, in the midst of such profound global uncertainty, the possibility of healing lies in acts of kindness and love. "With humility and grace we uphold and support those in need of our help.

We do this to the best of our ability, in small ways and big, according to our own very particular gifts. That too is the service which I offer the Church today." She promised to tackle safeguarding failures in the Church, saying the "dynamics of power" must be confronted.

"As a Church, we have too often failed to recognise or take seriously the misuse of power in all of its forms," she said. "As archbishop, my commitment will be to ensure that we continue to listen to survivors, care for the vulnerable, and foster a culture of safety and wellbeing for all.

This will not be easy. Our history of safeguarding failures has left a legacy of deep harm and mistrust, and we must all be willing to have light shone on our actions, regardless of our role in the Church." She also emphasised the importance of faith "in our fractured and hurting world.