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The 63-year-old former NHS chief nurse has been named as the incoming spiritual leader of the Church of England - making history as the initial female to be chosen for this prestigious role.

Previously England's chief nursing officer, the 63-year-old entered the priesthood in 2006 and was named as the first female Bishop of London in 2018 - the third most senior member of clergy in the Anglican Church.

This signifies the first time in nearly 500 years of tradition that the Church has nominated a woman to assume its leadership.

Historic Selection

The Anglican Church has been without someone in the top job for almost a year after the previous Archbishop resigned over a safeguarding scandal.

He stepped down following a damning report into a prolific child abuser linked to the religious institution. The investigation found that he "could and should" have reported John Smyth's abuse of boys and young men to police in 2013.

The Archbishop of York assumed most of the former Archbishop's responsibilities in an temporary arrangement, and was one of the voting members of the committee charged with selecting his successor.

Political Procedure

Following established custom, the process of selecting a spiritual leader involves a candidate being given to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and then passed to the sovereign.

Sir Keir has applauded the selection of Dame Sarah, stating: "This position will serve an important function in our country's affairs. I wish her every success and look forward to working together."

While, technically, the monarch is head of the Anglican Church, the person holding the position of Archbishop of Canterbury is the highest-ranking cleric and is the spiritual leader of the religious institution and the global Anglican community.

Monarchical and International Response

The monarch has congratulated Dame Sarah on her appointment, "which is of such importance in the UK and across the global Anglican Communion", the royal household stated.

The international conservative Anglican group, which advocates for traditional positions, has questioned the appointment, stating that although some will welcome it, "most members of the Anglican Communion still maintains that the scriptures requires a male-only episcopacy."

Handover Process

She will not formally assume her position until a confirmation of election in January, and an installation ceremony comes subsequently, after they have pledged allegiance to the monarch.

In a declaration on Friday after her new role was confirmed, she commented: "I recognize this is a significant undertaking but I undertake it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has."

Speaking from Canterbury Cathedral, she said that "during a period that craves certainty and tribalism, the Anglican tradition offers something quieter but stronger."

Addressing Violence

Addressing the "terrible attack" of the previous day's incident on a synagogue in Manchester, she stated "we are witnessing hatred that emerges through fractures across our society."

She continued: "We then as a Church have a responsibility to be a people who support the Jewish community against antisemitism in all its forms. Hatred and racism of any kind cannot be permitted to divide our society."

Professional History

Married with two children, she devoted more than three decades in the NHS, becoming the youngest-ever chief nursing officer for England in 1999.

While serving voluntarily in the Church at the period, it was just a few years later that she decided to become a priest and was promptly assigned helping make reforms in the way the institution addressed misconduct.

In 2012 she became financial administrator at the historic church before becoming diocesan leader in the regional church administration in 2015.

As London's religious leader she was seen as someone who used her experience as an NHS administrator to help update the diocese.

Guiding Principles

"People frequently inquire what it has been like to have had different professional paths, initially in the NHS and currently in the Church.

"I prefer to think that I have always had one vocation: to follow Jesus Christ, to understand his teachings and to share his message, continually striving to demonstrate empathy in the assistance to people, whether as a nurse, a religious leader, or a bishop."

Future Challenges

Perhaps the most urgent thing in her in-tray is still to develop improved approaches towards addressing abuse and treating with more compassion those affected by it.

There has also been a reduction in church attendance, though London has to a degree resisted this pattern.

One of the areas she has been most outspoken about is end-of-life choices - she is a strong critic, as was her predecessor.

When the law was passed in the House of Commons, she characterized it as "unworkable and unsafe and creates danger to the most vulnerable people in our society."

Progressive Stances

Among her responsibilities as Bishop of London was to lead a body trying to steer the Church's decision on whether to bless same-sex marriages.

She described the determination to ultimately permit priests to bless same-sex couples in last year as "a moment of hope for the religious community."

Rowan Williams, described her new role as necessitating a "newspaper in one hand and a Bible in the other."

The former spiritual leader explained to media outlets "the expectation of having an opinion on everything is significantly demanding."