The new archbishop of Canterbury’s record on LGBTQ+ rights is pretty reassuring.

The announcement of Sarah Mullally as the first woman to lead the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion, was not well-received by some conservative churches in Africa and Asia on Friday (3 October) but it offered more-promising news for queer people.

Mullally, who will legally become the Archbishop of Canterbury at her Confirmation of Election at St Paul’s Cathedral, in London, in January, which will be followed by a service of installation at Canterbury Cathedral in March, supported the introduction of church blessings for same-sex couples.

“I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence in the Gospel, to speak of the love that we find in Jesus Christ and for it to shape our actions, and I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion,” she said of her appointment.

“I know this is a huge responsibility but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has.”

Former NHS chief nurse Mullally will succeed Justin Welby, who announced his resignation in November, following the publication of a report into child abuse within the Church of England.

What is Sarah Mullally’s record on LGBTQ+ rights?

As Bishop of London, Mullally helped lead the Church’s “living in love and faith” process and backed the introduction of the “prayers of love and faith,” which allowed same-sex blessings in churches. 

The prayers include options for thanksgiving, dedication and God’s blessing, but do not constitute a marriage ceremony and do not change the Church of England’s doctrine, which still defines marriage as between “one man and one woman”. 

During debates on the introduction of blessings for same-sex couples, Mullally acknowledged the Church’s past failure, saying: “Our eyes have been opened to the harm we have done, especially to LGBTI+ people”. In 2023, she joined fellow bishops in issuing an open letter of apology and said: “We realise this behaviour has not reflected the universal love of God for all people.”

However, it’s clear that she will face challenges both at home and even more so as global head of the Anglican communion: some 85 million people in more than 160 countries.

According to the Sudan Post, archbishop Justin Badi Arama, who leads the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, has said: “It is sad that this newly appointed archbishop is a supporter of same-sex marriage.

“In their Synod of February 2023, she described the decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples as a moment of hope for the Church. In my capacity as the chair of Global South Fellowship of Anglicans, we issued a letter reaffirming our position of not recognising unbiblical and unorthodox leadership.” 

The Episcopal Church of South Sudan would continue to “uphold the traditional Christian teaching on marriage and to proclaim the biblical Anglican faith”, he added. 

@pinknews Dame Sarah Mullally – who has historically supported the introduction of church blessings for same-sex couples – has been appointed the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England’s 1,400-year history. As Bishop of London, Mullally helped lead the Church’s ‘Living in Love and Faith’ process and backed the introduction of the ‘Prayers of Love and Faith’, which allow same-sex blessings in church. The prayers include options for thanksgiving, dedication, and God’s blessing, but they do not constitute a marriage ceremony and do not change Church of England doctrine, which still defines marriage as between “one man and one woman”. In 2023, Dame Sarah Mullally joined fellow bishops in issuing an open letter of apology for the Church’s historic treatment of LGBTQ+ people: “In an open letter, we together apologise for the pain, hostility, exclusion and rejection that LGBTQI people have experienced within the church. We realise this behaviour has not reflected the universal love of God for all people.” #faith #Christianity #ChurchOfEngland #ArchbishopOfCanterbury #lgbtqia #SarahMullally ♬ Eternal Light（renaissance choral gregorian chant a cappella polyphonic sacred) – D.ai.GO

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